Ready for a riddle

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Three sailors on shore leave walked into a hotel, to stay a night

Manager told them the fee was $30, each sailor took a $10 bill out of his wallet and gave it to the manager.

Manager told the bellhop to take the sailor's luggage up to the room.

The Bellhop carried all the luggage to the room, but the sailors gave him no tip.

Manager realizes he overcharged the sailors, room is actually $25

Manager gives the bellhop 5 $1 bills, asks that he take and give it to the Sailors room.

On the way upstairs the Bellhop, disgruntled as he was, pockets 2 $1 bills

At the room, Bellhop gives each sailor a $1 bill.

How much did each sailor pay? $9

Total paid by sailors - $9 X 3 = $27

How much did Bellhop pocket - $2

$27 + $2 = $29

Riddle - where is the other $1

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Recent Comments

14

If the room is total cost $25, then the 3 saliors were supposed to only pay 25/3 = $8.33 ea. But they effectively paid $9 each, and therefore overpaid $0.666 ea x 3 = $1.99 = $2.

The answer is there is no extra dollar, because by unknowingly overpaying, they effectively "tipped" the bellhop $2 - which is the same $2 the bellhop thought he stole!

Which ironically is what the sailors were trying to avoid!

The bottom line is that the sailors paid a total of $27, $25 of which went to the hotel and $2 to the bellhop, making $27, so it all matches up. The error in the above equation is where it says 27+2 instead of 27-2.

Stumped

Gordian knot approach. On the floor where it fell through a hole in the Bellhop's pocket!

It must be similar to what I've heard Scottish whiskey makers say about the bit in each cask that evaporates over time - "It's the angels' share!" Best wishes for your continued success!

Ok, answer:

25 ÷ 3 = 8.3333 (30 - 5 return to sailors)
28 ÷ 3 = 9.3333 (30 - 2 tip)

9.3333 - 8.3333 = 1 dollar

30 - 25 = 5 then -2 (tip) = 3 what each sailor got back
Each paid 10 - 1 = 9 x 3 = 27

So its: 27 + 2 + 1 = $30

It is the owner who has the $1 ...

Leon - I could be wrong but it's in the forced tip to the bellhop .67 cents to each sailor for a total cost to sailors of $28 dollars. When it come to math riddles MS Excel is your friend. As my 7th grade math teacher drilled into our little heads... show your work! So here it is.

Thank you for sharing Leon! You got me really thinking about this, but I can't figure it out.

My Dad took the answer to his grave.

Okay I was hoping to get the answer. I guess that means I have to keep thinking and try to figure it out.

What if the other sailor wasn't in the room when the bellhop was giving back the ones?

I like this puzzle, I could not figure it out.

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