c4countdown

The...excuse me, Zarte Siempre is up to 5 wins and 575 points, averaging exactly 115 points per game. Can a 6th? It will not be easy, because we have what could very well be one of the most competitive heat games in Countdown history. Because facing Zarte today is apterite Dylan Taylor. I find this matchup fascinating on paper, because I believe it's handily the highest rated two competing apterites have ever been. (Number 6 vs Number 25 in pro ranks), and for instance Jack and Marcus and Adam and Ed never had to deal with this until the finals. Apterite vs Apterite in the heats isn't necessarily unheard of I know, but I've never seen it to this level in the prelims. Either way, it should be a great match-up, and I hope that if Zarte loses he'll still make the finals, and if Dylan loses he'll eventually get another chance.

I believe Jack will be recapping this later.

Ah! Gutted that I will be at work and won't be able to watch the show live - best of luck to both contestants.

Jordan Leckonby will be pleased.

Great stuff so far.

At round 9: Dylan's missed nothing yet!

Yep, lexplorered the rounds so far, Dylan on 9 maxes after 9

We spoke too soon.

Yep but still a very impressive debut, 14 maxes I think

Yes jolly well done to Dylan and to Zarte take a well earned rest!

Well done Dylan. Really hope we get to see you back for the finals though, Zarte!

Wow!!! Never expected to see two greats facing each other in the heats Great game, well played lads. Hopefully Zarte you will make the quarters, you are a classy contestant, you hid your craziness well Very well done Dylan, excellent ton debut, that superb form would take some stopping.

It's a bit shit that it was impossible for both players to get to 8 wins to be honest

Hopefully Z-man makes the finals

How far in advance does a reigning champ know who his/her opponents will be, should he/she continue to win? Zarte when did you know that Dylan would be your opponent for a possible sixth game, if you got that far?

Stupidly impressive debut from Dylan, the 6 small solve, SARDIUS, PATRONNE, TONTINE, SAMITI - 14 maxes is excellent at any stage let alone the debut performance. And I've really enjoyed watching Zarte's games who has also produced Countdown to the standard that Dylan was at - 137 - fantastic firepower! I hope that Zarte will have enough wins and points to make the finals and maybe even get to rematch Dylan, but on the day Dylan was too strong and I am expecting great things from him, possibly 900+ octototal, we'll see.

Great debut by Dylan, like others have said, he will take some stopping.

There's been some debate in the past about apterites meeting in heats but whatever your opinions are on that, you have to feel for Zarte as he would surely have become an octochamp but for Dylan. I really hope we haven't seen the last of him, there's always the possibility of a rematch in the quarter finals. Really enjoyed watching your games though, Zarte!

Echoing what Jack has just said, it was really tough on Zarte to meet Dylan at that stage, but one would have to back him to reappear in the finals, and hope he does after such an impressive run of 5.
The obvious thing to bear in mind is that Zarte didn't meet Dylan by chance, he met him because someone decided he would meet him, and at that stage in his Countdown career.
It happens, as some of us know to our cost, and I'm sure that pretty well all of those involved wish that it didn't .......

SUPER AWESOME DÉBUT, DYLAN!!!!

Getting a 14-maxer on debut against someone of Zarte's stature is super impressive in itself, and hopefully it won't lead to Zarte not being able to return for the finals.

Can't wait for the next installment

Excellent stuff Dylan, can safely see you pushing for 900+.

Commiserations to Zarte who I thought was entertaining, shame that the luck of draw saw you knocked off sure octochampdom, but I really hope 5 wins will see you back for what could be an epic quarter-final.

Eoin Monaghan wrote: shame that the luck of draw saw you knocked off sure octochampdom

or
Phyl Styles: "The obvious thing to bear in mind is that Zarte didn't meet Dylan by chance, he met him because someone decided he would meet him" ??

Awesome Countdown skills from Dylan there, hopefully there are some more 6-small rounds in future games for me to enjoy!

Excellent run of games from Zarte as well, really unfortunate to be drawn against Dylan as you would have made an excellent octochamp. Like everyone else, I hope you make the quarter finals.

For the 871 6-small game, I did ((10*5)*(9+8))+7*3

Well done Dylan. Could be nearer 1000 on that form than 900.

