I think the difference is that you're reading it as practical word problem, when the intent is to present a math problem.

I first heard about this problem in a politically incorrect variation: a tribe chief is given the opportunity to choose a wife from a pool of n women, presented in a random order, one at a time. He can choose any woman, but can't choose a woman who he has already passed up. What's the strategy for the chief to choose the most beautiful wife?