Puzzles & Bets

153 entries in Numbers / Puzzles & Bets
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
C. H. Wilson A Few Curious Facts in Figures number oddities
 		1877
The 52 Wonders
31
Scherz-Fragen gag questions, riddles
 		Mar. 1895
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 1 No. 3)
43
Ein Zahlenscherz puzzle about distributing seventeen camels
 		Aug. 1896
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 2 No. 8)
119
Die 36 Nullen grid of 6x6 zeros, puzzle
 		Nov. 1899
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 5 No. 11)
174
Ein Zahlen-Kuriosum
Dec. 1901
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 7 No. 12)
190
Das Piquet zu Pferde number game
 		Nov. 1902
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 8 No. 11)
174
E. H. Borden Horses - A Number Quickie illogic puzzle, dividing horses under three sons
Related to May 1947
The Phoenix (Issue 126)
506
Two Math Ticklers two math, logic puzzles
 		1953
Ireland's Yearbooks (Issue Yearbook 1953)
19
Mel Stover Herman the Hobo number puzzle with story about the maximum cigarettes one can smoke
Related to June 1955
Ibidem (Issue 1)
15
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Herman the Hobo
Related to Aug. 1955
Ibidem (Issue 2)
6
Mel Stover Betcha bet about multiplying a set of lengths by two, then dividing it by two again
 		Aug. 1955
Ibidem (Issue 2)
10
Mel Stover Puzzle: Lewis Carroll puzzle about the length of a walk with general information about speed given
Related to Aug. 1955
Ibidem (Issue 2)
16
Tom Ransom Crazy Tom Ransom Reads Books two number puzzles
  • The Huckster
  • Color Poker
 		Nov. 1955
Ibidem (Issue 4)
7
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Lewis Carroll
Related to Nov. 1955
Ibidem (Issue 4)
22
Mel Stover Puzzle: Sugar Lumps
Related to July 1956
Ibidem (Issue 6)
3
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Sugar Lumps
Related to Sep. 1956
Ibidem (Issue 7)
19
Martin Gardner Puzzle: Smith's Dilemma number puzzle in which the word "smith" is coded into digits
 		Sep. 1956
Ibidem (Issue 7)
21
Mel Stover Puzzle: Twin Matching number puzzle about percentages
Related to Dec. 1956
Ibidem (Issue 8)
9
Max Katz A teaser calculation puzzle
 		1957
26 Originals
23
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Twin Matching number puzzle about percentages
Related to Mar. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 9)
20
Mel Stover Puzzle: Bananastand
Related to Sep. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 11)
5
Tom Ransom A Puzzle From The Future! puzzle about which year a company was founded
Also published here Sep. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 11)
7
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Bananastand
Related to Dec. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 12)
3
Tom Ransom Puzzle Solution: Puzzle From The Future!
Also published here Dec. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 12)
7
Royal Vale Heath Number Challenge two-digit number divided by three, left-over named to performer who then works out the number
Related to
  • "Zangbar Zackelback" (Wallace Lee, Genii, June 1958, p. 364)
Variations 		Dec. 1957
Ibidem (Issue 12)
12
Stewart James, H. E. Dudeney, Max Katz Nic's Trick two-digit number divided by three, left-over named to performer who then works out the number
Inspired by Mar. 1958
Ibidem (Issue 13)
12
Thomas M. Harris On the Mind two-digit number divided by three, left-over named to performer who then works out the number (is this "Tom Harris"?)
