Search found 13333 matches
- Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:51 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
Please stop. I will. Eventually. But before I do, do you recognise either of these quotes? The toughest series ever to play in is the one that has the best player in it - and that was Scott Mearns by a country mile. I only consider Scott to be the best player because he had a natural ability, rathe...
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:14 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: A little puzzle
- Replies: 27
- Views: 5328
Re: A little puzzle
Fred has no friends and his only companion is a coin. He likes to toss the coin until both sides have come up at least once. How many turns of this game does he get to play on average? Fred eventually gets bored of the coin and starts to play with a die, rolling it until all 6 faces have come up at...
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:09 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Foregone concluding series'?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3226
Re: Foregone concluding series'?
Yes, Michael.Jason Larsen wrote:No new contestants have ever been introduced to determine a Countdown game's result, Michael.
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:08 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
So up to the supreme championship, Harvey Freeman is the most realistic candidate - very few others would make the poll, though one could argue for Mark Nyman and, erring on the side of inclusivity, Allan Saldanha, Nic Brown and Don Reid. Carrying on from this (erring on the side of inclusivity) po...
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:39 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: numbers game
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1958
Re: numbers game
Not here, but in the mailing list this topic did appear. To quote Ray Folwell (who devised a program to work this out). "According to my calculations 10,858,746 (91.2%) of the 11,905,457 possible numbers games can be solved. As Howard pointed out, the most difficult selection is 1,1,2,2,3,3 wh...
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:26 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
This is pretty typical of the thread and the whole concept of who is / was the greatest player ever. It's very much trapped in the last decade, and it disregards far too many brilliant players of Countdown. Your choices are largely based on statistics, which mean very little overall. You say that M...
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:09 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: 11-champs
- Replies: 42
- Views: 9294
Re: 11-champs
Not that I've noticed. You?Damian E wrote:Have you gone mad?
- Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Foregone concluding series'?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3226
Re: Foregone concluding series'?
The tie-break conundrums came in a whike before Julian's time.Jason Larsen wrote:There was a time in which both contestants could come back after tying a game as co-champions. This was instead of playing the tie-breaking conundrum as they do now.
Was Julian Fell on during that time?
- Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:25 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: 11-champs
- Replies: 42
- Views: 9294
11-champs
Here is a list of all the Octochamps in the 15-round era who went on to win all 11 gamess to win their series - in fact all the champions have been Octochamps, apart from Ben Wilson who was a Viscount. 1. Julian Fell - 1307 2. Jack Hurst - 1276 3. Kirk Bevins - 1240 4. Craig Beevers - 1236 5. Conor ...
- Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:46 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Foregone concluding series'?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3226
Re: Foregone concluding series'?
We need recaps of JF's octochamp run, particularly the 138-29 which might have fulfilled that criterion (I know for sure he cocked up the final numbers so didn't score there, so was therefore 99+ ahead after round 13). Julian Fell was 97-23 up after 10 rounds, so his opponent "could" have...
- Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:06 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
I think we should have a poll at some point, but after the next CofC so people will be at the same level of potential achievement (apart from the earlier players who had the supremes). But if I were to make a poll myself now, I would be slightly more generous than just including those five. It would...
- Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:37 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
Why is a 'great player' not a candidate for greatest player ever? It's like saying a strawberry isn't a candidate for a fruit salad. This thread bores me to death. Some great players are candidates for greatest ever but not all. You may have a large strawberry but that doesn't automatically makest ...
- Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:15 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
There are too many candidates. Craig, Conor, Scott Mearns, Paul Gallen, Paul Howe, Mark Tournoff, Chris Wills, Julian Fell etc etc - its just not possible. Maybe we'll find out one day if we do a supreme-like competition. Who knows. I think there are a lot of candidates for who is a great player, b...
- Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:11 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
If you're going by what they were like when they were on the show I fail to see on what basis you could place Conor as high as 2nd. I don't think you could point to a patch of games and say he was particularly exceptional there. What counts as particularly exceptional? If he hasn't, then I don't th...
- Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:42 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Best ever contestants
- Replies: 546
- Views: 428068
Re: Best ever contestants
I think Stewart Holden loses points for not participating in the CofC. I'm surprised you put Matthew Shore ahead of a few people, inlcuding series champion, Matthew Shore defeater, CofC finalist and nearly twice defeater of Paul Gallen, Mark Tournamentoff. I don't think you necessarily have to have ...
- Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:34 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Automated Mario
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1719
Re: Automated Mario
What, so they have recorded millions of random games and put on YouTube the one game where he did something worthwhile? Is this like monkeys on typewriters or am I missing the point?Paul Howe wrote:If you don't get it, noone is controlling Mario, he's just bouncing off the various obstacles in the level.
- Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:32 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
In a one-off game, I might think about it, but looking at your case where you have 100 games, I would pretty much look at the mean, because it would ultimately get you more money - not just in a mean sense but you would probably win more money. Basically, you might probably get less than the banker...
- Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:11 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Foregone concluding series'?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3226
Re: Foregone concluding series'?
So far there have been 57 series completed. Full details are available for the final in every series except the first. Only in 21 of those series has the conundrum been crucial. Indeed, in 25 of the finals the winner has been determined before the last numbers round. And in one final, the result wa...
- Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:09 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
Oh, forget to say - I made it up.Joseph Bolas wrote:Thank you for clearing this up.
As you say, it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious to know if the DOND team had any rules about family members appearing together.
- Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:55 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: An introspective question
- Replies: 41
- Views: 3838
Re: An introspective question
I dunno, Adolf Hitler?
- Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:54 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Wild Fungi
- Replies: 39
- Views: 3620
Re: Wild Fungi
Aren't toadstools the poisonous ones?Joseph Bolas wrote:I get the joke, but is there any real differences between Mushrooms and Toadstools?M. George Quinn wrote:I ate a mushroom once that tasted like frog crap. It was actually a toadstool.
- Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:45 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
What is the rule wth relations. Are 2 or more family members allowed to be in the same group of 22 people, or must they be separate from each other? Does this sort of stuff really matter? Someone could get stuck without being "chosen" for months so barring family members from competing wi...
- Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:42 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
OK, but you'll notice that I posted what I did after quoting your hundred games example.Martin Gardner wrote:Yes basically I was looking at a one-off situation rather than a longterm situation, because you can't legally reappear on the show.
Martin
- Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:43 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
I was just thinking of the situation where there are five boxes left: £1 £250 £750 £3000 £100 000 In this situation he's going to offer more than £3000 so if he offer something like £20 000, there's a 4/5 chance that you will end up with less than that if you go to the end, and a 3/5 chance that th...
- Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:26 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Deal or no deal
- Replies: 120
- Views: 12824
Re: Deal or no deal
Yeah, you'd just look at the average of the boxes remaining versus the bankers offer. Easy. But as others have said, you just get one go, so it's down to how much you're prepared to risk.Martin Gardner wrote:I'd imagine over 100 games of DOND you could use tactics
- Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:14 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Wild Fungi
- Replies: 39
- Views: 3620
Re: Wild Fungi
Erm - actually, no, I think you know.Corby wrote:Why did the fungi go the disco?
Because he was a mushroom.
- Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:49 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Carol's age?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3827
Re: Carol's age?
That's my opinion anyway. And I think the idea she should retire is absurd. I don't think she should retire, and yes "rare" is perhaps a bit much but I wouldn't say she beats contestants "often" either. It's just a matter of fact that she will stop at some time and no I don't th...
- Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:55 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Monday 31 March 2008 (Series 58, Game 60)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1908
Re: Monday 31 March 2008 (Series 58, Game 60)
Are we forgetting the 13 against David O'Donnell?Charlie Reams wrote:20 is the lowest score since Steve Graston's trashing of Robin Barnett, which was a rather odd game in itself.
- Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:49 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 66
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2132
Re: Series 66
I can fully see why SC2 wouldn't be functional over a 3 month period, but is there anything against a 3-week 'champion of champion of champions' tournament between 16 of the best from series 34 to 65? Just think of the posts Gevin alone could make regarding the invite list. And no, I'm not sure whe...
- Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:32 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday 28th March
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3490
Re: Spoilers for Friday 28th March
Yes, it did change at some point. If you go to Mike's page, he has a seeding list for each series and how it was calculated. But it's definitely number of wins first now.Kevin Thurlow wrote:Nowadays, the number of wins, although I believe in the past it was points at one stage? Mike Brown would know!
Kevin
- Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:25 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday, 7th March
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2389
Re: Spoilers for Friday, 7th March
I think his total was 648, with the record being 643.Gevin-Gavin wrote:I was disappointed that he didn't become an Octochamp. With the scores he was getting in the games I saw, he must have been on for some sort of record.
- Sun Mar 30, 2008 1:56 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 66
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2132
Re: Series 66
If this was going to be more exclusive than the previous supremes (with just 16 contestants), then I don't think it would necessarily have to be after 66 series. It could be done after the next CofC, although that could cause further problems for those claiming that the viewers don't like long-runni...
- Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:35 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 66
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2132
Re: Series 66
Exactly, although I would prefer the word "invitation".Ben Wilson wrote:Just think of the posts Gevin alone could make regarding the invite list.
Neither am I.And no, I'm not sure whether I was being facetious or not with that last sentence. :-/
- Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:04 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3760
Re: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
Sounds like you know more than any of us.Jason Larsen wrote:but after all Tony's brother's name is Lionel Durrant.
- Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:30 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4063
Re: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
You reckon? It would take some real effort.Corby wrote:(Jason's definitely on a wind-up though by the way )
- Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:30 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4063
Re: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
For a crucial conundrum I have a set conundrum, of course, when the score doesn't matter I ask the contestants what they'd like. Nice to see yet another post from Gevin where is he trying to find fault with something. I don't mind Jono making a point like that since he is an active online player an...
- Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:20 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Frank Mulvey
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3537
Re: Frank Mulvey
I don't think I watched Frank Mulvey. It sounds like the name of an old person. But then his acts don't. How old was he?
- Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:19 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3760
Re: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
Oh, that makes sense. Family look like each other. It's no wonder if an acquaintance comes up to you and says, "You look like just one of your parents." Not really. I ws joking. Just to clarify, none of Tony Durrant, Tony Blair or Lionel Blair are brothers with anyone else in the set. As ...
- Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:50 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3760
Re: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
Tony's brother.Jason Larsen wrote:I'm not sure who Lionel Blair is, but I am sure that's nothing against him.
Tony Durrant that is.
- Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:44 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4063
Re: COMA Final 1st Match: TRAVERS - HOWE
Presumably you already have a set crucial conundrum before the game starts? Otherwise it could be open to abuse.David O'Donnell wrote:I decided upon a difficult conundrum since it was academic.
- Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:40 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Great news everyone!
- Replies: 40
- Views: 3748
Re: Great news everyone!
You must have low standards of wit (regarding this thread, not any of mine).Ben Wilson wrote:Yeah, but you were rarely witty with it.Gevin-Gavin wrote:People thought I was bad.
- Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:36 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Great news everyone!
- Replies: 40
- Views: 3748
Re: Great news everyone!
Anyway so I thought I would share this great news with everyone! The other day I saw a sweetcorn. It was just like the sweetcorn you have in Britain! What is your favourite sweetcorn? I think this is the kind of thing we can all talk about. I must say, this is probably a coincidence, but if I see a...
- Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3760
Re: The pro-Tony Durrant thread
He reminds me of Lionel Blair.
- Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:40 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Des Chiffres et Des Lettres
- Replies: 57
- Views: 7222
Re: Des Chiffres et Des Lettres
And your application form for this thread?Jeff Clayton wrote:I am now the owner of one application form for Des Chiffres Et Des Lettres
(Sorry)
- Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:33 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "That gives you the game"
- Replies: 11
- Views: 3341
Re: "That gives you the game"
I think when the champion's ahead he should say something like "So it's 37 points for the champ, 13 for the chump."
- Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:37 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: The last person to post in this thread wins
- Replies: 12
- Views: 3526
Re: The last person to post in this thread wins
Next person to post is a loser.
- Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:11 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Luck in Scrabble
- Replies: 49
- Views: 5674
Re: Luck in Scrabble
Basically there are too many players for everyone to play everyone. Say it's a massive tournament you play 16 games against the others players, so maybe 16 players out of 40 or something. Players - just like at Countdown competitions - are sorted by wins first, and spread second rather than just po...
- Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:36 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2299
Re: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
The entrants comprised 26 series champions, three Championship of Champions winners who were not regular series champions and 25 other finalists from the first 32 series. The six champions of the first 32 series not to compete in the Supreme Championship were Andrew Guy, Nic Brown, Rajaretnam Yogas...
- Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2299
Re: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
Nice work, well done! Oh yeah, that too. I was under the impression that Tim Morrissey had scored the maximum total with his 73 and Allan Saldanha in the game against Joyce Cansfield, but apparently not. Presumably all the words have been checked against whatever dictionary was used at the time (wh...
- Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:31 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Luck in Scrabble
- Replies: 49
- Views: 5674
Re: Luck in Scrabble
Anyway yea I've always been against best of 5 finals in Scrabble. As I've said before I would much rather the player's record from the main part of the competition was carried over to the best of 5 bit. There's enough luck in Scrabble as it is without exaggerating it via a shoddy, amateurish format...
- Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:19 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2299
Re: Series 33 on the Countdown Wiki
What do the asterisks mean next to some of the other available words? Isn't the point of an asterisk that you get told? Or am I being blind?
- Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:07 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Luck in Scrabble
- Replies: 49
- Views: 5674
Re: Luck in Scrabble
My favourite beef about film premiere is that it's a masculin noun in French and therefore should be film premier! Martin I'm confused as to how you pronounce it. Is it pruh-mear or prem-yair? I think American is pruh-mear and British is prem-yair. Could be wrong. What about "Prem-ee-air"?
- Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:51 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Monday 17th March
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3129
Re: Spoilers for Monday 17th March
Don't tell us that! Or do you just mean about enjoying yourself?Joe Denniss wrote:It all goes to pot soon though!
- Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:49 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Kingdom of Loathing
- Replies: 12
- Views: 3324
Re: Kingdom of Loathing
It is one of those weird things like the TV show Lost, Mozilla Firefox and Sudoku, that, despite being pretty crap, people seem to get really obsessed with. I don't trust such things and would advise staying well away from them. How can you not like Sudoku? If you don't like the original Sudoku, th...
- Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:32 pm
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Luck in Scrabble
- Replies: 49
- Views: 5674
Re: Luck in Scrabble
Exactly - you might find your "random chance variable" is greatly reduced if you take this into account.Corby wrote:Anyway, I think it's pertinent in your analysis Martin to record whether the first or second player wins, I can't believe you ignored that. Go back and start again
- Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:12 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "...and a better one..."
- Replies: 89
- Views: 11338
Re: "...and a better one..."
I think it would be good to ask for three from one of the rows that isn't the top and then three from any other row of your choice. So Carol has to choose between three large or no large. Or two from a non-top row and four from any other one row.
- Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:43 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "...and a better one..."
- Replies: 89
- Views: 11338
Re: "...and a better one..."
Carol should also be horsewhipped for being pleased when the numbers game is piss-easy. She groans if the target is 101 and there is a 100 and a 1, but other than that she seems to prefer the easy games.
- Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:37 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Friday, 7th March
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2389
Re: Spoilers for Friday, 7th March
I was disappointed that he didn't become an Octochamp. With the scores he was getting in the games I saw, he must have been on for some sort of record.
- Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: "...and a better one..."
- Replies: 89
- Views: 11338
Re: "...and a better one..."
After hearing it said for so many years I believe any contestant who - after being offered an `X` or a `Z` - says "And a better one please Carol", should be severely punished. Perhaps taken outside and horse-whipped, or automatically eliminated. Or both. Just to show how reasonable I am -...
- Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Two points about number games
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3922
Re: Two points about number games
I was round someone else's house the other day and they complained about Carol's head. Back of the net.