# "Le compte est bon", or, anyone for a math game?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [January 12, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727 "2010-01-12T23:59:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/161 "2010-01-29T08:28:23Z")

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(6 \* 8) \* (7 +3) \* 2 - 1 = 959

Is there anything better?

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/162 "2010-01-29T08:36:00Z")

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> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#):
>
> You know, I bet Indistinguishable wouldn’t mind if someone proposed a problem for him.

A fair bet, since I’d just have used the same generator anyway. 🙂 (I wonder what criteria would be good for hand-crafting a really nice one?)

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/163 "2010-01-29T08:38:40Z")

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Working off of your own proposal:

(6 \* 7 + 1) \* (8 + 3) \* 2 = 946

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/164 "2010-01-29T08:49:55Z")

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7 \* 8 \* (6 \* 3 - 1) = 952

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/165 "2010-01-29T15:12:42Z")

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The only other approach I can see is to try to get to 951/3 = 317 with 1, 2, 6, 7, 8.

I don’t think it’s possible.

Attempting to get to 317 I can do (6 x 7 - 2) x 8 - 1 = 319 or (8 x 7 - 2 - 1) x 6 = 318.

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