Last visit was: 20 Nov 2025, 08:02 It is currently 20 Nov 2025, 08:02
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
805+ Level|   Probability|      
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 20 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,420
Own Kudos:
778,537
 [22]
Given Kudos: 99,987
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,420
Kudos: 778,537
 [22]
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 08 Sep 2017, 03:18
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
21
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

32% (02:09) correct 68% (02:30) wrong based on 272 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a single, or strikeout, and the likelihood of each outcome is completely determined by the opposing pitcher. A Funball batter scores a point for their team by advancing sequentially through each of four "bases", according to the following rules:

Home run: The batter and any players already on a base advance through all four bases.
Single: The batter advances to first base, and any players already on a base advance one base each.
Strikeout: No one advances any bases, and the batter loses his/her turn.

If the batting team has a runner on first base, which pitcher (Roger or Greg) is more likely to allow a point before recording a strikeout?


(1) Greg is twice as likely as Roger to allow a single, and four times as likely as Roger to record a strikeout.
(2) Greg is twice as likely as Roger to allow a single, and one fourth as likely as Roger to allow a home run.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
avatar
shringi87
avatar
Joined: 02 Sep 2017
Last visit: 04 Oct 2018
Posts: 14
Own Kudos:
5
Given Kudos: 17
Posts: 14
Kudos: 5
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 22 Apr 2018, 05:55
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
IMO it's B, but OA is A

Hi Bunuel , VeritasPrepKarishma
Can anyone of you pls provide a solution to this.
Thanks !!
User avatar
push12345
User avatar
Joined: 02 Oct 2017
Last visit: 10 Feb 2019
Posts: 536
Own Kudos:
535
 [4]
Given Kudos: 14
Posts: 536
Kudos: 535
 [4]
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 08 May 2018, 23:47
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
shringi87
IMO it's B, but OA is A

Hi Bunuel , VeritasPrepKarishma
Can anyone of you pls provide a solution to this.
Thanks !!
Show more


I can try for this

We need to find case which pitcher is likely to give point before strike out

Let S be chance of strike and R be chance of single

As per statement A

Probability of Roger=1/S*1/R

Whereas
Probability for Greg is =2/R*4/S i.e 8 times than Roger

So it's chances are higher

B) talks about home run but question does not want anything for home run
Insufficient

A is answer

Give kudos if it helps

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
aniket16c
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 20 Oct 2018
Last visit: 05 Feb 2024
Posts: 180
Own Kudos:
154
 [1]
Given Kudos: 57
Location: India
Schools: Ross '24 (D) Darden '24 (A)
GMAT 1: 690 Q49 V34
GMAT 2: 740 Q50 V40
GPA: 4
Schools: Ross '24 (D) Darden '24 (A)
GMAT 2: 740 Q50 V40
Posts: 180
Kudos: 154
 [1]
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 12 Mar 2019, 08:39
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
In the question it is given that: "each batter can either hit a home run, hit a single, or strikeout".
My doubt is if any of the two are given, shouldn't the probability of other event be obtained by subtracting the addition of the two from 1?
If that is the case, then we can estimate the probability of all the three events and determine the answer using either of the options?
User avatar
tinytiger
User avatar
Joined: 26 Aug 2017
Last visit: 10 Sep 2025
Posts: 47
Own Kudos:
120
Given Kudos: 695
Location: Singapore
Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (A$) Wharton '23 (II)
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V37
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V44
WE:General Management (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (A$) Wharton '23 (II)
GMAT 2: 760 Q50 V44
Posts: 47
Kudos: 120
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 24 Aug 2019, 00:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
So I'm not an expert in baseball, but here goes.

Since a 'Home Run' is scoring at least 1 point (i.e. equivalent to X # of 'Singles'), I'm thinking of the problem this way:
1 - P (Strikeout) = P (Not a Strikeout)

We only need to know P(Strikeout) to determine who is likely to give away at least a point i.e. regardless of a Single or a Home Run, that's counted towards one's likelihood of giving away a point.

(1) Statement 1 provides 4x P(Strikeout) for Greg than for Roger
--> 1 - P(Strikeout) for Roger = 1 - x
--> 1 - P(Strikeout) for Greg = 1 - 4x ---> the remainder is lesser than for Roger i.e. Greg is less likely to allow a point than for Roger before recording a strikeout.

(2) Statement 2 is insufficient since it says nothing about the actual magnitude of the strikeout rate for both batters.

Answer is (A).
User avatar
Kinshook
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Jun 2019
Last visit: 20 Nov 2025
Posts: 5,794
Own Kudos:
5,515
Given Kudos: 161
Location: India
Schools: HBS '26 CBS '26 Wharton '26
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
WE:Engineering (Transportation)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: HBS '26 CBS '26 Wharton '26
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
Posts: 5,794
Kudos: 5,515
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 24 Aug 2019, 02:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a single, or strikeout, and the likelihood of each outcome is completely determined by the opposing pitcher. A Funball batter scores a point for their team by advancing sequentially through each of four "bases", according to the following rules:

Home run: The batter and any players already on a base advance through all four bases.
Single: The batter advances to first base, and any players already on a base advance one base each.
Strikeout: No one advances any bases, and the batter loses his/her turn.

If the batting team has a runner on first base, which pitcher (Roger or Greg) is more likely to allow a point before recording a strikeout?


(1) Greg is twice as likely as Roger to allow a single, and four times as likely as Roger to record a strikeout.
(2) Greg is twice as likely as Roger to allow a single, and one fourth as likely as Roger to allow a home run.
Show more

Bunuel Please explain the scoring system of Funball game. Please also provide a diagram showing 4 bases and how a team scores points during Home run and Singles?
User avatar
kornn
User avatar
Joined: 28 Jan 2017
Last visit: 18 Dec 2021
Posts: 357
Own Kudos:
93
Given Kudos: 832
Posts: 357
Kudos: 93
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 13 Jun 2020, 01:44
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Dear IanStewart Bunuel GMATGuruNY VeritasKarishma,

I'm completely lost in this question.
Could you please provide an explanation?
User avatar
IanStewart
User avatar
GMAT Tutor
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 4,145
Own Kudos:
10,990
 [4]
Given Kudos: 99
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,145
Kudos: 10,990
 [4]
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 13 Jun 2020, 05:24
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
varotkorn

I'm completely lost in this question.
Could you please provide an explanation?
Show more

It's an absurd question, nothing like anything you'll see on the GMAT. For one thing, it's culturally biased -- the GMAT is not a test of whether you know about sports, but this question setup is probably almost incomprehensible to someone unfamiliar with baseball. You'll never see questions like that on the GMAT. That's also the reason you don't see questions on the GMAT about card games, say (and even when talking about dice, the GMAT explains what a die is). The question setup is also far more complicated than any real GMAT question, and far more complicated than necessary to test the concept the question is trying to test.

The idea is roughly this:

home runs are really bad
singles are fairly neutral
strikeouts are really good

If, from Statement 1, Greg is much more likely to get a strikeout or single than Roger, then Roger must be more likely than Greg to get a home run. So Greg is more likely to get the good outcomes, and Roger more likely to get the bad, and Statement 1 is sufficient. Statement 2 is not sufficient, because we don't have a way to compare how likely it is each person gets a good outcome (a strikeout).

But honestly the question isn't worth spending any time on.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,600
Own Kudos:
1,079
Posts: 38,600
Kudos: 1,079
In the game of Funball, each batter can either hit a home run, hit a 23 Oct 2021, 02:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
105420 posts
kingbucky
496 posts