If you were playing with instead of 11, and the same rules applied (take 1, 2, or 3; last one loses), how many sticks should you take on your first move to guarantee a win? A) 1 stick B) 2 sticks C) 3 sticks Answer and Explanation:
). By controlling these cycles, you dictate who hits the final, unavoidable stick. Practice Challenge If you were playing with instead of 11,
To win, you must force your opponent to take the very last stick. The mathematical secret is to always leave your opponent with a number of sticks that is a multiple of (e.g., 9, 5, or 1 stick). Practice Challenge To win, you must force your
: For every subsequent turn, simply "complement" whatever your opponent takes so that the total removed in that round equals 4 . If they take 1 , you take 3 ( If they take 2 , you take 2 ( If they take 3 , you take 1 ( If they take 1 , you take 3
: You must go first and take exactly 2 sticks . This leaves 9 sticks on the table ( 9 fits the magic formula