Inspired byRelated to
  • "Zangbar Zackelback" (Wallace Lee, Genii, June 1958, p. 364)
 Sep. 1958
Ibidem (Issue 14)
5
Tom Ransom Puzzle: Big Casino
Related to Mar. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 16)
13
Mel Stover Puzzle: V. A. Hospital
Related to July 1959
Ibidem (Issue 17)
19
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: V. A. Hospital
Related to Oct. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 18)
10
P. Howard Lyons Stuff Page
  • proposition bet in which spectator writes nine different numbers on nine cards and turns them up one at a time, performer calls stop before the highest number is turned up
  • 5x5 magic squares
Related to Oct. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 18)
18
Mel Stover Puzzle Solution: Big Casino
Related to Oct. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 18)
22
Mel Stover Puzzle: Junior Chemist puzzle with weights
Related to Dec. 1959
Ibidem (Issue 19)
31
Mel Stover, Leo Moser, P. Howard Lyons, Martin Gardner A Short Shot proposition bet in which spectator writes nine different numbers on nine cards and turns them up one at a time, performer calls stop before the highest number is turned up
Related to May 1960
Ibidem (Issue 20)
19
Tom Ransom Puzzle: Ounces & Mugs number puzzle with number of ounces that fit in mugs
 		June 1960
Ibidem (Issue 21)
4
P. Howard Lyons Puzzle: Smart Magic: Seven from Eleven a number puzzle from Hull & Hahne's "Smart Magic"
Related to Oct. 1960
Ibidem (Issue 22)
27
F. William Kuethe, Jr. Number Puzzle writing eight eights in a dozen different ways to represent 1000
 		Apr. 1963
Ibidem (Issue 28)
1
P. Howard Lyons, Mel Stover On Various Puzzles
Related to Aug. 1963
Ibidem (Issue 29)
22
Mel Stover Kiss number puzzle with weights and a scale, four pages long
 		Nov. 1964
Ibidem (Issue 30)
23
Norman Houghton Letter: Gambling Proposition (previous stage name: Lorne DeBlois), probabilities of "Maybe Make Three"
Related to Dec. 1965
Ibidem (Issue 31)
4
L. Vosburgh Lyons, Thomas Alan Waters Mathematically Inclined ten digits used for longer calculation, making a pyramid of numbers according to rules, result instantly seen by performer, for credit discussion see reference
Related toAlso published here Sep. 1966
The Pallbearers Review Vol. 1-4 (Vol. 1 No. 11)
54
Mel Stover Penny Pick-up
July 1968
Ibidem (Issue 33)
16
Will Ayling The Story Teller oriental story
Inspired byVariations 1969
The Art of Close-Up Magic — Volume 2
289
Age And Pocket Change Number Gag No. 520, calculation with age an pocket change, performer divines both from the result
 		1972
Jacob Daley's Notebooks
146
Ken De Courcy Only Heaven (and Einstein) Knows! mathematical puzzle with three chosen numbers at the points of a triangle, three sums end up to be equal
 		1973
Pentertain
4
, Alex Elmsley, Tony Faro, Ed Schuman Festive Fun a coin puzzle by Alex Elmsley and by Tony Faro, logic puzzles, making smoke powder by burning a striking surface, match problems by Tony Faro, medium card revelation, a number puzzle by Ed Schuman and how to stick a bottle on a wall

 		Dec. 1975
Pabular (Vol. 2 No. 4)
192
Peter "Cartier" Struppler 3+4+5+6=28 mathematical problem
 		1975
Hokus Pokus (Vol. 36 No. 1)
15
Ken De Courcy Sheik a Leg distribution puzzle in testament of a sheik
Related to 1975
Son of Pentertain
11
Ken De Courcy Sheik Another Leg puzzle about placing ten people in nine beds
 		1975
Son of Pentertain
13
Odd-Even Bet spectator cuts part of deck in piles, "there will be an odd number of heaps containing an odd number of cards"
 		1975
Gambling Tricks with Cards — Part Two
16
Gerald Kosky Sholim Ali Kim mathematical problem, camels divided to sons, using jewels
Inspired by 1975
The Magic of Gerald Kosky
196
Charles T. Jordan A Pair of Mathematical Diversions
1975
Charles T. Jordan: Collected Tricks
267
Ralph L. Erlewine The Seven Dwarfs dividing 28 diamonds through seven dwarfs
Variations 1976
Mistress of Pentertain
9
E. Leslie May The Charlie Chronicles different presentation for division puzzle
Inspired by 1976
Mistress of Pentertain
11
E. Leslie May Discount Coffee addition puzzle in which money ends up missing in total
 		1976
