Card Games
Source: 2022 AMC 10A #22 / 2022 AMC 12A #19
November 11, 2022
AMC2022 AMC2022 AMC 10a2022 AMC 12AAMC 10AMC 12
Problem Statement
Suppose that 13 cards numbered are arranged in a row. The task is to pick them up in numerically increasing order, working repeatedly from left to right. In the example below, cards 1, 2, 3 are picked up on the first pass, 4 and 5 on the second pass, 6 on the third pass, 7, 8, 9, 10 on the fourth pass, and 11, 12, 13 on the fifth pass. For how many of the possible orderings of the cards will the cards be picked up in exactly two passes?[asy]
size(11cm);
draw((0,0)--(2,0)--(2,3)--(0,3)--cycle);
label("7", (1,1.5));
draw((3,0)--(5,0)--(5,3)--(3,3)--cycle);
label("11", (4,1.5));
draw((6,0)--(8,0)--(8,3)--(6,3)--cycle);
label("8", (7,1.5));
draw((9,0)--(11,0)--(11,3)--(9,3)--cycle);
label("6", (10,1.5));
draw((12,0)--(14,0)--(14,3)--(12,3)--cycle);
label("4", (13,1.5));
draw((15,0)--(17,0)--(17,3)--(15,3)--cycle);
label("5", (16,1.5));
draw((18,0)--(20,0)--(20,3)--(18,3)--cycle);
label("9", (19,1.5));
draw((21,0)--(23,0)--(23,3)--(21,3)--cycle);
label("12", (22,1.5));
draw((24,0)--(26,0)--(26,3)--(24,3)--cycle);
label("1", (25,1.5));
draw((27,0)--(29,0)--(29,3)--(27,3)--cycle);
label("13", (28,1.5));
draw((30,0)--(32,0)--(32,3)--(30,3)--cycle);
label("10", (31,1.5));
draw((33,0)--(35,0)--(35,3)--(33,3)--cycle);
label("2", (34,1.5));
draw((36,0)--(38,0)--(38,3)--(36,3)--cycle);
label("3", (37,1.5));
[/asy]