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Decide if a dice-betting game is favorable

Last updated: Mar 29, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates understanding of probability theory, expected value computation, risk-neutral decision criteria, and basic Monte Carlo simulation concepts within the Statistics & Math domain, testing both conceptual understanding of discrete probabilistic outcomes and practical application of simulation-based verification.

  • easy
  • PayPal
  • Statistics & Math
  • Data Scientist

Decide if a dice-betting game is favorable

Company: PayPal

Role: Data Scientist

Category: Statistics & Math

Difficulty: easy

Interview Round: Onsite

You are considering a game against a “house” using fair six-sided dice. Rules: - You roll one die; the house rolls one die. - If your roll is strictly higher than the house’s, you **win** and the house pays you **n dollars**. - If the house’s roll is higher **or the rolls tie**, you **lose** and you pay the house **m dollars**. Tasks: 1) Compute the expected value (EV) of playing one round as a function of `n` and `m`. 2) Derive the condition on `n` and `m` under which you should play if you are risk-neutral. 3) Briefly describe how you would verify the EV via a simple Python Monte Carlo simulation (no need to write production code).

Quick Answer: This question evaluates understanding of probability theory, expected value computation, risk-neutral decision criteria, and basic Monte Carlo simulation concepts within the Statistics & Math domain, testing both conceptual understanding of discrete probabilistic outcomes and practical application of simulation-based verification.

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PayPal
Dec 7, 2025, 12:00 AM
Data Scientist
Onsite
Statistics & Math
4
0

You are considering a game against a “house” using fair six-sided dice.

Rules:

  • You roll one die; the house rolls one die.
  • If your roll is strictly higher than the house’s, you win and the house pays you n dollars .
  • If the house’s roll is higher or the rolls tie , you lose and you pay the house m dollars .

Tasks:

  1. Compute the expected value (EV) of playing one round as a function of n and m .
  2. Derive the condition on n and m under which you should play if you are risk-neutral.
  3. Briefly describe how you would verify the EV via a simple Python Monte Carlo simulation (no need to write production code).

Solution

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