you are playing Take It! for $180,00 with a total stranger. There are 180 identical balls in a big vase. Each player in his turn, reaches into the vase and pulls out 1,5,or8 balls. These balls are discarded. The player who takes the last ball from the vase wins the $180,000. A flip of the coin determines that you will go first. Are you glad? How many will you take out on the first move, and how will you proceed to win the prize?

Bryan

university level math
student

Am I glad? Yes, very much!

I take five balls, so there are 175 left. Your turn.

(P.S. Not to leave you too much in the dark about my strategy, 180 divided by 13 leaves a remainder of 11, so I took five balls to leave a remainder of 6.)