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This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Ashton Wu is a Game Expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 35K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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What Are the Odds (aka Odds Are), is a simple game where you dare another player to do a ridiculous task. One player asks another how likely they are to complete a dare, and then the second player picks a number between 2 and 100 as a limit for a number range. Both players then choose a number within the range. If you say the same number, the person who was dared must follow through with it! We’ll explain the full rules to this game, as well as how the probability works and a full list of dares you could try.
Quick Rules for What Are the Odds
One player says “What are the odds that you…” followed by a dare. The other player states their odds, such as “1 in 10” or “1 in 50.” Both players count down from 3, then say a number within that stated range at the same time. If the two players say the same number, then the second player must complete the dare.
Steps
Playing What Are the Odds
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![Step 1 Choose a fun, harmless dare and a friend to challenge.]()
Choose a fun, harmless dare and a friend to challenge. If you're giving the dare, pick something that will make your friends laugh and that someone wouldn't normally do. Choose dares that are easy to complete at first if you're playing with a new group of people. Then, choose one target from your friend group, but don’t choose someone who doesn’t want to play.[1]- Don't pick a dare that's life-threatening or illegal to complete. Remember: if you lose the game, you have to do the dare yourself!
- Easy dares include switching shirts with a friend, hugging a stranger, or asking a random person if they have a banana.
- Medium dares include drawing a tattoo on them with a pen for the rest of the night, licking a table, or singing a song in a crowded area.
- Hard dares include getting a permanent tattoo, buying the next flight out of town, or eating out of the trash.
- Check out our list of dare ideas.
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![Step 2 Ask your friend what the odds are they will complete the dare, e.g., 1 in 10.]()
Ask your friend what the odds are they will complete the dare, e.g., 1 in 10. Use the question format, “What are the odds that you will…” followed by the dare. The person you're asking then responds with any number between 2 and 100. This number sets the upper limit for a range of numbers for the rest of the game.[2]- For example, if you ask, “What are the odds that you will eat a spoonful of hot sauce?” and your friend responds, “1 in 20,” then they must select a number between that range later on.
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![Step 3 Count down and say a number in the given range at the same time.]()
Count down and say a number in the given range at the same time. Look the other player directly in the eyes, and both start your countdown. After you say 1, state a number at the same time between the range of numbers that you set. Make sure you both say your numbers at the same time so neither of you can cheat.- For instance, if the range is between 1 and 20, you both count down, “3...2...1…” and then say a number between 1 and 20.
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![Step 4 The targeted player must perform the dare if you both say the same number.]()
The targeted player must perform the dare if you both say the same number. The dare only has to be done if both players say the same number. If you were the person challenged to the dare, complete it as soon as you can. If you're the person who gave the dare, sit back and enjoy watching your friend do it! The dare must be completed as soon as possible.- Optional rule: If the 2 numbers add up to the total range, do another countdown, but this time with the range cut in half. (E.g., if the range was 1-20 and the players say 13 and 7, which equals 20, do another countdown with the range 1-10.)
- If the dare involves something you cannot complete immediately, do it as soon as possible. For example, if the dare was to shave down to a mustache, you can complete it once you're at home.
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![Step 5 Accept a dare from the person you challenged.]()
Accept a dare from the person you challenged. You don’t get to just dare someone and move on! If another person completes your dare, then they get to dare you. Take turns picking the dares for one another. If you're playing with more than two players, make sure everyone has a chance to give and accept a dare. As the game goes on, increase the difficulty of the dares to raise the stakes.[3]- The game is over once both people have completed a dare, but you can keep playing for as long as you like.
- The follow-up dare can’t be the same as the first dare.
- If you dare someone to do something that costs money, like ordering something crazy off a menu, you must pay the person back immediately.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat number do I have to go up to?
Community AnswerThis should be agreed upon with the other players. Start with a limit of 1 to 100, but you can also agree to go as high as you want. -
QuestionWhat if the person does not do the dare? What is the punishment?
Community AnswerJust make up whatever punishment you want. You could say they are out of the game, or you could find some creative way to humiliate them!
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QuestionHow does the person given the dare win?
MapleyCommunity AnswerThe person given the dare wins the round by doing the dare, then daring another person to do something.
Video
Tips
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If you don't want to do the dare in hindsight, you can always choose to forfeit the round, but forfeiting after you’ve agreed to the dare isn’t very fun.Thanks
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It helps to arrange the time frame of the dare (i.e., the amount of time the loser has to complete the dare) before you count down.Thanks
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“What Are the Odds” is somewhat similar to another classic game, Odds and Evens, where players show numbers on their fingers.Thanks
Tips from our Readers 
- If you're the person challenging someone to a dare, pick a number with 2, 5, 7, or 8. These are often the most chosen numbers in What Are the Odds!
- If you're trying to avoid a dare, say the number 9. This number isn't very popular in the game (at least in my experience!).
- My friends and I always choose 1-6 as the range of odds. It creates good chances for either doing or not doing the dare.
Warnings
- Don't choose dares that are illegal or life-threatening.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://youthgroupgames.com.au/games/what-are-the-odds/
- ↑ https://libguides.whitworth.edu/games/whataretheodds
- ↑ https://youthgroupgames.com.au/games/807/what-are-the-odds/
- ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/probability-events-independent.html
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030698770700480X
About This Article
What Are the Odds, also known as Odds Are, is a fun social game where players try to get each other to perform ridiculous dares. You need at least 2 players to play, although the more players the better! To start, come up with a fun, silly dare for another player. This could be something simple, like daring someone to run around the block, or something a little strange, like daring someone to ask a stranger if they’ve seen their pet kangaroo. Ask one of the other players, “What are the odds that you will” followed by your dare. Then, the other player responds with the odds of them doing the dare, like "1 in 15" or "1 in 20." Now, both you and the other player count down from 3. After you count down, both of you say a number within the range that the other player set. For example, if the other player said their odds of doing the dare are 1 in 30, you'd both have to say a number between 1 and 30. If you both say the same number, the other player has to do the dare. If you don't say the same number, it's the next player's turn, and you subtract 1 from the previous range of odds. In this example, the next player would have to play out of 29. If someone says “2” as their range of odds, there is a special rule. If the players say the same number, the dared player must do the dare, but if the players say different numbers, the daring player must do the dare. To learn what to do if you don't say the same number as your friend, scroll down!
Reader Success Stories
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