What are the Odds – the game
All about my favorite game What are the Odds with how to play and example questions.
- Introduction
- How to play what are the odds – the rules
- Optional rules
- The real odds / strategy & best response
- Examples & questions
- Comments
reading time: 4 minutes
Why I love What are the Odds and made this site
“What are the odds” or “Odds are Game” is a simple game I was shown by a friend some years ago and which I learned to love because so many crazy things happened to me playing this game.
So why do I love it so much:
That’s simple, the game is very easy and can be taught to anyone in a couple of minutes. Also you can play the game anytime and anywhere and it requires only 2 players. So if you are in a bar with friends, if you’re sitting in the park or if you just walk the streets alone with your best buddy, you can play this game and it will improve your day!
Why did I make this site:
Well there are quite some sites that are explaining how to play What are the Odds. But there is always a lack of basic ground rules and example questions. So when most people hear about this game they think it’s only about drinking or something similar. But in fact, if you play the game right, it can lead to so much fun, challenges, new experiences and adventures. It’s more than just a simple game.
How to play What are the Odds: the rules
I don’t want to cite Fight Club, but it seems necessary as every other explanation lacks the number one rule: If you accept the dare and lose, you have to do it!
If it’s getting bald, running naked around the block or getting in the next airplane – YOU HAVE TO DO IT! Otherwise, don’t even bother playing the What are the odds game.
After the written version of the What are the Odds rules I will give an example of how to play, as it is not that easy to explain with words.
One person starts, let’s call them A. A selects the person he wants to challenge (B) and asks “What are the odds…”. B can now refuse the dare but will be banned from daring other people. If B accepts, he will respond with the odds. The odds will be told as 1 in X where X is a number between 2 and 100. So, for example, B says “1 in 10”. Now A and B simultaneously count down from three to zero, but instead of zero, they say a number between 1 and the selected range, here 10. If both say the same number, B has to fulfill the dare. If A and B say different numbers, it’s over and it’s the turn of the selected person B that can pick someone for a different dare.
That’s it!
Basic ground rules:
If the dare costs money, the darer has to pay for it!
You cannot say the same dare as revenge!
If no specific time frame for the dare is set, the dare has to be done instantly!
We did a lot of crazy shit, but as an informal rule, no life altering/ending or illegal dares please.
Here again the practical example:
A: What are the odds of you going down to your knees and making a marriage proposal to the next person walking by?
B: 1 in 10.
A and B: 3, 2, 1,…
A: 4; B: 7
Since they both said different numbers it’s over and nothing happens.
Alternative:
A: 8; B: 8
Since they both said the same number, B now needs to propose to the next person he meets.
Side info:
Easy dares should be under 1 in 10 while hard ones should not be over 1 in 30 as an unofficial rule. Although 1 in 100 is the official version, very high numbers simply make it too unlikely that the person has to do it. Read more about the chances and strategies after the optional rules.
Optional rules
There are quite some different or optional rules to the game to make it more interesting. I want to show you one which we had very good experiences with.
If the numbers said add up to the original said range number, you have to play again but with half the odds and the darer is challenged! This does of course not count if both say the same number.
So if we pick the example from above:
A and B: 3, 2, 1,…
A: 4; B: 6
4 + 6 = 10 which was the range X chosen by B.
Now both play again with a range of 5, but the darer has to face the challenge instead. This can prevent the darer from saying too crazy stuff, because in worst case he has to face his own challenge. We made very good experience with this rule and it feels good when the darer has to fulfill his own shit once in a while 🙂
The real odds / best strategy & response
As we were asked what the real odds are in the game of the participants saying the same number, here is the answer.
The probability that both will say the same number is 1/X, while X is the selected range the dared person said.
Example from above: B said 1 in 10, so the odds that both will say the same number is 1/10 or 10%.
The table shows some more examples of the real odds.
| Odds 1/X | Chances of saying the same number |
|---|---|
| 1 in 5 | 20% |
| 1 in 10 | 10% |
| 1 in 20 | 5% |
| 1 in 30 | 3,33% |
| 1 in 40 | 2,5% |
| 1 in 50 | 2% |
So the chance of actually doing something is getting very low very fast. That’s why we recommend to not use high numbers. Easy things shouldn’t be over 1/10, medium 1/20 and hard 1/30. Otherwise nothing will happen most of the time.
This example only applies for random numbers, but it actually turns out that people are not good at randomly picking numbers!
The truth about the odds & tactics
If people would randomly say numbers, it wouldn’t matter what you say and the odds would be just as listed above. But studies and research prove that people are more likely to say specific numbers, even when they are asked to say random ones. People intentionally pick specific numbers such as prime numbers and they tend to pick inner numbers also more frequently. Here is an example of a study asking about 10.000 people to say a random number between 1 and 10.
| Number | Picked (in %) | Chances of saying the same number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3,44% | 0,12% |
| 2 | 8,54% | 0,73% |
| 3 | 9,75% | 0,95% |
| 4 | 9,73% | 0,95% |
| 5 | 12,36% | 1,53% |
| 6 | 9,85% | 0,97% |
| 7 | 28,11% | 7,90% |
| 8 | 10,90% | 1,19% |
| 9 | 5,38% | 0,29% |
| 10 | 1,94% | 0,04% |
| total | 100% | 14,67% |
Conclusion: The chance of two people saying the number 7 is nearly 200 times higher than two people saying 10. Also, the general chance of two people saying the same number for X=10 is not 1/10=10%, it’s actually 14,67%. Weird, isn’t it? We actually suck at being truly random.
