Where is the Missing Dollar? (CLASSIC RIDDLE)

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Wes Barker is a Canadian magician and comedian doing funny tricks, and telling great stories. You may know me from my TV show Big Trick Energy (truTV, HBOmax, Netflix). Watch here for hilarious, ridiculous, and unfiltered ideas with magic, stunts, and pranks. Either I'm the funniest magician who is also a stand-up comic, or maybe I'm the comic who is the best at magic? Either way you get the idea. I tour all over doing colleges, comedy clubs, and corporate events. Catch the adventures and tricks right here. With this magician / comedian from Vancouver, based out of Toronto, Canada. I make funny stuff. That’s my only rule. Everything has to be funny, from street magic to stage illusions, as long as there is a joke to be made. I do magic tricks, sketches, stand-up comedy, card tricks, mind reading, and tricks with naked people. I’ve been on America’s Got Talent, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, MTV Greatest Party Stories Ever, and Wizard Wars. You can find me pulling pranks on friends, gags on strangers, or just general sleight of hand, magic, illusions, and the occasional bar bet. Wes Barker also hosts a podcast with Chris Ramsay called Bottom Of The Barrel. Go check it out!

[@TheBoogerJames]

You don't add the $2. You subtract it. $27 minus the $2 they gave to the bellboy is the $25 they paid for the room.

[@Nymaz]

Basically the problem is that the $2 is going "the wrong way" in the last sentence. Here's the best way to think about it: The front desk correctly stated the room cost of $25. The front desk also said there was a mandatory $2 charge for the bellboy (for a total of $27). The three men each gave a $10 dollar bill, totaling $30. The front desk handed $3 back in change ($30 - $27 = $3) of which the 3 men each took $1. The front desk then handed the $2 dollar mandatory charge to the bellboy.

[@camliven7791]

This makes less sense than the riddle.

[@ChillPillDyl]

Problem here is that the tip isn’t stated as mandatory. The bell boy only took the $2 bc he couldn’t split $5. The riddle makes it seem like the bell boy essentially stole $2

[@spezz0253]

People in the comments were only making me more confused. It's simple to explain. At the end of this whole story: Front desk has 25 dollars Bell man has 2 dollars The 3 men have 3 dollars 25+2+3 = 30. No missing dollar. They paid 9 dollars each for the room and collectively tipped 2 dollars

[@jmg999]

Paying nine each (9x3 = 27) and collectively tipping two is still $29.

[@isais207]

​@@jmg999it's not really a riddle, it's a test on how much you paid attention at school during maths

[@spezz0253]

@jmg999 They didn't pay 9 each for the room though. They each paid about 8.33 for the room and then the bell man got a 2 dollar tip.

[@spezz0253]

@jmg999 you can also think of it as though they received 5 dollars in change because they gave 30 dollars and it was only a 25 dollar room and then tipped the bell man 2 dollars with that change. The riddle is just worded to make you think the money somehow disappeared

[@matiasfalcone2821]

@@jmg999 You are adding the 2 dollar tip to the 27 they paid, but actually it's the other way around. The 27 dollars they paid is: 25 dollars (the cost of the room) + 2 dollars (the bellboy tip)

[@FlyboyGWN]

The trick is in the last paragraph: it's not $27+$2, it's $27 (spent) minus $2 (tip) = $25 (cost of the room)

[@jimmckay2337]

I was just about to say this. The $3 was not part of what was paid. It was the change left over.

[@jamesmoniz5263]

why does everyone in the comments call it a tip? my dude just stole 2 dollars...

[@FlyboyGWN]

@@jamesmoniz5263 LOL - touche

[@jimmckay2337]

@@jamesmoniz5263 lol. That is so true..

[@wade7959]

They paid $27. $25 to hotel. $2 to bell boy. They kept $3. It "maths". That's a clever mission to say, "Each guy paid $9, bringing it to $27, plus the two dollars." It shouldn't have been, "plus the two dollars." That was included in the $27. The change was $3, which equals $30.

[@Fadeddeath]

There is no missing dollar. This is why Order of Operations is important in math. They actually paid $27 total for the room since you need to include the tip. $25 room + $2 tip = $27 $27 / 3 = $9 that each person paid. $27 + $3 returned = $30 No money is missing.

