Three Strikes and You're Out

In the game show, "The Price is Right." One of the games that is played to win a car is the "Three Strikes and You're out" game. In the game four blocks with numbers on them and three blocks with strikes on them are put into a bag. The player selects a block. If the block is a number, the player chooses a position in the amount of the price of a car that he thinks is correct. If he is correct, the number is place in the proper position and he selects another number. If he is incorrect, the number goes back into the bag. If the player pulls out a strike block, record is taken. Players continue to draw blocks until they have found the correct price or they have selected the three strikes and they are out of the game. We will simplify the game.

  • You will be a winner if you choose the four number blocks before you choose the three strikes. Come up with a probability for winning the game.

  • Now assume the numbers in the bag are 1,2,3,4 and that you must choose the higher number first from the remaining numbers. If you choose the wrong number, you must put that number back in the bag and choose again. How does this change the probability? Is this the same probability is you had to choose them in the order - 2,1,4,3 ?

  • Are there conditions that assure your success in this game?

    Choose a spokesperson from your group. This person will go to the board and give your explanation and justification for how your group came up with the answers you did.



    The Discrete Mathematics Project