The great mystery thread - post yours here!

[JenBKR]

I think it all has to do with math --- so like, 7 horses to a race, and since there were 3 races -- well, thats possibly 7x7x7 = 343 possible combinations of winning horses....

So,
Race 1 Race 2 Race 3
Horse #1 Horse #1 Horse #1 ==> combo 1
Horse #1 Horse #1 Horse #2 ==> combo 2
...
Horse #7 Horse #7 Horse #6 ==> combo 342
Horse #7 Horse #7 Horse #7 ==> combo 343

So, i guess if the con man charted all this out, and then called 343 different people, he'd start out with 343 people (49 people for each horse, 7 horses) on the first race with all combos, and the drop all the people with the wrong bets.

Then, for race #2, he'd be down to 49 people to call (7 people for each horse, 7 horses), and then drop all the losers from that race.

For the 3rd race, he'd only have called 7 people, and kept the 'winner' -- so in this case Tom.

stupid math :P

Alright, I admit....I am impressed! I did not get this one....I figured it was something like that, but I didn't want to do the math So you would be correct!

[Blue_Frog]

Alright, I admit....I am impressed! I did not get this one....I figured it was something like that, but I didn't want to do the math So you would be correct!

SCHWEET! I actually remembered something from High School Math!

OK, a couple more then ...

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Being an astute observer, he picks one door and lives.

2. A black dog stands at a crossroads in a totally black-painted town. The power has gone out and all of the streetlights are off. There is no moon. A black-painted car without headlights drives straight toward him, but turns in time and doesn't hit him.

3. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

[JenBKR]

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Being an astute observer, he picks one door and lives.

Ok I'll try this one first...I am thinking that since the lions haven't eaten in three years, they would probably be dead. So he chose #3?

[Blue_Frog]

Ok I'll try this one first...I am thinking that since the lions haven't eaten in three years, they would probably be dead. So he chose #3?

Yeppers!

[Kfamr]

#3 -- She was taking his picture.

[Blue_Frog]

#3 -- She was taking his picture.

Also correct!

[Whisk_Luva]

A black dog stands at a crossroads in a totally black-painted town. The power has gone out and all of the streetlights are off. There is no moon. A black-painted car without headlights drives straight toward him, but turns in time and doesn't hit him.

Its daytime?

[Karen]

3. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

She's a photographer!

[Blue_Frog]

Whisk_Luva and Karen -- Both answers are the right ones

That exhausts my list of puzzles for the moment