The Line Game

[unholyz]

My old Geometry teacher used to tease us with this game saying that he would give us a free day if we could beat him at it. So here it is.

There are three columns where you can put lines. There has to be at least 3 lines in one column and at least 7 in the other 2. Each person takes turns erasing lines. You can erase as many as you want but only in one column. The object of the game is to make the other player erase the LAST line left in the entire game. He tells me that there is a certain math pattern to winning and that the point is to put your opponet in a lose lose situation.

[esupin]

RE: The Line Game

So you want the other person to be the one who clears out the second column. That way, you can erase all but one line in the last column with lines still drawn in.

[banditcom]

RE: The Line Game

Uhh explain the game better to us.

[esupin]

RE: The Line Game

A hypothetical game(simplified)
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turn 1 (me)
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turn 2 (u)
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turn 3 (me)
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turn 4 (u)
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I lose.

[Tasselfoot]

RE: The Line Game

if you had erased 1 on turn 2, you'd have won.

this is the same as the game "pearls before swine" and my physics teacher would do it too. too bad for him there were two math geniuses in my class who easily figured out the pattern. i forget what it is.

[Reach]

RE: The Line Game

Edit: Ignore this, because there is one way around it! skip to edit 2

Step one: Make sure the board is set up like this row 1:4 row 2:4 row 3:3

Step 2: Go first. CRUTIAL.

Step 3: Remove 2 from row 3, the one with 3 lines in it.


Now, no matter what he does, he cannot leave you with 6 in 2 or 3 rows (which is the key to winning, its game over basically) The ONLY way he can, is to remove 3 from one of the rows with 4. You counter this by removing 3 from the last row, you've won.

In any other scanario, just remove the number or lines needed after he goes to leave 6 in 2 or 3 rows, the game is over (the only exception to this is you cannot leave 1 in 2 of the rows, but thats kind of obvious).

Edit yet again: actually, i found a way around it. if he removes the 3rd from the row you removed 2 from, he then wins. Im not sure why. So, remove 3 from the row with 3. If he takes one, then just take one more from the other row. If he takes 2, take 2 from the other row. If he takes 3 or 4 just kill him. Make sure he always takes one from an even number of lines, and leave him to take one from 4, obviously then he cannot beat you. phew, that should be fool proof.

[unholyz]

Reach I need a model from your post so I can see it a little better.

[Reach]

alright

i dont see any holes in it either

[Reach]

Oh and ps, heres a guide to winning pearls before swine!

It wins everytime



quick final edit: if he takes 1 from the second row with 4, just take 3 from the bottom row with 5 and you've won as well, incase you didn't see it.

[Tsuteto]

This is just like the game where you have 23 rocks/coins/whatever, and you can take out 1, 2, or 3 from it. Whoever takes the last, loses.

[banditcom]

I did that yesterday in class. I had to stop there because class ended.

[blahblah18]

for a more precise reason... this is known as a solvable Zero-Sum game. In Game Theory terms, this game is known as NIM, for any of you who cared. The fact that oyu can backtrace all possible endings makes it solvable

[emccky]

Pearls before Swine is actually pretty easy, all you do is open it in 2 browsers, and make a move in one. In the other one, do exactly what the guy does, and you win.

[unholyz]

Well this isnt good. I was told that you cant have the same number in two of the rows.

[nforcer06164]

Some substitute in my school used The Line Game on chemistry students once. I think the key to the game actually is whoever goes first. He always goes first, and he hasn't lost yet.