Mrs. Rule’s maternal grandmother is a notoriously fussy eater. Each year she makes quite a spectacle of what she will or wont eat. In planning the feast this year, I’m thinking seriously about running a book on it.

The conditions will go something like this:

She will be offered 14 different foods across the day.
Family members will be able to select a food from a list and ‘buy in’ for a stake of $10.

This is where it gets interesting – How do I establish the odds? I am thinking of offering ‘double your money back’ if she eats the whole food portion, ‘half your money back’ if she eats only part, and ‘I keep the stake’ if she refuses the food.

Any thoughts on the best way to set the odds would be very much appreciated.

Rule 303 said:

Mrs. Rule’s maternal grandmother is a notoriously fussy eater. Each year she makes quite a spectacle of what she will or wont eat. In planning the feast this year, I’m thinking seriously about running a book on it.

The conditions will go something like this:

She will be offered 14 different foods across the day.
Family members will be able to select a food from a list and ‘buy in’ for a stake of $10.

This is where it gets interesting – How do I establish the odds? I am thinking of offering ‘double your money back’ if she eats the whole food portion, ‘half your money back’ if she eats only part, and ‘I keep the stake’ if she refuses the food.

Any thoughts on the best way to set the odds would be very much appreciated.

past form. similarity on refusals in past to type of food offered in present.

JudgeMental said:

past form. similarity on refusals in past to type of food offered in present.

Yeah, that seems like too much research.

Well she must eat something on a regular basis in order to stay alive. Find out what her staples are, offer no return on those of course, but for the other foods on your list base the odds on how far removed (subjectively) those foods are from her staples.

we had a book on my sister’s wedding on when my mother would first complain about her headache.

i suppose you could do the same with 1st. 2nd and 3rd refusal.

just use the QI method….random.

:)

party_pants said:

Well she must eat something on a regular basis in order to stay alive. Find out what her staples are, offer no return on those of course, but for the other foods on your list base the odds on how far removed (subjectively) those foods are from her staples.

That seems like a pretty good strategy.

I s’pose an alternative might be to make a drinking game of it. Each time she eats a new food type, everyone on her side of the table drinks. Each time she refuses a food, everyone on the other side of the table drinks.

Rule 303 said:

party_pants said:

Well she must eat something on a regular basis in order to stay alive. Find out what her staples are, offer no return on those of course, but for the other foods on your list base the odds on how far removed (subjectively) those foods are from her staples.

That seems like a pretty good strategy.

I s’pose an alternative might be to make a drinking game of it. Each time she eats a new food type, everyone on her side of the table drinks. Each time she refuses a food, everyone on the other side of the table drinks.

Her own approach my be quite random. Some foods acceptable one day but not the next.

my = may

Bubblecar said:

Her own approach my be quite random. Some foods acceptable one day but not the next.

There does seem to be a pattern. Anything that’s been boiled for a long time is automatically acceptable. Same for anything that has no flavour, especially if it collapses under its own weight on the plate.

>>Anything that’s been boiled for a long time is automatically acceptable

Sounds like a bully beef and tripe Christmas.

Peak Warming Man said:

>>Anything that’s been boiled for a long time is automatically acceptable

Sounds like a bully beef and tripe Christmas.

With cabbage turned into slime and taters that mash themselves.

Rule 303 said:

Mrs. Rule’s maternal grandmother is a notoriously fussy eater. Each year she makes quite a spectacle of what she will or wont eat. In planning the feast this year, I’m thinking seriously about running a book on it.

The conditions will go something like this:

She will be offered 14 different foods across the day.
Family members will be able to select a food from a list and ‘buy in’ for a stake of $10.

This is where it gets interesting – How do I establish the odds? I am thinking of offering ‘double your money back’ if she eats the whole food portion, ‘half your money back’ if she eats only part, and ‘I keep the stake’ if she refuses the food.

Any thoughts on the best way to set the odds would be very much appreciated.

Odds for profit or non-profit?
Are two people allowed to select the same food or must everyone select a different food?

If for profit and multiple selections of the same foods then set the odds like a bookmaker.

If not for profit and only one person per food then set the odds like a sweepstake.

