Odds and evens is a simple

game of chance A game of chance is in contrast with a game of skill. It is a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device. Common devices used include dice, spinning tops, playing cards, roulette wheels, or numbered balls drawn from a ...

and

hand game Hand games are games played using only the hands of the players. Hand games exist in a variety of cultures internationally, and are of interest to academic studies in ethnomusicology and music education. Hand games are used to teach music liter ...

, involving two people simultaneously revealing a number of fingers and winning or losing depending on whether they are odd or even, or alternatively involving one person picking up coins or other small objects and hiding them in their closed hand, while another player guesses whether they have an odd or even number. The game may be used to make a decision or played for fun. The finger game is also known as swords, choosies, pick, odds-on poke, or bucking up. This

zero-sum game Zero-sum game is a mathematical representation in game theory and economic theory of a situation which involves two sides, where the result is an advantage for one side and an equivalent loss for the other. In other words, player one's gain is e ...

, a variation of the ancient morra and ''par-impar'', is played in Europe, the US, and in Brazil, especially among children.

History

This game was known by the

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

(as ''artiazein'') and

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

(as ''ludere par impar''). In the 1858 Krünitzlexikon it says: ''"The game Odds and Evens was very common amongst the Romans and was played either with tali, tesseris, or money and known as "Alea maior", or with nuts, beans and almonds and known as "Alea minor"."'' A medieval reference is found in the '' Renner'' by

Hugo von Trimberg Hugo von Trimberg (born circa 1230/1235 in Wern(a), now either Ober- or Niederwerrn near Schweinfurt – died after 1313 in Bamberg-Theuerstadt) was a German didactic author of the Middle Ages. Around 1260 he came to the religious foundation ...

(verse 2695). Odds and Evens (''Gerade und Ungerade'') is included in the list of games prohibited in Austria-Hungary in 1904 by the Ministry of Justice.

Playing

The game has similarities with the finger game of Morra or ''Fingerlosen'' (one person hides their hand and then quickly folds or extends one's fingers and the other player has to guess how many fingers are folded or extended). In Odds and Evens, however, individuals prepare by deciding who will be assigned

odds Odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are calculated as the ratio of the number of events that produce that outcome to the number that do not. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics. Odds also have ...

and who will be evens. Then, one or both people say "One, two, three, shoot!" or "once, twice, three, shoot!" As the word "shoot" is said, the two people quickly and simultaneously thrust a fist into the center, extending either an index finger, or both the middle and index finger, indicating ''one'' or ''two''. The sum total of fingers displayed is either odd or even. If the result is odd, then the person who called odds is the victor, and can decide the issue as they see fit. Often, the participants continue to ''shoot'' for a best two out of three''. From a game-theoretic perspective, the game is equivalent to

matching pennies Matching pennies is the name for a simple game used in game theory. It is played between two players, Even and Odd. Each player has a penny and must secretly turn the penny to heads or tails. The players then reveal their choices simultaneously ...

. See that article for analysis of the strategies and chances of winning.

Adaption

The name Even-Odd or EO (''Gerade und Ungerade'') was even given to a predecessor of roulette in the 18th century. This continues today in modern roulette in the bets on ''Pair'' and ''Impair''.

References

{{Hand games Hand games Sampling (statistics) Gambling games Historical games

History

Playing

Adaption

See also

References