Unlucky Zarte, hope you make the finals. My grandma is also gutted for you!

Perhaps you could request a rematch as you didn't get 3 from the bottom in the first numbers game. I didn't bother when it happened to me!

Finally got to watch the show last night - and what a show it was!

Congratulations to Dylan and commiserations to Zarte.

And with that sort of amazing standard the next few games are going to be fabulous - best of luck Dylan.

Impressive debut, Dylan, and commiserations to Zarte, who nevertheless walks away with a few records. 109.33 is the highest average score of any non-octochamp, beating the previous record held by Lesley Hines. The highest total score of any five-time winner was 593 by Marie Hayden, and Zarte smashes that record with 656.

Graeme Cole wrote:Impressive debut, Dylan, and commiserations to Zarte, who nevertheless walks away with a few records. 109.33 is the highest average score of any non-octochamp, beating the previous record held by Lesley Hines. The highest total score of any five-time winner was 593 by Marie Hayden, and Zarte smashes that record with 656.

What's the record for combined maxes in a heat game? How many did this game get?

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:Impressive debut, Dylan, and commiserations to Zarte, who nevertheless walks away with a few records. 109.33 is the highest average score of any non-octochamp, beating the previous record held by Lesley Hines. The highest total score of any five-time winner was 593 by Marie Hayden, and Zarte smashes that record with 656.

What's the record for combined maxes in a heat game? How many did this game get?

This one got 23 maxes (9 for Zarte, 14 for Dylan). Not sure what the record is, but 23's gotta be a good starting step.

Phyl Styles wrote:Echoing what Jack has just said, it was really tough on Zarte to meet Dylan at that stage, but one would have to back him to reappear in the finals, and hope he does after such an impressive run of 5.
The obvious thing to bear in mind is that Zarte didn't meet Dylan by chance, he met him because someone decided he would meet him, and at that stage in his Countdown career.
It happens, as some of us know to our cost, and I'm sure that pretty well all of those involved wish that it didn't .......

Yes, it seems unfortunate that, if they had to meet, it couldn't have been in Zarte's 8th game. But Zarte is clearly good enough to beat Dylan, whilst the majority of contestants aren't, and the Production team couldn't be sure who would win. So in a way it would have been even tougher on Dylan had he lost first time out rather than having the chance of 5 fairly straightforward games first. And assuming Zarte does get back in as a lower seed whoever's in the top 4 will surely be hoping to avoid him in the QFs.

James Robinson wrote:

Gavin Chipper wrote:

Graeme Cole wrote:Impressive debut, Dylan, and commiserations to Zarte, who nevertheless walks away with a few records. 109.33 is the highest average score of any non-octochamp, beating the previous record held by Lesley Hines. The highest total score of any five-time winner was 593 by Marie Hayden, and Zarte smashes that record with 656.

What's the record for combined maxes in a heat game? How many did this game get?

This one got 23 maxes (9 for Zarte, 14 for Dylan). Not sure what the record is, but 23's gotta be a good starting step.

Matt Croy v Andrew Halliburton is the highest for heat games, with 24 maxes between them.

If you apply the apterous rule that being 4 away when 3 away's the best doesn't count as a max, then it's only 23, that game, Graeme...

Phyl Styles wrote:Echoing what Jack has just said, it was really tough on Zarte to meet Dylan at that stage, but one would have to back him to reappear in the finals, and hope he does after such an impressive run of 5.
The obvious thing to bear in mind is that Zarte didn't meet Dylan by chance, he met him because someone decided he would meet him, and at that stage in his Countdown career.
It happens, as some of us know to our cost, and I'm sure that pretty well all of those involved wish that it didn't .......

Out of interest, was it any tougher on Zarte to meet Dylan than it was on footballer Rory Coleman (3 wins) to meet Zarte, or than it was on Chris Ball (4 wins) to meet Glen Webb, or Ben Nicholson (4 wins) to meet Jonathan Rawlinson, or Jon Elmer (3 wins) to meet Mark Deeks, or do they not matter because they're not players on apterous?

What exactly did you wish didn't happen?

