# RIP the creator of the Monty Hall Problem

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 23, 2026, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084 "2026-10-23T02:07:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Petek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/petek/32/1590_2.png) [@Petek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petek)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/1 "2026-10-23T02:07:13Z")

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[Steve Selvin](https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/steve-selvin-obituary-monty-hall-problem-22476027.php), the creator of the Monty Hall Problem, recently passed away. From the linked article, sounds like has was an interesting guy.

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**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/2 "2026-10-23T02:45:43Z")

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Will there be three caskets at the funeral?

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/3 "2026-10-23T10:10:39Z")

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Close the thread. We’re done here. That was spectacular! 👏 👏 👏

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**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/4 "2026-10-23T10:47:45Z")

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Yeah, brilliant!

My favorite story about that problem was that, apparently, famous mathematician Paul Erdos never understood it. Hopefully, that’s not just an urban legend.

That puzzle created so many online (and real life) arguments and discussions.

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/5 "2026-10-23T11:28:04Z")

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I never had much interest in Marilyn Vos Savant, but I do recall the amount of backlash she got when she correctly stated the solution to the problem. I don’t remember if she explained it clearly, but she did have the right answer.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/6 "2026-10-23T11:38:02Z")

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As so often, 100% of the controversy was people differently interpreting the rules, both explicit and implicit of the game. Once folks agreed on what the rules were, the logic was pretty compelling except to the folks who can’t logic.

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/7 "2026-10-23T11:44:15Z")

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Yes, a lot of the initial settings of the puzzle were poorly phrased.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-the-creator-of-the-monty-hall-problem/1034084/8 "2026-10-23T12:24:12Z")

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Is it out of place if I use this opportunity to post this clip from one of the funniest Brooklyn 99 scenes?

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AD6eJlbFa2I/maxresdefault.jpg "The Monty Hall Problem | Brooklyn Nine-Nine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6eJlbFa2I)