In Greenwich Village, tic-tac-toe is played in an atypical way. At each turn a player marks as many squares as he wishes provided they are in the same vertical or horizontal row (they need not be adjacent). The winner is the one who marks the last square.

Which player has the advantage, and what strategy should he employ?

The local weatherman says No Rain, and his record is 2/3 accuracy of prediction. But the Federal Meteorological Service predicts rain, and their record is 3/4.

With no other data available, what is the chance of rain?

A peasant is convicted in China. He gets the death penalty. The judge allows him to say a last sentence in order to determine the way the penalty will be carried out. If the peasant lies, he will be hanged, if he speaks the truth he will be beheaded. The peasant speaks a last sentence and to everybody surprise some minutes later he is set free because the judge cannot determine his penalty.

What did the peasant said?