Do The Maths!

[rjfvillarosa]

This will Mess With Your Head.

3 FRIENDS GO INTO A MOTEL. THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK SAID THE ROOM IS £30, SO
EACH MAN PAID £10 AND WENT TO THE ROOM.

A WHILE LATER THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK REALIZED THE ROOM WAS ONLY £25, SO HE
SENT THE BELLBOY TO THE 3 GUYS' ROOM WITH £5. ON THE WAY THE BELLBOY
COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT £5 EVENLY BETWEEN 3 MEN, SO HE GAVE EACH
MAN A £1 AND KEPT THE OTHER £2 FOR HIMSELF.

THIS MEANT THAT THE 3 MEN EACH PAID £9 FOR THE ROOM, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF
£27; ADD THE £2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT = £29. WHERE IS THE OTHER POUND?

[HAL9000]

It's a trick with incorrect math. It's using

(3 x 9) + 2 = 29 not = 30

When in reality you have

(10 x 3) - 5 + ((3 x 1) + 2) = 30

The men never paid $9 each. They paid $10 each as show in the second equation with 10 x 3. They over paid $5 which you subtract from the total, this is nowhere taken into account on the first equation. They were returned $3 which is shown in the second equation as the 3 x 1 and the bellboy kept $2, also represented, totalling $30.

[perkster]

confirmed it confuses you to keep thinking about the £30 but then you realise the actual cost was £25, they paid 27 between them, which is £25 cost plus 2 tip.