Five prisoners are going to take beans from a bag with 100 beans. They will do it one prisoner at a time, and only once each. No communication is allowed between them, but they can count the beans left in the bag. All prisoners who end with the largest and the smallest number of beans will die.

Who is most likely to survive?

Assume:
1. they are all smart people.
2. they will try to survive first and then try to kill more people.
3. they do not need to take out all the 100 beans.

(In reply to trick question? by Dean)

the second    prisoner , because he is alowed to count the beans left over from the 1st  prisoner.... and the rest  will never know how manny beans went to each other prisoner because if the 3rd prsioner would try to count the beans left over after the 1st and second one took theres out he would not be able to know how manny beans each person took .... the only one who would know this would be the second prisoner.... because he knows he is going second then you would ask what about the 1 bean per person rule.... well you never seem to remember the humen elements of these riddles asumeing that they would take only 1 bean knowing that they could die.... is stupid ...

Posted by paul on 2006-03-17 02:34:02