Spoilers for Tuesday June 3rd 2014 (S70 P94)

[Jordan F]

We're definitely getting in crunch time of the series. Only two potential people can claim the last finals spot of the series. It'll either be Andy Gardner, or the winner of today's game. The new champ is Roy Taylor. Can he get another win under his belt?

Join Callum for the recap later.

[Jordan F]

Are you allowed to have UNINSURE as compared to UNINSURED?

[Innis Carson]

Are you allowed to have UNINSURE as compared to UNINSURED?

Pretty sure you can't.

[Tony Atkins]

I stuck with STATIC when I could have added the E to the end in the CATTIES round and didn't get either
of the beaters in the POLITE POLICE round. Anyone get them?

[Tony Atkins]

I went HOOPIER in R13 but should have gone GOOPIER.

[Philip Wilson]

I stuck with STATIC when I could have added the E to the end in the CATTIES round and didn't get either
of the beaters in the POLITE POLICE round. Anyone get them?

Can I have an ICEPOLE please?

Also 1st numbers alt: 800+75 - (10/2 + 6) = 864
Last numbers ((8+5) x 50) + ((7x7) - 9) = 690.

[Callum Todd]

The recap writer is still dead at the moment so if it's not up by tonight I'll write the recap manually. Therefore, any other alts/DC beaters than anyone spotted would be really helpful as I'm going to have to do with OT bit myself here

[Tony Atkins]

I think PICOTEE and PETIOLE we the only beaters not already mentioned, assuming I wrote the selection down correctly in R8.

There were lots of alts in R2 and R4 , CAGIEST is the other 7 in R7, PEONES in R11.

[Mark Murray]

Petiole was definitely a beater in R8...Would have been a "7..not written down".....and yes Picotee is another good alternative in the same round

[Callum Todd]

I have a certain fondness for rounds in which PETIOLE and PICOTEE are the available maxes.

[David Williams]

Are you allowed to have UNINSURE as compared to UNINSURED?

Only one U anyway, I think.

It somehow both saddens and annoys me when people can't make 864 out of 100, 8 and the means to make another 8. 10 points just thrown away.

[Callum Todd]

Are you allowed to have UNINSURE as compared to UNINSURED?

Only one U anyway, I think.

It somehow both saddens and annoys me when people can't make 864 out of 100, 8 and the means to make another 8. 10 points just thrown away.

You have to bear in mind that most people who don't watch Countdown regularly, or take playing it seriously, don't approach the numbers games in that way. For most people, including me before I really got into Countdown, I would always try to use the large number to get as close to the nearest multiple of it to the target, then work my way to the target from there. So for a lot of people, they would try that game by getting to 800 or 900 first and then making a 64 or a 36 separately to take away.

[David Williams]

Are you allowed to have UNINSURE as compared to UNINSURED?

Only one U anyway, I think.

It somehow both saddens and annoys me when people can't make 864 out of 100, 8 and the means to make another 8. 10 points just thrown away.

You have to bear in mind that most people who don't watch Countdown regularly, or take playing it seriously, don't approach the numbers games in that way. For most people, including me before I really got into Countdown, I would always try to use the large number to get as close to the nearest multiple of it to the target, then work my way to the target from there. So for a lot of people, they would try that game by getting to 800 or 900 first and then making a 64 or a 36 separately to take away.

Over the years I've made this point a few times in debates about improving your standard of play - which I would have thought anyone who's going to appear on the show would want to do. You might have 1000 games on apterous and not learn anything that gains you a single point in word games on your one and only appearance. But take ten minutes to learn this simple 'trick' and you are quite likely to get some benefit out of it. And this was such a blatant example.

[Callum Todd]

Again, that assumes you take the game even remotely seriously. Some people don't, and may just be going on for t' shits and giggles.

[Matt Morrison]

You get t shirts in goodie bags now?

[Philip Wilson]

It somehow both saddens and annoys me when people can't make 864 out of 100, 8 and the means to make another 8. 10 points just thrown away.

You have to bear in mind that most people who don't watch Countdown regularly, or take playing it seriously, don't approach the numbers games in that way. For most people, including me before I really got into Countdown, I would always try to use the large number to get as close to the nearest multiple of it to the target, then work my way to the target from there. So for a lot of people, they would try that game by getting to 800 or 900 first and then making a 64 or a 36 separately to take away.

As a non-contestant, that's how I do it too, and in the 864 round it was possible to do it Callum's way before he really got into Countdown, in other words 800 + 75 - 11.
If I hadn't spotted that then I would have gone on to add something to the 100 etc.
In those type of numbers rounds though, certain sums and solutions just hit me straight away. An example of this being 8x4 = 32 in the 843 round, where the target was 32 less than an easy-to-reach 875, and a 4 being in the selection. I just saw this method immediately and didn't even try and go the conventional way of "using the large number to get as close to the nearest multiple of it to the target." So with me at least, it varies.

[Gavin Chipper]

To me that 864 game suggested that the contestants possibly weren't even aware of the concept of adding before you multiply. This is the very first "trick" you learn. And it's not about going out of your way to learn it. Watch two episodes of Countdown and it's almost impossible not to encounter it. (I could do an ask Graeme on how likely it is.)

[Martin Thompson]

I have a certain fondness for rounds in which PETIOLE and PICOTEE are the available maxes.

I saw PETIOLE because I remembered you spotting it!

I think one could be quite good at the game if you watch Countdown continuously for several years.

[Philip Wilson]

To me that 864 game suggested that the contestants possibly weren't even aware of the concept of adding before you multiply. This is the very first "trick" you learn. And it's not about going out of your way to learn it. Watch two episodes of Countdown and it's almost impossible not to encounter it. (I could do an ask Graeme on how likely it is.)

It's probably done a lot more without even realising it when multiplying by 10.

[Philip Wilson]

I have a certain fondness for rounds in which PETIOLE and PICOTEE are the available maxes.

I saw PETIOLE because I remembered you spotting it!

I think one could be quite good at the game if you watch Countdown continuously for several years.

So I can't have my icepole then!