The players who all won

Puzzle

As an improvement upon the
accepted notion that winners can only
gain as much as the losers lose, I
take occasion to call attention to a
more profitable style of play, of
which it is narrated:

"Four jolly men sat down to play,
And played all night till break of
day;
They played for gold and not for fun,
With separate scores for evey one,
Yet, when they came to square
accounts,
They all had made quite fair
amounts!
Can you the paradox explain?
If no one lost, how could all gain ? "

Answer

References

• Loyd, Sam [1914]. in Loyd, Sam, Jr.: Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles Tricks and Conundrums (in English). New York: Lamb Publishing company, page 28.