Damian has himself stated that in any series the very best players (based on their audition performances) are kept apart, but i don't know how many contestants are seeded in this way in each series. I would presume that in any such decision ONLY the audition performances are considered, because not all contestants are on Apterous. As for when those who are not seeded are scheduled, I suspect that that is fairly random.

In reply to the Countdown team, all that I meant was 'these things happen', but if someone, whoever they might be (nothing to do with being on Apterous) has an encounter which dashes their hopes, particularly when they have won a few games, they are certain to have regrets. Perhaps so much of a truism that it wasn't worth saying, but carrying a note of sympathy and empathy towards those who experience this.
Incidentally, I believe Jon Elmer was and is a player on Apterous.

James Robinson wrote:SUPER AWESOME DÉBUT, DYLAN!!!!

Getting a 14-maxer on debut against someone of Zarte's stature is super impressive in itself, and hopefully it won't lead to Zarte not being able to return for the finals.

Can't wait for the next installment

Correct me if I'm wrong everyone/anyone, but if you're talking about MAXes then what has your opponent got to do with it, are you suggesting he would have got more MAXes if he was playing against the likes of me?

Ian Fitzpatrick wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong everyone/anyone, but if you're talking about MAXes then what has your opponent got to do with it, are you suggesting he would have got more MAXes if he was playing against the likes of me?

A stronger opponent is more likely to beat you to the conundrum, and depending on their preferences may choose more difficult numbers. And then there's the impact of the 'game situation' - the most likely symptom being pressure. But also: as Dylan was playing Zarte he felt the need to go for six small in round 6 which yielded a very tough round; with a comfortable lead he'd have safely picked 1 large.

Conversely: if you're pretty sure you'll win then you may be inclined to go for points over maxima and play within yourself and cost yourself a max game by not risking a valid word.

Countdown Team wrote:

Phyl Styles wrote:Echoing what Jack has just said, it was really tough on Zarte to meet Dylan at that stage, but one would have to back him to reappear in the finals, and hope he does after such an impressive run of 5.
The obvious thing to bear in mind is that Zarte didn't meet Dylan by chance, he met him because someone decided he would meet him, and at that stage in his Countdown career.
It happens, as some of us know to our cost, and I'm sure that pretty well all of those involved wish that it didn't .......

Out of interest, was it any tougher on Zarte to meet Dylan than it was on footballer Rory Coleman (3 wins) to meet Zarte, or than it was on Chris Ball (4 wins) to meet Glen Webb, or Ben Nicholson (4 wins) to meet Jonathan Rawlinson, or Jon Elmer (3 wins) to meet Mark Deeks, or do they not matter because they're not players on apterous?

What exactly did you wish didn't happen?

I've stayed very quiet with anything to do with the draw, but I think this is a good point to put my 2 cents in.

First of all, am I gutted to have had to play Dylan in my aptorun. Of course I am.

Am I bitter in any way about it? No.

The fact is that I have always chosen to believe that the show is entirely luck of the draw. I'm glad in many ways that it is, although obviously I'd have preferred not to have been the proof of that

Phyl - please don't take this as any kind of attack on you, as you've explained what you meant, I'm purely quoting a post from the Countdown team and I don't think this applies to you. But I've had so many messages in private saying "Oh you were screwed over" "Oh, someone clearly didn't want you both in the finals" etc. etc.

Cut it out. I don't want to hear it. I had an absolutely great time up in Salford, surrounded for the most part by great people, including the Countdown team themselves who I found to be a wonderfully warm group of people. I don't want that ruined by people telling me how the draw was fixed in any way, because 1) It wasn't. and 2) Even if it WAS, I don't want what was one the greatest experiences of my life ruined by questions of "foul play". It is what it is. I lost to a better player, and yes, the draw was a bit unlucky, but hey, maybe a few years down the line I might be able to have another crack, and possibly live up to my full potential.

But let's have no bitterness or questioning please.

(Apologies if this seems a bit rambly, but as usual I'm writing stream of consciousness)

Allow me to point out the elephant in the room. I think people WANT you to have been screwed over because they like you and not Dylan, so the outcome is unsatisfactory, so blame needs to be placed. A natural if unfair reaction. Agreed with you on all counts, though. Shit happens, and you took the hand you were dealt and played it right. I salute thee.

