What is the word or phrase?

I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?

You can win me and lose me but never buy me
You can not eat me and never want to part with me
I can make you cry or bring you joy
I am not a machine and definitely not a toy
You keep me but i am not forever just yours
You might find me in a case or on a shelf next to a vase
I am hard and i am tall if you bump me i am sure to fall
I am made of different materials and am at many events
If your lucky and fight hard I might be yours
What am I ?

Can you make a fire with just a single stick?

John has eleven friends. He has a bowl containing eleven apples. Now He wants to divide the eleven apples among his friends, in such a way that an apple should remain in his bowl.
How can He do it?

A guard is positioned at the one side of the bridge saying ‘A’. His task is to shoot all those who try to leave from ‘A’ to the other side and say ‘B’. He also need to welcome the person who comes from another side ‘B’ to his side ‘A’. The guard comes out of his post every 1 hour and looks down the bridge for any people trying to leave. You are at side ‘A’ and wish to go to another side ‘B’. you also know that it would take 1:45 hr to cross the bridge. How will you cross the bridge?

This is a famous paradox which has caused a great deal of argument and disbelief from many who cannot accept the correct answer. Four balls are placed in a hat. One is white, one is blue and the other two are red. The bag is shaken and someone draws two balls from the hat. He looks at the two balls and announces that at least one of them is red. What are the chances that the other ball he has drawn out is also red?

A chicken farmer has figured out that a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many hens does the farmer need to produce one dozen eggs in six days?

What question can you never answer yes to?

The product of three consecutive numbers is 7980.
Then the sum of these consecutive numbers would be?