# Does having a bet on a question make Cecil more apt to answer it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 7, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160 "2000-04-07T04:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralphredan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f4b2a3/32.png) [@ralphredan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralphredan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/1 "2000-04-08T03:00:00Z")
Does having a bet on a question make Cecil more apt to answer it? [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4\_024.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_024.html) [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_321b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_321b.html) ---
**Author:** ![woodwoodrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@woodwoodrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodwoodrules)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/2 "2000-04-07T04:54:00Z")
I’m betting you a dinner it does. But how will we know? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/3 "2000-04-07T14:03:00Z")
I’d say it’s more likely to be answered if it’s a good question with an interesting answer. - Jill ---
**Author:** ![woodwoodrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@woodwoodrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodwoodrules)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/4 "2000-04-07T18:06:00Z")
I guess she would know, so I’ll pay up. Post your address and I’ll send a Dominoes 2 for 1 coupon. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/5 "2000-04-07T23:04:00Z")
I’m sure it depends entirely on how big a cut the winner is willing to give Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/6 "2000-04-08T19:17:00Z")
I dunno about Cecil’s end of it, but I’ll bet that having a bet on the question makes the questioner more likely to ask it. * * * “There are only two things that are infinite: The Universe, and human stupidity-- and I’m not sure about the Universe” –A. Einstein ---
**Author:** ![woodwoodrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@woodwoodrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodwoodrules)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/7 "2000-04-09T00:12:00Z")
HEY! Both my messages above show the same number of posts. Does this mean the SD board software is no longer infallible? Anyone want to bet on the odds of that happening again? ---
**Author:** ![woodwoodrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/97f17d/32.png) [@woodwoodrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodwoodrules)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-having-a-bet-on-a-question-make-cecil-more-apt-to-answer-it/1160/8 "2000-04-09T00:14:00Z")
OOPS! I just realized the numbers are being updated after the fact. Go ahead and laugh at me-that’s what newbies are for. ☹