[@freshlymade7156]

The way you show this has nothing to do with the order of operations though lol

[@jamesmoniz5263]

ya... that was kinda random line to add lol. Its more about spotting the misleading question. The question implies after each member played 27, the 2 dollars the bellboy stole should ad up to the amount the room costs. which is true, only they ask "why doesn't it up add up to 30?", which isn't how much the room costs. they each played 27 - the 2 dollars the bellboy stole then you get 25 dollars (how much the room cost)

[@Fadeddeath]

@@jamesmoniz5263 to clarify, the way the math is done in the original question, it does the subtraction before the division. They are taking 30, subtracting 5 then adding 3 then dividing by 3 then adding 2. In that order you get 30 / 3 = 10 then 10 - 1 = 9 then 9 x 3 = 27 and finally 27 + 2 = 29 Division Subtraction Multiplication Addition The correct order of operations would be Division Multiplication Subtraction Addition given the left to right order of problems. 30 / 3 = 10, 10 * 3 = 30, 25 / 3 = 8.33333 2 / 3 = 0.66 each for tip. Total paid is 8.33 + 0.66666 = $9, 9 x 3 is 27 + 3 refund is 30. If you write it out as it is worded, in correct order, you can add the necessary parentheses. ((((30 / 3) x 3) - 5 ) + 2 ) + 3 = 30 Or just (25 + 2) / 3 + 3 Complicated but correct which is why it's such a great riddle.

[@chrisb8698]

Yeah, the flaw people make here is anchoring to the initial price of $30 when the room price shifted to $25. Once you properly shift to the room price being $25, the total of $27 spent including a $2 tip makes much more sense.

[@monzy2]

Bell boy kept - $2 Total paid initially - $30 Total paid after rebate = $28 (not $27 this is the misdirection) Paid by each man = $28/3 = $9.3333 Each man paid $9.3 (not $9) The $0.3/man is the missing dollar.

[@JeordieEH]

I know how you get there and how you think it makes sense when you are trying to understand how each man paid $9. You went down another rabbit hole that didn't happen. Think of it this way. Let's say you rent a room with 3 guys and you are told it's $30, each of you pays a fair share of $10 each. Then the bellhop gets informed by the front desk that the room is $25. So he returns $5 to the guys with no way to really split the change equally, that is their problem. So these guys have $5 in cash. That brings it to 8.33 each after being refunded 1.66 each, with a remainder penny. This is where the riddle just gets confusing and you are trying to add how did they get to $9 each spent for $27 and you still have a remainder $2. That's the brain teaser. So you have to leap ahead. Basically lets take the actual red herring out and go straight to the conclusion. 3 guys go to a hotel, rent a room for the night with it totalling $25 and there is a bellhop surcharge fee, add that in to the total and now each guy only has to pay $9. So that is how they get to $9 each. Which brings them $3 shy of paying $30.

[@aldozampatti]

The wright answer was always in front of your eyes (I haven't finished the video yet! I'm at 0:45!!!) $30-(3x1)-2 = $25 So, The problem statement is catchy, and if you CORRECTLY say "each men payed $9" but you ADD the $2 the bellboy kept, you're not doing the right math because you're subtracting from the original $30 Wrong Math = $30-(3x1)+2 = $29 I have $30, but you don't SUBTRACT $5 and then add +2 before you do 9x3. Probably I'm not explaining this the right way but my ADHD doesn't help :) Correct math: $30-(3x1)-2 = $25 You charged $30, $3 were returned to the original payers, and $2 were 'kept' (stolen) by the bell boy. Still 30-2-5 = $25 This the same as saying: - How many fingers you have in your hands? -10 (so now you ask them to expose all their fingers and you count backwards while folding fingers from one hand) -10, 9,8,7,6.... (you're done with one hand) Now, how many fingers you have left in your other hand? - Five! - Then 6+5 =11 fingers. Same concept, same (incorrect) math.

[@Tell_me_something_good]

Follow the money. Front desk has 25 + bell hop has 2 = 3X9 = 27. Riddle is adding apples and oranges.

