A six-shooter is loaded with three cartridges in consecutive chambers, before two persons start to play "Russian Roulette" until one is dead.

If the cylinder isn't spun after each attempt, would you rather be the first shooter, or the second?

What would be your answer if there are only TWO cartridges, of course in consecutive chambers?

(In reply to Doesn't matter by bob909)

Many of your ideas aren't quite correct.

"I don't think that it matters at all that the cartidges are loaded consecutive or not, or if the cyliner is spun or not."

If alternate cartridges were loaded (1st, 3rd, 5th), then both players have even chances.

"And, it doesn't matter how many chambers are loaded."

In my above example, the players do not have even chances if the cylinder is spun after every turn.

"At start of the game you have even odds for survival but the other guy has the gun to his head."

In this case, you do not have even odds for survival.  Even if the other guy misses, he may still lose.

"The probilites of survival go down with each turn, but the winner is the one with the least number of turns."

It is not entirely clear to me what you mean by this.  The probability of surviving during a particular turn does go down as the game progresses (because the cylinder isn't spun).  The winner does not have the least number of turns unless the second player wins.  You might mean that the winner is most likely to be the one who takes the least number of turns--the second player.

What you are right about though is that the basic rule would be to let the other person go first.  Unless the first player used a different gun with less bullets, the first player won't ever have a better chance of surviving. 

Posted by Tristan on 2004-09-13 20:07:51