You make it sound like you're not in the finals Zarte...

I'd say it's unlikely Matt, there's a lot of good players this series. I don't know for a fact though.

Mark Deeks wrote:Allow me to point out the elephant in the room. I think people WANT you to have been screwed over because they like you and not Dylan, so the outcome is unsatisfactory, so blame needs to be placed. A natural if unfair reaction. Agreed with you on all counts, though. Shit happens, and you took the hand you were dealt and played it right. I salute thee.

Who doesn't like Dylan? He's a good lad, always polite and courteous when I play him on Apterous, I enjoy my Apterous games against him, even though he smashes me to pieces in most of them.

I think what most are surprised about is their earlyish encounter, when usually players of this high standard don't meet till the quarters at least, sort of like the furore of this year's Wimbledon when Nadal was scheduled to meet Federer early, they both lost even earlier so it didn't matter in the end. It's natural to like to see the best play the best nearer the end of a tournament, the anticipation, the build-up, the excitement factor etc.

I always thought there was some sort of rating system from auditions/tests that kept the best players apart for their possible octoruns, maybe it's a random draw this series?

It's a shame for Zarte of course, but it's only right that situations like this should be a possibility. It would be hard to tell someone who's been put up against a 900+ octochamp in their eight game that it's "just luck of the draw" if apterites weren't subject to the same risk.

Zarte, it's disappointing but not surprising you've had messages from people saying what they did.

As previously mentioned, Rory came up against you and lost, when he perhaps would have beaten your next 3 or 4 opponents and got into the finals himself. If we get 20 above average players in a series and space them out so they don't meet, they can't all get 8 wins each, they simply aren't enough shows. To your credit, you knew Dylan was potentially your 6th opponent and you could have cancelled your recording day, claiming illness etc, but you got on with it and faced the challenge. Not sure why some people seem to be so scandalized about a good contestant on Countdown having the misfortune to come against another good contestant on Countdown. Anyway, nice of you to post in the shows defence and good luck with getting a place in the last 8.

Commiserations Zarte but well played on what was a very impressive run and it would be great to see you back in the quarter-finals. If it's any consolation, as soon as I heard that I could potentially be up against Giles in a heat, I was convinced that any chances of making it to the quarters were gone. As it happened, I didn't even win enough games to face Giles but still ended up getting to the quarters with only two wins, so anything is possible

As Countdown Team said above, I think you've taken it in absolutely the right spirit though and as you said, moaning about it would just sully a great experience for you.

For anyone claiming a fix, I think when Countdown say it's down to luck of the draw, then we should take their word for it. Does anyone actually have any evidence to the contrary? I mean, presuming it is random, draws like this are bound to get thrown up from time-to-time. What about contestants who thought they were good enough to get a teapot and then ended up getting trounced by someone like Glen Webb, Andy Platt or Giles Hutchings in their first game? That's got to be a lot less fun then having a potential octorun cut short after six games.

Zarte, you were really entertaining on the show and there's definitely a chance you'll make the finals. Like most on here I hope you make it.

But i think apterites facing each other in the heats is a good thing. Whilst I didn't face anyone as good as Dylan, I faced Michelle N, Adam Fleetwood, James Hall and Peter McGloughlin and the fact that they were also apterites just made it all more exciting. I remember saying to James Hall before our game that if he beat me that would be fine just as it would if I won and he seemed to have the same view.

Countdown is a great experience and Zarte, its great you're being so dignified and respectful to Dylan and to the show with your comments on here.

Great show, that. I don't see where the controversy is to be honest; luck of the draw and all that. Great run Zarte; I wouldn't be too disheartened about your chances of making the finals. 5 wins with a huge total like that should hopefully be enough, probably higher than 8th seed - I really hope you make it!

Dylan, what a stunning debut performance! Looking forward to more of the same; could be something special brewing here! Looks like a cracking series in the making. I think Keith made an excellent point that the real unlucky sod is the one who may have to play Zarte in a 2 vs 7 Quarter final or something!

More often than not in recent series 5 wins wouldn't get you in, but I do hope you do get in...