What does that mean – strategy pro tips to avoid saying the same number: Aim for the smallest and largest numbers in the range. Avoid picking prime numbers such as 7 or 17. Also vary your strategy. With those tactics you will lower your chances to say the same number. You can also use the tactic the opposite way if you dare someone and improve your chances to win by quite a lot!
Want to know more, follow this link.
What are the Odds Questions & Examples
This list is ongoing, if you have suggestions please write it in the comments or send me an email!
I made three categories, but as the difficulty level is very different for any person just take it as an orientation.
Update: I added some kids questions as a new category. The other categories are for adults only and should not be played with or by kids!
For kids:
What are the odds of you…
- make an elephant trunk with your hands and pretend to be an elephant for 30 seconds
- smell my shoes for 30 seconds
- do a moonwalk across the room
- spin an imaginary hula hoop for 2 minutes while the game continues
- put 3 marshmallows in your mouth and sing old MacDonald had a farm
- eat a cup of dessert without using your hands
- dance around the nearby tree and giving him a big hug after
- try licking your nose for 30 seconds
- crack an egg over your head
- do the chicken dance
- spin 10 times and walk across the room
- let yourself getting wrapped in toilet paper by the others
- smell everyone’s breath and guess what they ate
- bite a slice of lemon
- imitate an old lady or man
- smell everyone’s feet and rate them from tasty to disgusting
- allow the others to tickle you for 1 minute
Easy ones:
What are the odds of you…
- going over to that table and drinking the fullest beer and coming back without saying a word
- turning around your underwear and wear it all night
- changing cloth with this guy/girl
- taking of your shirt and making 20 push-ups right here
- saying “sir, yes sir” after everything you say to me
- eating this (can be a fly, bug, leftovers from dinner etc.)
- go to fridge and eat/drink the first thing you grab blindfolded
- downing your drink
- taking 10 selfies with strangers tonight
- imitate your favorite celebrity for the next 10 minutes
- speaking with a French accent the rest of the day
- shaving a mustache and wear it for one week
- covering your foot/arm in duct tape and let me rip it off
- to ring the bell of this house and ask for a banana
- do a body shot from this guy/girl
- try to break dance right here, right now
- going down to your knees and making a proposal of marriage to the next person walking by
- to give a hug to a stranger (or a selected person)
- putting an ice cube in your underwear and letting it melt
- lick my shoes
- not touching your phone for the next 24 hours
- snort this line of pepper
- addressing me as “my Lord” all night
Medium ones:
What are the odds of you…
- removing your underwear for all night
- singing the refrain of your favorite song out loud right now
- not getting higher than 1 in 10 while playing what are the odds tonight
- Say “god, I hate myself” after everything you say for the next 15 minutes
- to put on make up (guys) / to remove your make up (girls)
- changing your cloth with the opposite gender
- let me draw a “tattoo” with this pen on your arm
- let me draw a fake mustache with this pen
- closing your eyes and letting everyone draw on you for one minute
- going over to that girl and tell her that you just thought about her while masturbating on the restroom
- take a shower with your cloth on
- giving yourself a new haircut
- taking an eyeball shot of tequila
- ordering 10 pizzas to your best friend’s house
- licking the floor/table
- writing your name on this floor/wall with your tongue
- to sing everything you say for 30 minutes
- going over to this guy/girl handing over a condom and saying “you will need it later”
- going over to this person and ask for a threesome
- going over to this person and tell him/her you think he/she is very sexy/ugly
- writing “fuck” on your right and “you” on your left eyelid
- sleeping in your garden tonight
- stepping in that trash can
- flashing your ass/boobs on the window (while in a car or bus)
- of introducing yourself all night as “Dick Wiener”, “Will Whanker”, “Evelyn Sackrider” or “Shadynasty”
Hard ones:
What are the odds of you…
- getting bald right now
- eating something out of the trash can
- going outside naked and walk slowly to the mailbox and back
- getting naked and running around the block
- putting a leash on you and let someone walk you around the block
- getting a tattoo now
- going to the closest airport and taking the next cheapest flight
- calling your supervisor and tell him/her you don’t like him/her
- doing a striptease right now
- calling your parents and telling them you’re moving to another country
Get 150+ more What are the Odds questions
Hell Yeah! I have a list with over 150 additional What are the Odds questions. Just send me an e-mail to martin@what-are-the-odds.info with 10 questions, that are not on this page already. I will thank you and send the list with the questions to you in return!