Mistress of Pentertain
15
Word-Number Puzzle
1976
Mistress of Pentertain
19
Missing Ten Pounds Puzzle
1976
Mistress of Pentertain
29
Where There's A Will There's A Way distribution puzzle
Related to 1976
Mistress of Pentertain
32
Eight Eights Equal Thousand
1976
Mistress of Pentertain
34
L. Vosburgh Lyons Vosburgh Lyons Puzzle number theory puzzle in building pairs of numbers
Variations 1979
Interlocutor (Issue 29)
113
Sam Schwartz From Sam Schwartz solutions to problem
Inspired by 1979
Interlocutor (Issue 31)
120
Verschiedenes collection of eleven bar bets and puzzles with various things and numbers
 		Mar. 1980
Intermagic (Vol. 7 No. 1)
24
Edmund Rowland Zifferntricks twelve puzzles and tricks with numbers
Also published here
  • Abracadabra #576-579, Feb. 1957
 Nov. 1980
Intermagic (Vol. 7 No. 3)
106
Karl Fulves The Academy's I.Q. Test layout puzzle with number chips
 		1982
Punch-Out Puzzle Kit
16
Mark of the Beast No. 8, calculation and final number is always divisible by 666
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
11
L. Vosburgh Lyons Mathematically Inclined No. 24, making a pyramid of numbers according to rules, final number predicted, Pascal's Triangle
Also published here 1983
Self-Working Number Magic
38
Add and Subtract No. 40, puzzle with number pairs
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
64
The Root of the Problem No. 43, puzzle about a root equation
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
73
Haunted Hotel No. 44, puzzle about the payment of a hotel room with tip for the bellhop
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
73
Arithmetrick No. 45, number puzzle about length of fish
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
74
Contrary Clock No. 46, finding out how to set clock that goes wrong
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
74
Mountain Time No. 47
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
75
Significant Digits No. 48, getting someone to write a certain number
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
75
Unwritten Rule No. 49, calling out a number that is difficult to write down
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
76
Unequals No. 50, getting wrong equation right by making small adjustment
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
76
What's Next No. 51, continuing a series of letters
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
76
Cryptarithms No. 52, letters replace numbers in equations and must be substituted back to numbers
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
77
Eve Did Talk No. 53, letters in equation must be substituted with numbers, cryptarithm
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
77
Orderly Transition No. 54, using all nine digits in order for an equation to get 100
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
78
Naming Numbers No. 55
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
78
Zebra Algebra No. 56, puzzle involving speed of a zebra
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
78
L. Vosburgh Lyons Fidget Digits No. 57, puzzle with digits from 1 to 8 with kicker
Related to 1983
Self-Working Number Magic
78
Strange Symbols No. 58, digits written out with mirror image, problem of continuing the sequence
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
79
Catch Questions No. 59
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
79
Scrambled States No. 60, puzzle about states name
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
80
Puzzle Parts No. 61, puzzle with the digits from 1 to 9
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
80
Six Quik No. 62, puzzle with matrix of digits
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
80
Who Pays? No. 63
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
80
The Monkey and the Coconuts No. 64, puzzle, how many coconuts?
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
81
A Dollar You Can't No. 75, bet concerning the serial number of the bill
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
99
A Dollar I Can No. 76, bet concerning the serial number of the bill
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
