life or death

You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles, and 2 empty bowls. He then says, 'Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around. You then can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK... you will die.'

How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?




Similar Riddles

In the attached figure, you can see a chessboard and two rooks placed on the chess board. What you have to find is the number of squares that do not contain the rooks. How many are there?

Squares in Chess Board

Asked by Neha on 04 Mar 2024


Which is heavier: a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?

Asked by Neha on 28 Feb 2022

What building has the most stories?

Asked by Neha on 21 Feb 2022


A number with an interesting property:

When I divide it by 2, the remainder is 1.
When I divide it by 3, the remainder is 2.
When I divide it by 4, the remainder is 3.
When I divide it by 5, the remainder is 4.
When I divide it by 6, the remainder is 5.
When I divide it by 7, the remainder is 6.
When I divide it by 8, the remainder is 7.
When I divide it by 9, the remainder is 8.
When I divide it by 10, the remainder is 9.

It's not a small number, but it's not really big, either.
When I looked for a smaller number with this property I couldn't find one.

Can you find it?

Asked by Neha on 21 Nov 2024

Today is a very icy and cold morning in Newcastle. Mr Shearer, an office bus driver arrived to pick up the employees from the last stop. Shearer suddenly remembers that he needs to pick a newly joined 4miles to the north. Mr Shearer lost his direction compass, a few minutes later Shearer is able to figure that he is moving in the correct direction i.e. north. How did Shearer know that he is moving in the correct direction?

Asked by Neha on 01 Aug 2024

John asked Jack, "The time right now is 7 pm. Can you tell me what will be the time 23, 999, 995 hours later ?"

While Bella does not know the answer, do you ?

Asked by Neha on 22 Jun 2021


Solve this riddle by finding the odd one out from the rest.

Odd One Out in the Shapes Riddle

Asked by Neha on 18 Apr 2021

If an electric train is travelling south, then which way is the smoke going?

Asked by Neha on 27 Aug 2025

A hen, a dog, and a cat are stolen. Three suspects are arrested named Robin, Steve, and Tim. The police are sure that all of them stole one of the animals but they don't know who stole which animal.

Sherlock Holmes is appointed to identify and is provided with the following statements from the investigation.

Robin - Tim stole the hen
Steve - Tim stole the dog
Tim - Both Robin and Steve are lying. I neither stole a hen nor a dog.

Sherlock is somehow able to deduce that the man who stole the cat is telling a lie and the man who stole the hen is telling truth.

Can you help him find out who stole which animal?

Asked by Neha on 22 Jun 2024


It is raining today at 11:59 am. What is the probability of sunny weather after 72 hours?

Asked by Neha on 21 Jan 2024

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Out of the Box

The phrase “thinking outside the box” was popularised from the solution to a topographical puzzle involving 9 dots in a box shape.