4 research outputs found
Optimal Play of the Dice Game Pig
The object of the jeopardy dice game Pig is to be the first player to reach 100 points. Each player\u27s turn consists of repeatedly rolling a die. After each roll, the player is faced with two choices: roll again, or hold (decline to roll again). If the player rolls a 1, the player scores nothing and it becomes the opponent\u27s turn. If the player rolls a number other than 1, the number is added to the player\u27s turn total and the player\u27s turn continues. If the player holds, the turn total, the sum of the rolls during the turn, is added to the player\u27s score, and it becomes the opponent\u27s turn.
For such a simple dice game, one might expect a simple optimal strategy, such as in Blackjack (e.g., stand on 17 under certain circumstances, etc.). As we shall see, this simple dice game yields a much more complex and intriguing optimal policy, described here for the first time. The reader should be familiar with basic concepts and notation of probability and linear algebra
The Faculty Notebook, September 2017
The Faculty Notebook is published periodically by the Office of the Provost at Gettysburg College to bring to the attention of the campus community accomplishments and activities of academic interest. Faculty are encouraged to submit materials for consideration for publication to the Associate Provost for Faculty Development. Copies of this publication are available at the Office of the Provost
Optimal Play of the Farkle Dice Game
We present and solve optimality equations for the 2-player, jeopardy dice game Farkle (a.k.a. Dix Mille, Ten Thousand). For fairest play, we recommend 200 compensation points at the beginning of the game for the second player. We then compute the strategy that maximizes expected score, demonstrate a means for replicating such play with mental mathematics, and augment this method so as to enable human Farkle play against which complex optimal play maintains only a small win advantage of ~1.7754%