Skip to content

Race between a sum of six and a sum of seven

Question

Two players alternate throwing a pair of fair dice, with A throwing first. A wins the moment A's throw totals 6; B wins the moment B's throw totals 7. Turns continue until one of them wins. What is the probability that A is the winner?

Short answer

30/6130/61. A succeeds with probability 536\tfrac{5}{36} and B with 636\tfrac{6}{36}. A wins in round kk after k−1k-1 rounds where both fail, so P(A)=5/361−3136⋅3036=3061P(A)=\dfrac{5/36}{1-\tfrac{31}{36}\cdot\tfrac{30}{36}}=\tfrac{30}{61} — slightly under one half despite moving first.

Adapted from OpenQuant; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

See the hint and the full worked solution in the question bank (free account).

Open the worked solution

Lessons behind this question

Start with a free lesson: Expectation, Variance and Covariance is part of a free topic. Create a free account, no card needed, to read it in full with worked solutions.

Read it free