Truth or Consequences...
by Brad Quinn
This puzzle was given to us by Brad Quinn:
"All right," Skinny Dakota says to you, "suppose you're made two offers by two different people, A and B. Here's A's offer: You are to make a statement. If the statement is true, A promises to give you exactly $10. If the statement is false, A will not give you $10, but some amount, either more or less--could be nothing, could be a grand.
"Here's B's offer: You make a statement. Regardless of whether the statement is true or false, B promises to pay you more than $10. That's B's offer. Now which of these offers would you prefer to accept."
"B's offer, of course," you reply.
"All right, fair enough. Since you prefer B's offer, I tell you what. If you make me A's offer, I'll give you $11 in advance. Is that fair?"
Should you accept Skinny's offer? Well, of course not, you should never accept any wager from Skinny. But what trick could he have up his sleeve?
