While dealing out cards for a game of Bridge, the dealer is interrupted by a telephone call. When he
returns, no one can remember who was dealt the last card. Without counting how many cards each player has
or how many cards are remaining, how can he deal out the remaining cards such that each player is dealt 13
cards?
Note: In a game of Bridge, each of the 4 players is dealt 13 cards and all of the cards in the deck are
used. The dealer is one of the four players and the cards are dealt in clockwise order beginning with the
player to the left of the dealer.
ANSWER:
By dealing the cards from the bottom of the pack in reverse order beginning with himself.
EXPLANATION: Since the dealer is always the player to receive the last card, he must continue
dealing starting with himself, counter-clockwise around the table, taking the cards from the bottom of
the deck first.
Thank you Tom for pointing out that you don't have to deal from the bottom of the deck, you need
only deal the cards in reverse (counter-clockwise) order beginning with the dealer. However to ensure
that the players receive the same cards they would have had the cards been dealt out normally, the cards
should be dealt from the bottom of the deck.
Do you have a
suggestion for this puzzle (e.g. something that should
be mentioned/clarified in the question or solution, bug, typo, etc.)?