Puzzle: Basketball hoop puzzle!!

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You have a basketball hoop and someone says that you can play 1 of 2 games

Game 1: You get one shot to make the hoop

Game 2: You get three shots and you have to make 2 of 3 shots

If p is the probability of making a particular shot, for which values of p should you pick one game or the other?
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By  Vineet JhunJhunwala





Sangeeta Haldhar Sangeeta Haldhar   12 years ago

Game 1: total outcomes =2 favorable outcome 1 p=1/2=0.5 for making the shot
Game 2: total outcome for 3 shots =6(3 Y,3 N) favorable=2 p=2/6=1/3=0.333
So we will go with the Game 1

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Ankush Mittal Ankush Mittal   11 years ago

In case of Game 1: The probability to make the hoop is p
In case of Game 2: The probability to make 2 of 3 or 3 of 3 is p*p(1-p) + p*p*p = p*p < p

p*p < p so we select Game 1

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