{"items": [{"author": "Danni", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704108503792", "anchor": "fb-704108503792", "service": "fb", "text": "There's also the consideration of how your reaction to the item you have might affect someone else's likelihood of taking it from you. For instance, if I take an open present from someone, or open a new present and look excited about it, that present's value increases -- others now see that it is a desirable gift, and may want it more than they did before.", "timestamp": "1419479779"}, {"author": "Danni", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704108758282", "anchor": "fb-704108758282", "service": "fb", "text": "I'm considering your family's rules now. Can the third person be the same person as the first person? In other words, if I'm the first person with a gift, and a second person takes it from me, and then I'm eventually able to take it back from them, do I count as the third person and get to keep the gift?", "timestamp": "1419479908"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704113254272", "anchor": "fb-704113254272", "service": "fb", "text": "@Oliver: \"do I count as the third person and get to keep the gift?\"
Yup! But because a gift can only change hands once per turn you can't just immediately take a gift back from the person who took it from you.", "timestamp": "1419482521"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704113304172", "anchor": "fb-704113304172", "service": "fb", "text": "@Oliver: \"if I take an open present from someone, or open a new present and look excited about it, that present's value increases\"
Suppressing this kind of excitement takes enough of the fun out of the game that I don't think it's worth it for the small improvement in the quality of the presents you're likely to end up with.", "timestamp": "1419482574"}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704124142452", "anchor": "fb-704124142452", "service": "fb", "text": "Jeff: True, but playing up that sort of excitement might be fun if you don't like the gift. :)", "timestamp": "1419489965"}, {"author": "Rick", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704131856992", "anchor": "fb-704131856992", "service": "fb", "text": "Yes, but then someone might refrain from taking the gift from you because they thought it was something you really wanted.", "timestamp": "1419503691"}, {"author": "Danner", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704132775152", "anchor": "fb-704132775152", "service": "fb", "text": "Richard: in my family's game, if it looks like you want it, there are several people that will take it from you on principal. It's a lesson in letting go. And you can only have something once in my grab, so when it's gone, it's gone... unless you can get someone to trade with you after the swap.
Also, your less valuable gift becomes more valuable as a trade piece, because not a lot of people have had it. Also, if you don't have your trade item anymore, nobody expects you to hold up a trade, so there's an additional risk complexity in choosing deals that you might be able to get out of.", "timestamp": "1419506481"}, {"author": "Frederic", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704147450742", "anchor": "fb-704147450742", "service": "fb", "text": "I think you look at the first 1/4 or so of presents that are open. Then if you see a better present opened later you take it, else you open a new one.", "timestamp": "1419521083"}, {"author": "Emmalee", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704150305022", "anchor": "fb-704150305022", "service": "fb", "text": "In my family's rules, which are identical in every other way, player #1 (by virtue of their disadvantage of not getting a choice at the start of the Swap) is allowed at the very end of the game to trade for anything (including thrice-swapped gifts) they want. It usually makes for a rousing end to the hilarity.", "timestamp": "1419522447"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704151537552", "anchor": "fb-704151537552", "service": "fb", "text": "@Frederic: You don't get to choose when you go; each person gets one turn, in random order.", "timestamp": "1419523001"}, {"author": "Frederic", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704152121382", "anchor": "fb-704152121382", "service": "fb", "text": "This is a variant of the secretary problem btw", "timestamp": "1419523336"}, {"author": "Todd", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704283443212", "anchor": "fb-704283443212", "service": "fb", "text": "You may not get to choose when you go, but it seems clear that going last is a massive advantage (and going first is a massive disadvantage). I doubt the correct strategy is invariant to where you are in the picking order.", "timestamp": "1419616885"}, {"author": "Todd", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/704106986832?comment_id=704283727642", "anchor": "fb-704283727642", "service": "fb", "text": "Actually, I forgot about the 3-person limit when I said that. So the best position to be in is probably some function involving 3 and the number of players. Which probably in turn informs the strategy.", "timestamp": "1419617198"}]}