Favorites and Fibs from a Poker Game...

Quote:

Here's a Logic Puzzle that some rec.puzzler's may enjoy.
I like it because some of the "fibs" seem humorous.

As such puzzles go, this one is fairly ordinary,
with no "tricks." It was *not* rated Difficult,
but I think it is near the upper limit beyond which
solving becomes almost more masochism than challenge.
(Hint: Many solvers start solution by drawing a 21x21
triangular grid but this is a waste of time on most
such puzzles including, I think, this one.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

POKER FAVORITES AND FIBS

One Friday evening, seven men met for poker in the
back room of the Emerald City Bar and Grill. They
broke up about midnight, and (because they left any odd
change for the busboys) each went home with a whole
number of dollars. Though they played for small stakes,
they did take the game seriously and each went home
happy to remember one special hand he had held.

Two of the men were bachelors. The others had wives who
didn't approve of gambling, and each had to invent a
fib to tell his wife. (Two fibbed a mutual alibi -- they
said they'd been cavorting together at a honkytonk.)

From the clues determine each man's name, how much money
he went home with, his favorite hand, and, for each married
man, what fib he told his wife.

Clue 1: The five married men included two who each went
home with exactly four times as much money as one of his
six fellow players. The other three married men were Alan,
the one whose favorite hand was a Full House, and the one
whose favorite hand was his Bluff on a busted four-flush.

Clue 2: There were two men who each left with exactly three
times as much money as some fellow player. One of these
was the one (just mentioned in clue 1) who Bluffed on a
busted four-flush. The other was the one who told his wife
that his watch had stopped.

Clue 3: One man (not Fred) finished with exactly as much
money as the other six put together. The second-place
man had less than $12. The seven players all had different
amounts, and each had at least $2.

Clue 4: One man's favorite hand was a Pair of Jacks, with
which he called successfully against a bluffer. Another man
told his wife ``I was tied-up at work.'' That ``tied-up'' man
left with more money than Greg, and four times as much money
as one player.

Clue 5: Greg finished with more money than the man whose
favorite hand was Triplet Treys, who finished with more money
than the one who told his wife he'd been abducted by a UFO.

Clue 6: Carl went home with less money than Dave.
At least one of these two left with exactly one-quarter
as much money as one of his six fellow players.

Clue 7: The man who bragged about his Royal Flush ended up
among the lowest three for money.

Clue 8: Ezra finished with $1 more than the man (not Alan)
whose big hand was when he drew to an Inside Straight.

Clue 9: The man (not Dave) whose favorite hand was
Aces Over Eights, finished with more money than Bill
(who isn't a bachelor).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This puzzle was published in a magazine several years
ago, but completely transformed to avoid giving offense
to anyone: I think the husbands' fibs became wallpaper
colors.

(I wanted to use Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy, etc. for my
seven-person puzzles but was told that Disney Corp's
lawyers wouldn't approve. I suggested a change to
Waldo Ditzy and his Seven Lawyers (Nasty, Sleazy,
Stingy, Crabby, Surly, Grouchy and Snide); the magazine
never got back to me on that.)

James Dow Allen