Final thoughts
As the game is played mostly spontaneously you should always involve your surrounding area. Do you see some stairs? Ask to go up there 10 times. Is there some disgusting food? Ask to try it. Are there people around? Make the other player scream some crazy words. The best and most funny things came up to us just in the moment when we saw something we really did or didn’t want to do.
We were once thrown out of our hotel because we had to jump naked in the pool in the middle of the night, we cracked through a roof because we had to dance on it (luckily no one was hurt), and my friend threw up as he had to eat all the leftovers of the neighbors table.
Now I have so many stories to tell and I still laugh remembering some of the things we had to do.
And this is, why I love the What are the Odds game! Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Martin
If you like my site feel free to share, rate and comment! 🙂
Don’t you think 1 in 30 is too high even for hard ones? When we play the odds are game 1 in10 is our max. otherwise the chance is way too rare. and whats the point playing if nothing ever happens!
Hey Rob, sorry for the late response. Well yes you’re right, 1 in 30 is quite high. And its definitely more fun, when players really have to fulfill the dare. We usually choose something between 10 and 20 for hard ones and everything else in mostly 1 in 10. But the more you get to know your opponent the higher the chance. We once played 1 in 15, but said the same number in 2 out of 3 cases. That was weird.
Also when we start playing we usually keep on challenging each other in a row until at least one of us has to do something 😉
What are the rules for a 1 in 2 game?
Hey Ryan. I’ve never heard of any special rules for a 1 in 2 game.
You still countdown and simply say 1 or 2. If it’s 1-1 or 2-2 the dare has to be fulfilled, if it’s 1-2 or 2-1 nothing happens.
That’s a classic even odds game or 50-50 chance. Love those!
If anyone has some specific rules for 1 in 2 let us know in the comments.
If someone says 1-2 as the odds it’s fun if you play where if you say the same number whoever got the dare has to do it. But, if you say different numbers whoever gave the dare has to do their own! It makes it a fun risk for some!
Thank you so much Martin! I’ve tried to find rules and questions to this game since I played it a long time ago. Your site is very informative, easy to understand and I really like your examples! The others I’ve found are quite shitty compared to this.
Good job man!
I’m glad I could help Steve! Haha well I’m sure there are plenty other sites with good dares and rules out there. Thanks anyway and have fun playing!
what are the odds of 2 people saying the same number?
The odds are actually 1/X. I made a new separate section for that with examples and some tactic advises.
https://what-are-the-odds.info/#strategy
So I lost a what are the odds game and was supposed to hand over a blank page in my math test but i didn’t do it. My friends call me chicken now. How can I make it up to them?
Well I’m always a supporter of if you loose the what are the odds game, you have to do it (except from life threatening things). Otherwise where is the point playing? You always have a chance not to accept the what are the odds question in the first place.
But beside that I’m pretty sure your friends will forgive you pretty soon. Worst case you do it in your next math test. Just think of accepting a challenge next time 😉
Hi Martin. ❤
Hi Bella ❤
Lmao I was playing this game with my friends on a trip to Washington, and I must say that this game is super hilarious! Thanks for some of the other dare ideas that you’ve given me, especially the one about, “What are the odds, that you’ll never go above 1-10 in our game of What are the Odds tonight?”. Stunning website, easy formatting. Hope you make more websites!
Thanks for your comment J! Its a fun game 🙂 But the 1-10 odds is a hard one, that usually leads to playing and doing a lot! Dangerous, but fun.
Can you use decimal numbers?
No you can’t. Otherwise there would never be a successful what are the odds I guess.
If they 100% won’t do it what is the punishment?
There is no official punishment. If they 100% won’t do it, we usually have them banned for life from playing what are the odds. Or until they do it.
This looks really fun. But can you add some for middle school aged kids?
Hi Emma. You’re right there are some what are the odds questions that are too easy and some too hard. I will try to add some with the next update. I’m glad, if you could just post some examples that you’ve done in the past also. So you help others as well 🙂
Thanks to the what are the odds game I now have one shaved leg in midsummer 😀
Been there ?
Can’t you just publish all the what are the odds questions here instead of sending them per mail?
Hey Bryan, I will do that in the future. But right now I am still collecting questions and hope more people are sending me good ones to add. But once the list gets more complete I will publish it here. Also I updated the kids section and added some questions to the other sections as well.
This shits AMAZING I did all of them???
Haha, I doubt you did 😉 But if so, you have my biggest respect 😛
i love what are the odds but make some of them for kids
Hey Jazzy, you are right, the what are the odds questions here are for adults only. I added some for kids now. Thanks for your feedback!
This looks like an awesome party game!
So if my friend asked me to do a challenge and post it on instagram and he didn’t get me. Afterwards I asked him the same thing but with a little twist to it and we said the same number. Does that now count as against the rules or am I allowed to make a little change to his dare?
Hey Daniel. Well you’re not supposed to do the exact same challenge, but as there is a twist, it should be fine. Also as long as he agreed to it and takes the challenge, you’re good and he should do it!
Finally all the things i wanted to know about what are the odds and examples too. Thanks so much! Took me quite a time to get here though ?
Jeremy