Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 14:07 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 14:07
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|   Combinations|      
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,390
Own Kudos:
778,356
 [16]
Given Kudos: 99,977
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: 105,390
Kudos: 778,356
 [16]
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 18 Nov 2020, 01:11
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
14
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
B
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:

45% (02:28) correct 55% (02:15) wrong based on 105 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win two games in a row or a total of four games wins the tournament. What is the number of ways the tournament can occur?

(A) 13
(B) 14
(C) 15
(D) 16
(E) 17


Are You Up For the Challenge: 700 Level Questions
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
B
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,390
Own Kudos:
778,356
Given Kudos: 99,977
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: 105,390
Kudos: 778,356
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 18 Nov 2020, 01:14
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win two games in a row or a total of four games wins the tournament. What is the number of ways the tournament can occur?

(A) 13
(B) 14
(C) 15
(D) 16
(E) 17


Are You Up For the Challenge: 700 Level Questions
Show more

Similar questions:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/teams-a-and- ... 39630.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/teams-a-and- ... 39631.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/teams-a-and- ... 39633.html
User avatar
abhik1502
User avatar
Joined: 09 Oct 2016
Last visit: 18 Mar 2022
Posts: 129
Own Kudos:
47
Given Kudos: 154
GMAT 1: 730 Q51 V38
GPA: 3.6
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 1: 730 Q51 V38
Posts: 129
Kudos: 47
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 25 Nov 2020, 07:07
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Pls suggest the solution
User avatar
Fdambro294
User avatar
Joined: 10 Jul 2019
Last visit: 20 Aug 2025
Posts: 1,350
Own Kudos:
742
 [2]
Given Kudos: 1,656
Posts: 1,350
Kudos: 742
 [2]
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 25 Nov 2020, 10:18
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I’d love to see an algebraic Solution.

Since the numbers were reasonable, I “brute forced” the problem and luckily caught on to a pattern.

Rules:

win 2 in a row it is over

win 4 total it is over.


Start with the easiest scenario: 2 games

A - A
or
B - B


They could also play 3 games:

A - B - B
or
B - A - A


We can also have them play 4 games:

A - B - A - A
or
B - A - B - B


Since once we get 2 wins in a row the tournament ends, we can do 2 ways each for:

5 games
A - B - A - B - B
or
B - A - B - A - A


And 6 games
A - B - A - B - A - A
or
B - A - B - A - B - B


The tricky part is realizing there is 4 ways for the tournament to be played for 7 total games

Option 1: no team wins 2 in a row and the team who wins 1st ends up as the 4th win

A - B - A - B - A - B - A
or
B - A - B - A - B - A - B


Option 2: the team that wins 2nd, goes on to win the last 2 games for a total of 4

A - B - A - B -A - B - B
or
B - A - B - A - B - A - A


There are 14 ways the tournament can be played.

(B)

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
MBAB123
User avatar
Joined: 05 Jul 2020
Last visit: 30 Jul 2023
Posts: 563
Own Kudos:
318
Given Kudos: 151
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V38
WE:Accounting (Accounting)
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V38
Posts: 563
Kudos: 318
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 25 Nov 2020, 21:17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Fdambro294
I’d love to see an algebraic Solution.

Since the numbers were reasonable, I “brute forced” the problem and luckily caught on to a pattern.

Rules:

win 2 in a row it is over

win 4 total it is over.


Start with the easiest scenario: 2 games

A - A
or
B - B


They could also play 3 games:

A - B - B
or
B - A - A


We can also have them play 4 games:

A - B - A - A
or
B - A - B - B


Since once we get 2 wins in a row the tournament ends, we can do 2 ways each for:

5 games
A - B - A - B - B
or
B - A - B - A - A


And 6 games
A - B - A - B - A - A
or
B - A - B - A - B - B


The tricky part is realizing there is 4 ways for the tournament to be played for 7 total games

Option 1: no team wins 2 in a row and the team who wins 1st ends up as the 4th win

A - B - A - B - A - B - A
or
B - A - B - A - B - A - B


Option 2: the team that wins 2nd, goes on to win the last 2 games for a total of 4

A - B - A - B -A - B - B
or
B - A - B - A - B - A - A


There are 14 ways the tournament can be played.

(B)

Posted from my mobile device
Show more

I followed the same approach but missed the last part about 7 games and got 12 as the answer. Now I know why.
User avatar
Regor60
User avatar
Joined: 21 Nov 2021
Last visit: 17 Nov 2025
Posts: 528
Own Kudos:
383
Given Kudos: 459
Posts: 528
Kudos: 383
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 12 Mar 2023, 06:20
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win two games in a row or a total of four games wins the tournament. What is the number of ways the tournament can occur?

(A) 13
(B) 14
(C) 15
(D) 16
(E) 17


Are You Up For the Challenge: 700 Level Questions
Show more

If time is a consideration, since a given pattern of winning is available to each team means an even number of total ways, the answer choices can be reduced to just two

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,587
Own Kudos:
1,079
Posts: 38,587
Kudos: 1,079
Teams A and B play in a basketball tournament. The first team to win 21 May 2024, 12:15
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
105390 posts
Krunaal
Tuck School Moderator
805 posts