99
The Fortune 100 No. 77, bet about the numbers from one to hundred which do not contain eight specific letters
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
100
Bamboozled No. 78, percentage bet concerning the letters in spelled-out numbers
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
100
Portable Poker No. 80, poker without cards but written numbers instead
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
101
Telefooled No. 82, percentage bet about last two digits in phone numbers
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
104
License-Plate Showdown No. 83, percentage bet about license plate numbers
 		1983
Self-Working Number Magic
104
Geldschwindel coin short change sucker gag
 		Aug. 1983
Intermagic (Vol. 10 No. 2)
61
Ernest W. Brady Die Erbschaft mathematical problem, camels divided to sons, illustrated with cards
Also published here Jan. 1984
Intermagic (Vol. 10 No. 3 & 4)
115
Martin Gardner Dollar Bill Game game/puzzle about auctioning off a dollar bill
Also published here
  • Metamagical Themas (Douglas Hofstadter)
 1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 1)
20
Karl Fulves Counting "Penny Papers"
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 2)
37
Karl Fulves How Much "Penny Papers"
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 3)
53
Karl Fulves Crypto Coins "Penny Papers", letters in an equation stand for letters or coins
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 4)
70
Karl Fulves Improbable "Penny Papers", probability question
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 6)
104
Karl Fulves Another Quarter "Penny Papers", probability question about having another quarter
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 6)
104
Karl Fulves Gypsy Swindle "Penny Papers", swindle with dollar bill in handkerchief
 		1985
S-C — Contemporary Money Magic (Issue 7)
123
Rudolf Braunmüller Kuriositäten
  • 1. Einsteins Theorie
  • 2. Das Siebener-Problem
  • 3. Das 7-Streichhölzer-Problem
 		Oct. 1987
Intermagic (Vol. 13 No. 1)
22
J. W. Sarles Spin Out five coins with a number on each side, they are spun and bottom sum never loses to top sum, gaffed coin
Related to 1991
Swindle Sheet (Issue 4)
42
Karl Fulves Fixed Bets eleven bar bets involving numbers, nail
 		1991
Swindle Sheet (Issue 5)
54
J. W. Sarles Spin Out five coins with a number on each side, they are spun and bottom sum never loses to top sum, gaffed coin, suggestions
Related to 1991
Spin Out
1
Philip T. Goldstein Calcium calculation oddity with nine digits, done with nine cards
 		1994
Thabbatical
74
Bob Farmer The Unbreakable Bank word-play bet about the amount of money one has in the fist
Related to July 1994
Magic (Vol. 3 No. 11)
60
Bob Farmer Through a Glass Markly bet about distributing ten coins on three glasses so all have an odd number of coins
 		Aug. 1994
Magic (Vol. 3 No. 12)
65
Bob Farmer The Four Sevens number puzzle
 		Nov. 1994
Magic (Vol. 4 No. 3)
75
Roy Miller Borderline Genius mathematical puzzle, conversion rate, buying cake
 		May 1994
Vibrations (Vol. 16 No. 11)
12
Karl Fulves Funny Money
  • pulling the safety strip out of bill
  • where is the hexagon on the dollar bill?
  • number bet, serial number cubed is almost divisible by seven
Related to 1995
The Fine Print (Issue 2)
26
Mel Stover False Odds bet about odd/even number of coins in hand
 		Apr. 1995
Magic (Vol. 4 No. 8)
86
Bob Farmer A Penny For Your Thoughts proposition bet with head/tails triplets
Related to Oct. 1995
Magic (Vol. 5 No. 2)
80
Bob Farmer The Third Scam... A Column To Honor Martin Gardner
  • Flim-Flam
more on the referenced proposition bet with head/tails triplets
  • Irwin Stern Calls Flim-Flam's Bluff
  • Debruijn Doublets
  • Hustler TH, Mark HH
  • Hustler XX, Mark YY
  • It's Triplets, Mr. Farmer
  • The Secret Formula
Related to Jan. 1996
Magic (Vol. 5 No. 5)
80
Karl Fulves, Derek Lever, Ralph W. Hull, Nate Leipzig Dot Com... "Tricks and stunts with numbers"
Variations 1997
The Fine Print (Issue 5)
123
William P. Miesel A Square Deal
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
solution to "What number divided by one third of itself equals 9?"