If not for profit and multiple people per food then you can only calculate the odds after everyone has paid.

If for profit and one person per food then ask again.

Peak Warming Man said:

>>Anything that’s been boiled for a long time is automatically acceptable

Sounds like a bully beef and tripe Christmas.

Yeah… No.

I have just realised where the term ‘boiler’ came from. I used to think it meant a tough old chook, but now I think maybe it refers to a person who boils the shit out of everything they eat.

mollwollfumble said:

Odds for profit or non-profit? Yes

Are two people allowed to select the same food or must everyone select a different food? Only one person per food

If for profit and one person per food then ask again. Why?

Rule 303 said:

mollwollfumble said:

Odds for profit or non-profit? Yes

Are two people allowed to select the same food or must everyone select a different food? Only one person per food

If for profit and one person per food then ask again. Why?

More difficult, I’ll give it some thought.

Rule 303 said:

Mrs. Rule’s maternal grandmother is a notoriously fussy eater. Each year she makes quite a spectacle of what she will or wont eat. In planning the feast this year, I’m thinking seriously about running a book on it.

The conditions will go something like this:

She will be offered 14 different foods across the day.
Family members will be able to select a food from a list and ‘buy in’ for a stake of $10.

This is where it gets interesting – How do I establish the odds? I am thinking of offering ‘double your money back’ if she eats the whole food portion, ‘half your money back’ if she eats only part, and ‘I keep the stake’ if she refuses the food.

Any thoughts on the best way to set the odds would be very much appreciated.

I think you just need to let it operate on a market like Betfair

Set up a chocolate wheel with three refuse spots and the rest with different foods.

It has no meaning but people love spinning and watching a chocolate wheel.

Will Nana know she’s being gambled on her eating habits?

She might just deliberately mess with you and ruin the book if she knows

Give everyone a bingo card and a marker.

First one to yell out Bingo! gets an extra serve of what she last refused.

Mush everything so it’s unrecognisable and tell her it’s all cabbage.

Arts said:

Mush everything so it’s unrecognisable and tell her it’s all cabbage.

That will just give her an excuse for some uncontrolled aged flatulence.

Some fine suggestions there. Good work people.

:-)

Just ignore her.

kii said:

Just ignore her.

Nasty!

Rule 303 said:

party_pants said:

Well she must eat something on a regular basis in order to stay alive. Find out what her staples are, offer no return on those of course, but for the other foods on your list base the odds on how far removed (subjectively) those foods are from her staples.

That seems like a pretty good strategy.

I s’pose an alternative might be to make a drinking game of it. Each time she eats a new food type, everyone on her side of the table drinks. Each time she refuses a food, everyone on the other side of the table drinks.

I like your thinking,

Rule 303 said:

I have just realised where the term ‘boiler’ came from. I used to think it meant a tough old chook, but now I think maybe it refers to a person who boils the shit out of everything they eat.

I like that definition! :)

Speedy said:

Rule 303 said:

I have just realised where the term ‘boiler’ came from. I used to think it meant a tough old chook, but now I think maybe it refers to a person who boils the shit out of everything they eat.

I like that definition! :)

I’m a steamer then.

Speedy said:

Rule 303 said:

I have just realised where the term ‘boiler’ came from. I used to think it meant a tough old chook, but now I think maybe it refers to a person who boils the shit out of everything they eat.

I like that definition! :)

PWM is the expert

I think random is the way. Write down on pieces of paper all the foods that will be offered during the feast and ensure they will all be offered to said grandmother.
Each participant draws a piece of paper from a hat at random for a $10 stake.

When I was at school ( Anglican, quite religious ) we would have a sweepstake on the sermon at Friday service. 10P stake and you guessed the length of the sermon in minutes. Winner takes all.

pommiejohn said:

I think random is the way. Write down on pieces of paper all the foods that will be offered during the feast and ensure they will all be offered to said grandmother.
Each participant draws a piece of paper from a hat at random for a $10 stake.

This has the benefit that prior knowledge (of her food preferences) does not give any of the guests an advantage. Nice thinking, PJ.

Still thinking.

mollwollfumble said:

Still thinking.

careful not to strain something…