Phase 1: Try a burst strategy on [3,1,5,8]. See how it scores against the hidden optimum.

Try a strategy

Balloons in a row: 3158. Burst them to maximize coins. Each burst earns left · self · right. Out-of-bounds neighbors count as 1. Simple rule. Pick a strategy. See how it scores.

1·3·1=3
3·1·5=15
1·5·8=40
5·8·1=40
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