[@isais207]

This riddle is so old and everyone turns American when they first try to solve it 😂

[@WesBarker]

Haha 😆

[@brianware8934]

The “missing dollar” is in the 2/3 of a dollar each man was shorted. They paid $10 and only got $9 back. They should’ve gotten $1.66 back each or 1 2/3. Since they only got $1, the bellboy kept the extra $0.66 from each man, $1.98, which doesn’t account for rounding errors in a continuous fraction. Accounting for rounding errors in the 2/3 ($0.66), the men got shorted 2/3 of a dollar each, which adds up to 6/3, or 2 dollars and the bellboy took that $2, or 6/3 of the remaining money the men were owed. No missing dollar, just a simple math problem turned into a badly written riddle. Well, maybe poorly written in order to turn it into a riddle.

[@brianware8934]

@@strange-universe it’s also just written in a way to make it a riddle when there really isn’t one.

[@jamesmoniz5263]

​@@strange-universe ya there isn't a missing dollar. The equation is " 30 - 3 - 2 = 25 " 30 is how much they payed, 3 is what each dude was payed, and 2 is what the bellboy stole. The room only cost 25 dollars. The trick of the question is that it implies the total should be 30. (the riddle is saying 30 dollars - 3 dollar refund + 2 dollars were stolen, why doesn't it add up to 30 dollars?, when there is not reason for it to add up to 30)

[@andypire6278]

She had it!!!! Bell boy gives them the $5 plus the bell boy gives up his own dollar (-$1 from the price of the room($25-$1=$24)) Each guy has paid $8 , times 3 is $24

[@minkuspower]

Wes you got it right lol

[@Cossieuk]

Like all good magic tricks the riddle has some good misdirection

[@Docseusss]

Haha old one, remember that from school back in the day. Teachers always telling us that some student here in Belgium came up with that riddle

[@robertzeurunkl8401]

The whole $30 is still sitting at the front desk. The $5 doesn't matter.

[@paputz72]

30-5=25+3+2=30 He took the 5 dollar from the 30. that means 25 dollar is the starting point add 3+2. Then it makes sense.

[@unitearica]

Yea, mathmatics… 2 sides of separate equations - accounting vs. math Math: 30 = (3x10) - 5 + 2 +3 $30 divided by 3 men is $10. -$5 total return + $2 tip + $3 returned Accounting: 30 = (3x9) +3 $30 is equal to $9 x 3 men + $3 returned. The $2 is not in the equation as it was already considered spent. Only $ returned is counted. When the 2 equations are mixed however, there lies an imbalance that serves as this riddle.

[@Mezzier]

No, it's so confusing hahahaha

[@grotgrusson5124]

They pay 10 each, resulting in 30 (3*10). The total cost was actuall 25... Thus 5 back in change. The busdboy gives back 1 coin to the guys, keeping the remaining 2 for him self. This gives us. 10 - 1 10 - 1 10 - 1 ________ 30 - 3 = 27 The remaining 2 is added to the 27, or rather _substracted_ , giving us 25... (27-2 = 25) Like this chart: Guy 1: 10 - 1 Guy 2: 10 - 1 Guy 3: 10 - 1 Boy X: 00 - 2 ______________ Result: 30 - 5 = 25 Thus, each of the 5 coins that was given back in change has find its owner. The "brain somersault" you do is to add the remaining 2 to the 27, rather than remove it. They are still substracted from the ordinary bill.

[@coolworldpopculture]

Time to flip the scenario and let Wes do the mental gymnastics. Cocktail Three-way. Please bring that back.

[@mikebarnacle1469]