Inspired by
  • problem in Linking Ring, October 1961
 1997
The Fine Print (Issue 6)
162
Milton Kort Seven Come Eleven
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
solution to Hull problem "Make 11 out of four 7s"
Inspired byRelated to 1997
The Fine Print (Issue 6)
165
Eddie Fields Where Can I Get A Cheap Cigar? number puzzle
 		1997
The Greater Artful Dodges of Eddie Fields
82
Johnny Riek, The Upside-Down Man number puzzle
  • An Egg-traordinary Dilemma
 		1997
The Greater Artful Dodges of Eddie Fields
103
Mel Bennett Quiz Whiz
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
getting as close to 100 as possible
 		1998
The Fine Print (Issue 7)
204
Karl Fulves The Sevens Puzzle
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
making all numbers from four sevens
Related to 1998
The Fine Print (Issue 7)
205
Word Ways
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
word/number puzzle
 		1998
The Fine Print (Issue 8)
246
Matching Matches
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
equation with matches
 		1998
The Fine Print (Issue 8)
246
Mel Bennett More Sevens
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
making numbers from four sevens
Related to 1998
The Fine Print (Issue 8)
249
Robert K. Stevenson Still More 7's
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
Related to 1998
The Fine Print (Issue 9)
288
Rätsel gefällig? number puzzle about four numbers, multiplied same result than added
 		1998
Intermagic (Vol. 22 No. 1)
31
Rätsel gefällig? three number and one liar/truth-teller puzzles
 		1998
Intermagic (Vol. 22 No. 2)
69
Karl Fulves Short Cons with calculator
  • Digits From Digits
  • Ciphers Deciphered
  • 625 Bets
  • PIE In Sky
  • A Memorable Date
 		1998
Calculator Tricks
77
Karl Fulves Bet A Hundred making a number from 101 to 115 appear on display without touching the number keys, with variations:
  • A Hundred Numbers
  • Rapid Numbers
  • Decimal Dilemma (posed as a problem)
  • Masked Memory (posed as a problem)
  • What's Next?
  • Nuthin
Variations 1998
Calculator Tricks
87
Martin Gardner Five x Five
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
number puzzle with equation
 		1999
The Fine Print (Issue 10)
345
P. Howard Lyons Sevens from Elevens
  • "Dot Com - Tricks and stunts with numbers"
Related to 1999
The Fine Print (Issue 10)
345
Karl Fulves Passing The Buck
  • handshake combinatorics puzzle in which a bill is transferred
  • on the bill-catching bet, thread
 		1999
Charlatan (Issue 1)
12
Rudolf Braunmüller Ein Liebestest
2000
Intermagic (Vol. 24 No. 1)
18
Number Puzzle see p. 333 for solution
Inspired by
  • "Satan, Cantor, and Infinity" (Smullyan)
 2003
Latter Day Secrets (Issue 8)
289
Crap Game Puzzle see p. 333 for solution
 		2003
Latter Day Secrets (Issue 8)
322
Mel Bennett Jailbird Jack number card total to the same number repeatedly in a puzzling way, puzzle adapted to playing cards
 		2004
Discoverie (Issue 9)
123
Karl Fulves Pilgrim's Progress procedure to find out on which days Thanksgiving fell in spectator's birth year using just the day of his birthday
Related to 2004
Discoverie (Issue 9)
126
Norman Beck Hotel Bills mathematical puzzle is illustrated with bills, one dollar vanishes at the end, using double-faced bill, see reference for credit information
Related to Aug. 2005
Antinomy (Vol. 1 No. 3)
24
Martin Gardner Four by Martin Gardner 1. number puzzle
2. word/letter puzzle
3. pencil puzzle
4. letter puzzle
 		2007
Prolix (Issue 3)
158
Roberto Giobbi Hand and Finger Puzzle
Oct. 2007
Genii (Vol. 70 No. 10)
19
Karl Fulves Estate of Mind number puzzle/story about dividing a estate
 		2008
Prolix (Issue 5)
302
Roberto Giobbi Four Number Problems
2010
Secret Agenda (Issue Aug 15)
244
Number Puzzles
2010
Secret Agenda (Issue Sep 29)
291
Karl Fulves Double-Digit Dice challenge to arrange six dice so the total is divisible by three
 		2010
Prolix (Issue 7)
489
Román García El Juego que Yo no le Haria a Dai Vernon puzzle illustrated with cards, finally a coin appears under a card
 		2010
Nanomagias
111
Karl Fulves Ledger-demain expanded number puzzle about how much is spent and saved
 		2011
Prolix (Issue 9)
610
The Beer-Drinking Puzzle "Who paid for the beer?"
Related toAlso published here
  • "Mathematics And The Imagination" (1940)
 2012
Prolix (Issue 10)
693
Michael Weber Self-Service Lunch paper money counted by spectator to a story presentation in which the waiter wants to cheat three customers (verbal puzzle), a dollar vanishes and appears in wallet
 		2012
Weber's Wallet
1
Chris Wardle Coin Conundrum number puzzle of dividing a certain amount equally amongst people is illustrated with coins, amount changes
 		Jan. 2022
Genii (Vol. 85 No. 1)
78