Bank Holiday Monday (series 72, prelim 87)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 25 May 2015.

C1: Champion Steve Redfern (4 wins, 317 points) – Four wins now and hoping for a fifth. He has chances to become the series 7th octochamp on Thursday. At least he will make the finals and his results should also ensure Gavin Woolnough’s place.

Gary Cohen – A taxi driver from Worthing who does announcing at Worthing FC. He left his wedding rings in the car on the day of his wedding and had to interrupt the ceremony to go and get them.

C2: Challenger Gary Cohen.
DC: Susie Dent and Steve Backshall.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: Y F S R O A I N E
R02: E A U S G W D R E
R03: 2, 8, 1, 10, 4, 100. Target: 488.
TTT: PAULTOYS - "Paul toys with opponent before wiping the floor with him"
R04: V T P I O R E S D
R05: X T S L A O U A E
R06: 5, 10, 3, 3, 2, 100. Target: 348.
R07: C T P R E I O I E
R08: O U N S N A B N O
R09: 6, 9, 75, 50, 25, 100. Target: 946.
TTT: SADANTIC - "i've a gut feeling some of you will have taken these before"
R10: I E A R S M R G R
R11: T R D L O I E N A
R12: O E U H L S F D I
R13: S V L N E A O C A
R14: 6, 10, 6, 7, 5, 75. Target: 990.
R15: D R O P I N V E T (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Enjoy the show.

Round 1: Y F S R O A I N E

Steve: finers
Gary: FAIRY (5)
DC: INSOFAR (7)
Score: 0–5 (max 7)

Steve chances finers but there’s no sense in which finer can be a noun, meaning Gary tales the lead with his five


Round 2: E A U S G W D R E

Steve: GREASED (7)
Gary: wedgers
DC: RAGWEED (7)
OT: GUARDEES (8)
Score: 7–5 (max 15)

Roles reversed from round one as Steve has the allowed word and Gary tries adding an R to WEDGES. Its now one round win each but a 2 point lead to Steve.


Round 3: 2, 8, 1, 10, 4, 100. Target: 488.

Steve: 488. (4*100)+((10+1)*8) (10)
Gary: 488. (100+2)*4)+(8*10) (10)
Score: 17–15 (max 25)

Steve decides not to go for four large this time and opts for one large presumably wanting a simple one, which is just what he gets.


Teatime teaser: PAULTOYS -> OUTPLAYS

Round 4: V T P I O R E S D

Steve: SPORTED (7)
Gary: DEPOSIT (7)
DC: VIPERS (6) OVERTIPS (8)
OT: DIOPTRES (8) DISPROVE (8) PROVIDES (8) RIPOSTED (8) SPORTIVE (8)
Score: 24–22 (max 33)

Sevens for the contestants here but a number of eights were available that they fail to spot.


Round 5: X T S L A O U A E

Steve: EXTOLS (6)
Gary: LEAST (5)
DC: ASEXUAL (7) LUXATES (7)
OT: OXALATES (8)
Score: 30–22 (max 41)

Steve beats Gary six to five here and takes an eight point lead. Two nices sevens from DC but there was an eight available.


Round 6: 5, 10, 3, 3, 2, 100. Target: 348.

Steve: 348. (5+3-2+10+100)*3 (10)
Gary: 345.
Score: 40–22 (max 51)

Another simple numbers game but Gary fails to spot it, making it easy for Steve to extend his lead to eighteen points.


DC Guest – Steve Backshall talks about the sperm whale which he has been up close with when working in Dominica.


Round 7: C T P R E I O I E

Steve: TROPIC (6)
Gary: RECEIPT (7)
DC: PICRITE (7)
OT: COTERIE (7) PICOTEE (7)
Score: 40–29 (max 58)

Gary maxes his first letters round and beats Steve to cut his lead.


Round 8: O U N S N A B N O

Steve: NOUNS (5)
Gary: SNOB (4)
DC: UNBANS (6)
Score: 45–29 (max 64)

A difficult selection sees the challenger only get four so Steve’s NOUNS increases his lead again.


Round 9: 6, 9, 75, 50, 25, 100. Target: 946.

Steve: 945. Mistake in working.
Gary: 951. ((100+6)*9)-(75/25) (7)
RR: 946. ((100-6)*9)+75+25 (10)
Score: 45–36 (max 74)

Steve’s run has been journeyman-style so far and it looks like this is set to continue as he messes up his method here. Gary is some way off but gets seven points for his five away.


Teatime teaser: SADANTIC -> ANTACIDS

Round 10: I E A R S M R G R

Steve: MARRIES (7)
Gary: MARRIES (7)
OT: ARMIGERS (8)
Score: 52–43 (max 82)

Easy to get seven on this round, the one eight was tough to spot as it’s a word many don’t know.
An ARMIGER in heraldry is a person entitled to use a coat of arms.


Round 11: T R D L O I E N A

Steve: RELATION (8)
Gary: LOITER (6)
DC: ORIENTAL (8)
OT: DELATION (8) DERATION (8) IDOLATER (8) ORDINATE (8) RATIONED (8) TAILORED (8)
Score: 60–43 (max 90)

There were eights available here that many casual players would be able to spot. Gary doesn’t get one however and Steve is hacking his way through the metaphorical forest towards his fifth win.


Round 12: O E U H L S F D I

Steve: FLUSHED (7)
Gary: FLUSHED (7)
OT: DISHFUL (7) HIDEOUS (7) SULFIDE (7)
Score: 67–50 (max 97)

Just the sort of round Steve needs as this point, a round where an easy max is available, meaning he just has to hang on until the finish line.


Round 13: S V L N E A O C A

Steve: CLONES (6)
Gary: leaves
DC: NAVELS (6) VALANCES (8)
Score: 73–50 (max 105)

And that mistake from Gary seals Steve’s win. Its not been high quality but Steve is getting the job done.


Round 14: 6, 10, 6, 7, 5, 75. Target: 990.

Steve: 990. (((6*5)-6)+75)*10 (10)
Gary: 990. ((7-6)*75)+10+5 (10)
Score: 83–60 (max 115)

Easy numbers game gives both players ten points. Steve hasn’t had a score in the 90’s yet so can he get the conundrum to secure his highest score to date?


Round 15: D R O P I N V E T

Gary buzzes on 12 seconds to say PROVIDENT which is correct.
Final Score: 83–70 (max 125)

Gary gets there before Steve and ends the game with a conundrum spot. Not the greatest game ever but its now five wins for Steve. He is on course to become an octochamp but his points total is low for someone on five wins.

He should avoid becoming the lowest scoring octochamp ever based on his averages, but it would be nice to see him notch up some higher scores in his remaining three games.

Join James, James and Tracey to see if he can do this.

And, well done Rob Foster for winning CO:KL. It would be great to see him on the show sometime soon.



Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=72