Russian roulette with a re-spin, going second
Question
Two players take turns with a six-chamber revolver holding one bullet. Before every pull of the trigger the cylinder is spun again. Whoever fires the bullet loses. If your opponent pulls first, what is your probability of winning?
Short answer
. Let be the chance the first shooter loses. They lose immediately with probability , and otherwise become the second shooter: , so , which is your chance of winning.
Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.
See the hint and the full worked solution in the question bank (free account).
Open the worked solutionLessons behind this question
- Conditional Probability, Total Probability, and Bayes' Rule
- Worked Examples — Probability Trees, Monty Hall, and Bayesian Updating
- Sample Spaces, Events, and the Probability Axioms
Start with a free lesson: Probability Fundamentals is part of a free topic. Create a free account, no card needed, to read it in full with worked solutions.
Read it free