Double or Halve?

Throw the dice and decide whether to double or halve the number. Will you be the first to reach the target?
Exploring and noticing Working systematically Conjecturing and generalising Visualising and representing Reasoning, convincing and proving
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Double or Halve?
Double or Halve? printable sheet

This is a game for two players.

You will need a dice (1-6 or 0-9), or you could use our interactive dice.

How to play:

  • Decide on a target number. This is the total that both players are trying to make.
  • Player 1 throws the dice. They can choose whether to double the number shown or halve the number shown.
  • Player 2 throws the dice. In the same way, they can choose whether to double the number shown or halve the number shown. Player 2 adds their number onto Player 1's number to make a running total.
  • Play continues like this with each player rolling the dice, halving or doubling the number, and adding the result onto the running total.
  • The winner is the player who reaches the agreed target exactly.

Here are some questions to think about:

Must each player always take a turn?

Does it matter if you go first or second?

Are there any particularly good numbers to choose as your target? Why or why not?

What are you thinking about in order to try to win the game?