The last paragraph implies that the goal is to account for where all of the $30 is in all the stakeholders' pockets, then uses wording that does not reflect the way that would be calculated. It's that simple. But I think there's a lot more we can learn from this riddle by deconstructing it. I see a lot of other comments trying to change the question to include the terms, I prefer to think of it as the wrong terms but keep the question. Though either angle is equally valid at deconstructing the inconsistency between the question and calculation of the paragraph. We started with $30 at the desk, then the desk gave $5 back, $2 to the bellboy, and $1 to the 3 men desk: 25 bellboy: 2 men: 3 25 + 2 + 3 = 30, it is all accounted for The $9 each man paid is irrelevant to that accounting, but conveniently 9*3+2 just happens to be close to 30 which makes it feel related, allowing the last paragraph to be written in a clever way to slip the incorrect calculations past you. We can put a spotlight on this by writing the last paragraphs ourselves with the correct calculations to answer the question of where the $30 went, and reveal a very underwhelming climax to the story, that adding all parts of a whole does indeed equal the whole "The desk has 25 dollars, the bell boy has 2, and the 3 men have 3, making a total of $30. Nothing is missing." I think the real misdirection here is in convincing the reader that this is a math trick, but it is a linguistics trick. The reader is so caught up looking for an error in the math, they fail to see they were fooled by clever language. Much like a magician gets you to look at the wrong hand. I suspect that's why Wes is a fan of it. Since we've established that the question was switched on us, and we were never answering where the $30 went, it's interesting to ask ourselves, what question were we answering if it was not where the $30 went? What would (10-1)*3 + 2 = 29 actually tell you? What question could we ask so that this is the calculation we need to answer it? It's this: "If the men had given the bellboy an additional $2 tip how much would the men have paid" A question so bizarre we never even consider it. That would be $25 for the room + the $2 he stole, and an extra $2 tip, making the total $29. By breaking down how this riddle is constructed, I think you could make any version you want, you just need these elements: 1. A story involving some transactions 2. A very obvious and simple question on accounting for those transactions 3. A very strange and unrelated question on accounting for those transactions 4. A final application of the strange question's calculation and bilwilderment that the obvious question was incorrectly answered. This exploits the reader's biases to have a useful question, and that math is complex. They will gravitate so much to the desire to have a useful question, and focus on the mathematics, thinking math is complex, the problem must be in the math, and miss the fact that the math simply does not pertain to the question, or any other question that anyone would ever ask. I think it's interesting that the alternate question switched in is more effective when it is unusual. I would expect that a slightly different question would be easier to slip in, but that would make it more obvious that it was switched because you would notice it more. By having a very strange question switched in, it still feels like there is only one question available to be answered, because the real question being answered doesn't come to our imaginations.

[@fergusonhr]

3 x 9 is 27, minus the 2 the bellboy took is 25, which is what the room cost

[@bryan__m]

I didn't read ALL 95 comments, but I read quite a few and didn't see this answer. How do you get back up to the original $30? Each man paid $9, for a total of $27. Each man ends up with $1 in their pocket, which brings you up to $30.

[@wendelynmusic]

A clever riddle showing why getting a proper education is so important!! 😂😂😂😂

[@thechad10]

The last sentence is misleading because the $27 includes the $2 tip. Accordingly, the men spent $27 and kept $3. Thus, there is no missing dollar.

[@Blondie42]

I'm no good here, I hate math. To me the entire amount of money is accounted for.

[@NelielSugiura]

Guess I am good at maths after all... The two dollar tip needs to be subtracted, not added, to the amount they paid. 25 + 2 tip = 27. Or They paid 27 to the manager, who passed two off to the bellboy as a tip from the leftover... 27 - 2 = 25. This is one of those times where you need to watch your negative symbols and put them in the right places (sides of the equation)!

[@DocRigel]

I've heard this before, there I always missing information and a mislead with the bellboy's thoughts.

[@robertcherman]

The trick comes from the lie in the last paragraph. The room is $25 dollars. A third of $25 is not $9. It's $8.33. So, It's not $10-$1 It is $10-$1.77

[@Shemdoupe]

This took me a minute but it's cause we added the 2 dollars and should have subtracted it to get 25. We were always trying to reach 25 not 30

[@amymalski]

I visualized it differently by saying they already paid $25 and got back $5 to make it right. The $5 they got was split four ways, $1 + $1 + $1= $3 plus the $2 for the tip = $5. This is as much a word problem as a math problem.

[@frank4052]

They actually paid $25 and tipped the bell boy two dollars technically

[@ignorantlyspeaking]

The man behind the desk saved those three men the headache of trying to pay $25 equally, the bell boy was compensated for taking on that very headache, a dollar per hemisphere

[@theabhominal8131]

there is no extra dollar they gave 30 hotel kept 25 they got 3 back which is 27 and bell boy kept 2 which makes 30.. the 3 9s being 27 is just extra numbers to confuse you...

