Jason_t's flight home...

[Banks2334]

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wtf, surely they'd just both choose 100? what am i missing?


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Yes, they could both get 100 that way, but being "game theorists", they want to jam the other guy and get 2 more dollars for themsleves.

[toss]

This is more complicated than it seems. One would assume that 100 would be the best choice, but notice that one player can write down 99 and receive a total sum of $101 should the other player write 100. Therefore the best option for either player is to not write 100. Not every single time at least. Unforetunately thats as far as my understanding on the matter goes. Someone else thats smarter than me should be able to solve this "riddle".

Edit: It looks like MAC has this figured out it seems.

[gorie]

one of them better write 90 or they're going to hell.

[trying2learn]

is the goal ONLY to make more money than the other guy? because if not - 98 is the lowest either of them should go.

[nomadtla]

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b) wtf, surely they'd just both choose 100? what am i missing?

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Knowing this is the easy answer would make me chose 99 because then my # would be lower thus giving me $101 for my $90 POS. Thus it gets confusing. If I knew that we were both rational and were both out to maximize our total take then yes 100 is the easiest answer. But to actually maximize your money from the deal it is not the best answer.

If given an unlimited amount of time I think the both put 98 and laugh heartily when the manager tells them they put the same. Then the love story begins for "Piiop".

The Reasoning:
Just like 100, 99 is too obvious for a game theorist, and when you get into the sick [censored] mind of game theory technically you could go on forever. But 98 gives you the greatest expectation in my mind.
I can't see it being overthought to less then 97 because less then 97 loses to much of the profit that could be made on the $90 investment.
But 98 puts you ahead of the two obvious choices and behind only one choice.
And if you pick 98 and they take 97 then [censored] it you still make 6 on the deal. 98 just seems max EV to me.

[Sponger.]

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is the goal ONLY to make more money than the other guy? because if not - 98 is the lowest either of them should go.

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The goal is to make the most money for yourself.

[Sponger.]

Btw, Jason should choose 43, and John should choose 37.

Do you see why? I'll let others elaborate...

[CallMeIshmael]

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is the goal ONLY to make more money than the other guy? because if not - 98 is the lowest either of them should go.

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The goal is not to make more than the other.

It is simply to make the most you can.

[Clarkmeister]

I'd say $90 since that's what I paid for it.

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

I'm practically convinced the right answer is 98 or 99 for both people, depending on how wily they want to be. You might even get both to write 100 when they realize they'll both just end up writing 98, but then Nash would be wily and write 99, anyway.