“Spoons” is a fun card game and at a recent party six boys: Adam, Bobby, Henry, Kurt, Malcolm and Zach and six girls: Annie, Beth, Jessica, Joann, Liz and Stephanie decided to play it. To play, players sit in a circle with a number of spoons equal to the # of players minus one in the center. Cards are then passed around and players try to formulate a four-of-a-kind. The first person who does is the winner of the round, and grabs a spoon from the middle. The other players then fight for a spoon, whether or not they have a four-of-a-kind. The person who does not get a spoon is eliminated from the game. After a spoon is discarded, a new round begins and play repeats until one person is left. Can you figure out who was eliminated in each round, as well as who was the winner of that round?

1. The first four players eliminated, in some order, were Beth, a player eliminated the round Zach was the winner of (not Annie), the player eliminated the round immediately before Stephanie was the winner of a round, and a boy (who’s not Adam or Zach).
2. The last four players remaining were, in some order, Stephanie, the person who was the winner of the round Kurt was eliminated, and two other girls.
3. The winner of the last round won three times total, but not all in a row. No one else won more than once.
4. Annie was the little one to win a round and then be eliminated the next round. Joann outlasted her.
5. These players were, in some order, eliminated consecutively, the winner of round 5, a player who was eliminated a round Malcolm won, and Liz.
6. Either no one won two rounds consecutively, or the winner of round 8 did not win round 11.
7. Henry and Kurt, both of whom won a round, fought for the final spoon two rounds after the one Jessica was eliminated.
8. Jessica won round 1; Adam lasted longer than round 3.
9. Bobby was not the winner of a round Henry won.
10. If Zach was eliminated before round 7, then Liz did not win round 6.
11. If Malcolm won round 10, then Liz did not win round 7.
12. If Joann was eliminated in round 10, then she did not win round 8.
13. If then winner of round 3 was eliminated in round 7, then Kurt did not win round 4.

I made the following assumptions about what
appear to be typos in the puzzle.

4. Annie was the ONLY one to win a round
and then be eliminated the next round. Joann
outlasted her.

5. Bobby was not ELIMINATED in the round
Henry won.  

That leaves one ambiguous rule:

3. The winner of the last round won three
times total, but not all in a row. No one else
won more than one.

If "not all in a row" means that no two of them
can be sequential, then this is the only solution:

1. Jessica won, Bobby was eliminated. 
2. Henry won, Beth was eliminated.   
3. Zach won, Jessica was eliminated. 
4. Liz won, Adam was eliminated.     
5. Stephanie won, Henry was eliminated.
6. Kurt won, Zach was eliminated.
7. Joann won, Liz was eliminated.         
8. Malcolm won, Kurt was eliminated.      
9. Joann won, Stephanie was eliminated. 
10. Annie won, Malcolm was eliminated.  
11. Joann won, Annie was eliminated.    
-------------------------------------------------
 
If Rule 3. means that all three of them can't be
sequential, but any two of them can, then this is an alternate 
solution:

1. Jessica won, Bobby was eliminated.
2. Henry won, Beth was eliminated.   
3. Zach won, Jessica was eliminated. 
4. Liz won, Adam was eliminated.     
5. Stephanie won, Henry was eliminated.
6. Kurt won, Zach was eliminated.
7. Joann won, Liz was eliminated.           
8. Malcolm won, Kurt was eliminated.       
9. Annie won, Stephanie was eliminated. 
10. Joann won, Annie was eliminated.     
11. Joann won, Malcolm was eliminated.

 

 

 

Edited on October 12, 2006, 2:17 pm

Posted by Penny on 2006-10-12 14:15:40