[@RyanWallace-h9k]

Easy explanation. One person. One bill of 30 dollars. Three dollars back. 27+3 is 30. How does it fool you? It's irrelevant how much the bellboy took. You still paid 27. Why would you count the two dollars included in the 27 you already paid? That's double counting it. Why would you not count the 3 dollars you received back? It doesn't matter who has the 27 dollars and how it's split. You don't count it again because we're only looking at what you paid. Instead you should count the three dollars you received back to the 27 you paid.

[@Silentsouls]

25$ + 2$ tip = 27$ each payed 10$ = 30$ difference = 3$, so each gets 1$ back = 9$ payed. no problem at all

[@bsjeffrey]

the tax man stole it

[@ChillPillDyl]

What I don’t like about this riddle - you have to alter the provided information with a tip. Idk if that’s how riddles are supposed to work? But I find it weird when riddles require you to change the rules out of nowhere

[@andycalmes4201]

The trick is that you think you’re still trying to total $30 but the total is $25. So they are $2 over not $3 under

[@angelasimpson5581]

25+3=28 nor 27 therefore it makes complete sense if you look at it that way

[@NihilimZA]

Each man paid $9 for room + bellboy(total $27). Hotel got $25, bellboy got $2. Riddle is introduced when the expectation is set that the paid amount of 30 - 3 refunded should still be 30.

[@jimmckay2337]

The $27 total is correct. But, it is the cost of the room and tip. The $3 is what was not spent, as it is the change left.

[@noprim8]

BTW: In response to your "flat earth" short........we know the earth isn't flat because if it were, cats would have already pushed everything over the edge.

[@WesBarker]

Hahahaha that’s the best evidence

[@GyaradosFreak]

30 dollars minus 5 is 25 and the each man got 1 dollar so 25 plus 3 is 28 and then the 2 dollars the bellboy kept, 28 plus 2 is 30

[@Ghoster_555wasTaken]

10 + 10 + 10 = 30; 10 + 10 + 10 = 25 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2; 9 + 9 + 9 = 25 + 2; 27 = 27; Where’s the problem?

[@alexanderjustice2020]

25 room ,2 for the Tip,and 3 goes Back in theyr Pocket,30 Dollars. So what she dont understand🤦

[@jamesmoniz5263]

Cause the question is lying. It implies the numbers should add up to 30, but thats not true. The room only cost 25, so the math is ; 30 dollars - 3(1 dollar refunds) - 2 dollars (that the bell boy took). aka 30 -3 - 2. Leaving 25 (how much the room costs). The question is phrased instead as 30 - 3 dollars + 2. It flows in the context of a sentence, but when you think about it is nonsense. 27 dollars is what they paid, the room only cost 25, so 27 -2 adds up to 25. The total sum of what they payed + what the bell boy stole should only add up to the cost of the room. (aka 25)

[@warp00009]

I got this, just by thinking about each individual transaction in sequence... Clearly, for taking his tip before anyone offered it to him, the bellboy is a thief! -:)

[@kingiribbe]

There is no missing dollar hotel have 25$ bellboy got 2$ and 3mans got 3$ so its 30$

[@daniel_wilkinson]

What sleazy hotel room is only $30? Was it just for the hour?

[@seanmcardle8196]

I've watched several times and I still don't get it😳

[@Nymaz]

Trying to add the $2 to the $27 is a misdirection, forget about the $30. The men paid $27 in total ($10 they each initially paid - $1each they got back). Of that $27, $25 went to the room charge and $2 was kept by the bellboy.

[@SatanistSin]

You're adding $2 to a total that already includes that $2. To get back to $30, you'd add back the change, not the tip.

[@blud890]

Oh i get it! The equation is the 25+2=27 not 27+2=30

[@RichsMowersNBlowers]

Here is what we know 3 men money break down. Let say they only have 10.00 to start. M1 10.00 M2 10.00 M3 10.00 Room is 25.00 how much would each man pay? Note: Im rounding a little. They would pay 8.33 each Leaving each 1.66 1.66 x 3 = 5.00 25.00 room 1.66 each 30.00 Bell boy needs 2.00 2.00 ÷ 3 = .66 So each man gives up the change. .66 x 3 2.00 Leaving each man 1.00 1.00 each = 3.00 2.00 tip = 2.00 Room = 25.00 Total = 30.00 Thats easy

[@VegasEducation]

With stuff like this, usually helps to change the numbers, as the numbers given were chosen to make it seem confusing. The room is 3,000. Each man pays $1,000. Oops, it was actually $25. The bell boy doesnt know how to split $2,975, so he gives each man $990 and keeps $5. Each man has paid $10 and the bell boy has $5. Wheres the remaining $2,965?

