Socks for a matching trio

A drawer holds many socks in exactly 33 colors, mixed together. Reaching in blindly, what is the minimum number of socks you must pull to be certain of getting 33 socks of the same color?

Show hints (2)+
  1. Worst case: you could draw 22 of every color before any trio forms.
  2. Generalized pigeonhole: 3(31)+13\cdot(3-1) + 1.

Answer

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7

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Asked at: Timed Mental-Math & Sequences, Game-Based Aptitude

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