3 men rent a room costing 30 bucks -- each chips in 10 but the clerk overcharged them 5 so he pockets 2 bucks and refunds each man 1 so each paid 9 and the clerk has 2 which is only 29 -- how is that?

Answer 1

Your logic is actually incorrect. 30 dollars total were given. Subtract the 2 dollars that were pocketed and 3 dollars that were given back and you are left with a 25 dollar payment on the room.

Archinator: The question is phrased wrong. Two men and 20 dollars works better. The bellhop takes one dollar as a tip and gives back two to each. this means that each man paid eight dollars. that's a four dollar change... how?

but yes... the one above is correct... the logic is completely flawed... Thank you Spock.

Or, as my friend would say, "the 'last dollar' goes to the author of this wonderful misdirection."

Pibeazul : I like to think another answer;

that very same day, two men also paid 30$ for a room. the manager also overcharged them 5$. the bellboy kept 3$.

this means the room was 14$ a piece, = 28$, + the 3$ with bellboy = 31$.

there is your other dollar. pibeazul