[@hijinxignatius]

Each man paid $9.33 (total $28). The $27 that the riddle makes up does not exist and is a red heron, it is actually $28 total.

[@JoshNesbitt]

Your red heron is actually a red herring...

[@hijinxignatius]

Lawl mb you're right@@JoshNesbitt

[@JeordieEH]

I know how you get there and how you think it makes sense when you are trying to understand how each man paid $9. You went down another rabbit hole that didn't happen. Think of it this way. Let's say you rent a room with 3 guys and you are told it's $30, each of you pays a fair share of $10 each. Then the bellhop gets informed by the front desk that the room is $25. So he returns $5 to the guys with no way to really split the change equally, that is their problem. So these guys have $5 in cash. That brings it to 8.33 each after being refunded 1.66 each, with a remainder penny. This is where the riddle just gets confusing and you are trying to add how did they get to $9 each spent for $27 and you still have a remainder $2. That's the brain teaser. So you have to leap ahead. Basically lets take the actual red herring out and go straight to the conclusion. 3 guys go to a hotel, rent a room for the night with it totalling $25 and there is a $2 bellhop surcharge fee, add that in to the total and now each guy only has to pay $9. So that is how they get to $9 each. Which brings them $3 shy of paying $30.

[@chaoslordlordofchaos]

This is one of those stupid riddles that rely on being phrased wrong in order to create the scenario. Use $9 instead. $3 each. It's actually $5. $4 is sent back. $1 to each and $1 pocketed. 2x3 is 6, +1 is 7. It's phrased wrong. It should 2x3, then -1. Or 9x3, then -2. 30-5=25. 5-3=2. 9x3=27. 27 is how much they ended up paying, thus the only other amount with that is the 3 that was returned. Just because the bellboy pocketed 2 doesn't mean they suddenly paid anything different to 27. They owed 25 instead of 30. If they were told 25 at the start, gave 30, then received 3 change, there isn't a question of where's the 1 ,but where's the 2. It's 25+2+3. You don't take money out and then say that there's more.

[@Pengochan]

The thing is set up to confuse people. The men paid $27 total, $25 of it for the room and $2 went to the bell boy, $27=$25+$2. The $27 was all that was paid, and the $25 and $2 was where it ended up. The confusion comes by doing this back and forth and then adding the $2 to $27, ending with $29 and somehow comparing that to the $30. But the $30 got reduced by $5 to $25, the price for the room, and $2 of those $5 went to the bell boy while $3 went back to the guests so they paid only $27, not $30.

[@matt8418]

Working in retail I would teach new employees to conduct refunds and then put it back onto the customer as to how they want to pay. Too many people try and scam register operators with variations of this!!! Refund the $10 to each man. Then, let them decide how they want to pay the $25.

[@Lorthoss]

so many people are on the right track but not quite. some one i read was the closest the order of operation is the most important here. non of it matters the 27 the extra dollar from the bell boy. when he hands back each dollar to the guests each one has paid 9.333333 etc. so its (9.333333x3)+2 = 30. or u can do (8.3333333+1)x3+2=30. math is dum. remember you always go in order of operations, multiply and divide then add and subtract unless its in brackets.

[@dallas_wilde]

Easiest explanation. If the room is only 25 dollars, each man should be refunded 1.66 of the 5 from the desk. Instead they are only refunded 1 dollar and 66 cents is stolen by the bellboy.

[@daNorse]

Hotel 25$ + Bellboy 2$ + Guests 3$ = 30$ 🙄

[@GaryCunninghamyouareenough]

😁🤘❤️

[@ignorantlyspeaking]

You done broke your wife, Wes

[@WesBarker]

🤣

[@rikhavok]

I remember this one from High School . Awesome puzzle! Yes, it makes sense.

[@KrBme78]

The hotel only got $25, but they paid $27: 25 went to the hotel and 2 went to the bellboy.