MovieChat Forums > Bachelor Pad (2010) Discussion > Mathematically it's stupid not to 'Keep'...

Mathematically it's stupid not to 'Keep'.


Loved how the show ended.

Basically the game they are playing is the prisoner dilemma where it is the mathematically correct play is to defect (keep).


If I were on the show i'd pick keep as well no matter what. If i truly liked my partner i'd send them a check in the mail for half the prize later.

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I think it depends on how much you like and trust your partner. If you like them enough that you want to continue having a relationship after the show, and you think they feel the same way, you pick "share" and hope for the best.

The problem is that if you know for a fact your partner is picking "keep" then your screwed either way. You are pretty much choosing between them and the money being split amongst the other cast guys. It seems like there should be a way to make a play that gets you all the money if your partner picks "keep" and you know it will happen. Maybe you can play a wildcard or something and if you're wrong, your partner gets all the money + an extra 50 grand or something like that. I'm not sure how it would work.

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I think it depends on how much you like and trust your partner. If you like them enough that you want to continue having a relationship after the show, and you think they feel the same way, you pick "share" and hope for the best.

I think that's what rhode who question why Nick didn't choose to share with Rachel don't realize. If he was into her like Michael seemed to be at the house, he'd probably be more incline to share the money with her. Bnut since there was no connection (that we know of) he fruit like he just had to look out for number 1 and that's it.

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Actually the prisoner's dilemma would advocate that the best response is to both share, but the likely response is to both keep (resulting in mutual destruction).

For those unfamiliar:

The prisoner's dilemma is a hypothetical situation where two prisoners are interrogated separately. The police attempt to get each prisoner to sell the other out in order to walk free themselves. However, what they do not realize is that if neither of them talk there is not enough evidence to convict either. In addition to that if both of them talk there is enough evidence to convict both. -- This show kind of breaks the prediction that both will act selfishly due to the fact that they have personal relationships and they are fully aware of the benefits and consequences of each choice.

IMO, while it was a low move on Nicks part and he handled it pretty tastelessly...Rachel deserved it. She has a very over-blown sense of entitlement, he owed nothing to her and like Kalon said, none of them really "deserve" it at the end of the day.

Oh, come on. Just one little Mind Crush. It'll barely hurt him.

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Collectively in the prisoners dilemma it's better if they both "share", but as far as individually it's better to "keep".

The bachelor is pad no different, here are the 4 possible outcomes.


1. I keep and you keep

result: we both get nothing.

2. I keep and you share

result: I get 250k

3. I share and you share

result: We both get 125k

4. I share and you keep

result: I get nothing and you get 250k.


As you can see it's ALWAYS better to "Keep" regardless of what your opponent picks. It insures your opponent is left with nothing if you decide to keep and it doubles your payout if your opponent decides to share.

So no mutual sharing is not advocating (and it isn't in the prisoners dilemma either).

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[deleted]

From any standpoint.


The Nash Equilibrium of this game is KEEP. It doesn't matter what the other player does.

you lose value by picking keep.


if you they pick share and you do not pick keep you are losing $125,000



The problem with the game is that the payouts for for share/share is exactly half that of keep/share


In the event of Keep/Share the keeper should get $250k

In the even of Share/Share they should get get $175k


it would make the final less mathematically predictable.


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But it's not a victory for you if both you and your partner get nothing. In your four scenarios, there are two victories and two losses. Each victory happens with each of your options. You have a 50/50 chance of victory no matter what you pick. If you suspect with 95% confidence that your partner is picking 'keep', then you are screwed either way. Then you just have to decide if you want to reward your partner who screwed you in the final or reward the rest of the cast who tried to screw you every step of the way up to that point.

Your strategy would have to be do everything within your power to get your partner to trust you. If you don't, it won't matter if you pick 'keep' or 'share'. If you do, then you can decide what your partner gets. It is now going to be more difficult because a contestant has broken the 'keep' barrier.

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to the original poster -

re your point on taking all then sending half the money to the other player as a cheque later. I believe you've not at all considered that in real life giving such a sum of money away to another person is not quite as simple as you think. Try checking all the facts, of doing such a thing, and you should soon after realise the error in your thinking. Hint - *every* time there's a transfer, i.e., from them to you and then from you to your partner, isn't there a third party you're overlooking?

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As we in the South would call it....the RRS

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but what if you both pick keep and then you get nothing!

"I'm not crazy M'Lynn, I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years"

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you should type a 40 page paper on the keep share outcome. seems like you realllllllly think this thing through and care about it. you could write a big time paper on a bachelor pad game show ending lol

And I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove

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I can't write anything about it that hasn't been written before. The game is the prisoner's dilemma, it's a game theory staple.

If ever you find yourself in a prisoner's dilemma situation like Nick did always pick KEEP.

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YOU LOVE IT!!!! write a thesis on this subject. you are too into it. wayyyy too into it. YOU LOVE IT!!!

And I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove

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