# Puzzeled

#### physicist

Joined Jun 10, 2007
1
Three men go to a hotel and rent a room. The sign outside the hotel said rooms for 30 dollars.They each give the clerk a 10 and the bellboy leads them to their room . Shortly after they leave the clerk notices that rooms are on sale for 25 dollars. When the bellboy returns he gives the bellboy 5 dollar bills to return to the men.On the way up the bellboy realizes he cannot devide 5 dollars by 3 men so he puts 2 dollars in his pocket. He reaches the room and gives each man 1 dollar back.

Now each man has paid 9 dollars for the room 9 times 3 equals 27 the bellboy has 2 dollars in his pocket 28 and 29 where did the other dollar go?

#### gootee

Joined Apr 24, 2007
447
Each of the three men owed, at the $25 discounted rate,$25/3 = $8 1/3. Each man paid, after the refund,$9.00.
Each man was then owed $9 -$8 1/3 = $2/3.$2/3 x 3 = the two dollars that the bellboy pocketed.
There is no missing dollar.

- Tom Gootee

http://www.fullnet.com/~tomg/index.html

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#### niftydog

Joined Jun 13, 2007
95
Now each man has paid 9 dollars for the room 9 times 3 equals 27 the bellboy has 2 dollars in his pocket 28 and 29 where did the other dollar go?

#### Dave

Joined Nov 17, 2003
6,970
The funny thing about this conundrum is that even though you know there is a con, at first you spend a lot of time trying to convince yourself that it is indeed a con! It's a classic example of playing on words.

Dave

#### recca02

Joined Apr 2, 2007
1,214
u all are wrong. that \$1 is with me and i m not giving it back, no way!

i have heard this puzzle in so many different form its quite a famous one all across the globe i suppose.
who designed this one this confuses u like hell,he really knew how to play with people's thinking.when i ifirst heard this puzzle(way back) it took me days to figure it out that the two dollars are owed and hence is a part of the 27 dollars they paid.