Monday 19th October 2015 (series 73, prelim 74)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 19 October 2015.

C1: Champion Gareth Champan (1 win, 90 points.) – A retired school headmaster from Wicksley in Yorkshire. He got the win in the battle of the newbies on Friday following the end of the shows latest octorun.

C2: Challenger Alex Skulnick. – A medical Student from Newcastle who is also a darts enthusiast (he wants to turn pro) and is also a master of Beer Pong as he is member of the Newcastle Beer Pong champion team.

DC: Susie Dent and Martin Lewis.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R S D E I E T C A
R02: N W R Z I A U E D
R03: 6, 8, 3, 7, 100, 75. Target: 804.
TTT: SNAGREEF - "their business is all about waste disposal"
R04: M B R K I E O M E
R05: S T G O I V H U Y
R06: 5, 10, 100, 75, 25, 50. Target: 450.
R07: G R T E I E D P A
R08: T C T L U E I D O
R09: 4, 5, 10, 8, 100, 25. Target: 300.
TTT: OMITSORT - "if he's over 70, he's definitely past it"
R10: T W R J A E A L E
R11: O E V F L A R B E
R12: Q T R G U O A S O
R13: F D L E A O S T L
R14: 3, 7, 25, 100, 75, 50. Target: 909.
R15: V I R U S G O N E (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R S D E I E T C A

Gareth: CREATES (7)
Alex: SCARED (6)
DC: READIEST (8)
OT: DISCREET (8) DISCRETE (8) SERIATED (8) STEADIER (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)

Reigning champion Gareth beats his challenger in round one with CREATES. The max was eight though and DC give us one of the five maxes available.


Round 2: N W R Z I A U E D

Gareth: WARDEN (6)
Alex: RAINED (6)
DC: UNWIRED (7)
OT: UNAIRED (7)
Score: 13–6 (max 15)

WARDEN and RAINED equal six for both players. They needed UN- words here to have maxed this round.


Round 3: 6, 8, 3, 7, 100, 75. Target: 804.

Gareth: 804. (8*100)+(7-3) (10)
Alex: 804. (8*100)+(3+7-6) (10)
Score: 23–16 (max 25)

Gareth goes for two large, a common pick amongst civilian players. Its an easy one and Gareth maintains his lead from round one.



Teatime teaser: SNAGREEF -> FREEGANS



Round 4: M B R K I E O M E

Gareth: BROKE (5)
Alex: MEMBER (6)
DC: MEMOIR (6) REEBOK (6)
OT: BEMIRE (6) BIREME (6) BOERIE (6)
Score: 23–22 (max 31)

Alex is the first contestant today to get a max word and his MEMBER means he has closed the gap to a single point.



Round 5: S T G O I V H U Y

Gareth: HOIST (5)
Alex: SHOUTY (6)
DC: SOUGHT (6)
OT: VOGUISH (7)
Score: 23–28 (max 38)

Alex does not seem like the SHOUTY type (though I can imagine he is when he’s playing Beer Pong), but here it gives him the lead.



Round 6: 5, 10, 100, 75, 25, 50. Target: 450.

Gareth: 450. (5*100)-50 (10)
Alex: 450. (100+50)*(75/25) (10)
Score: 33–38 (max 48)

Alex picks four large, but its an easy one and he doesn’t get to show some of the skills he has presumably learnt prior to his recording date.



DC Guest – Martin gives some advice about financial decisions that are good that can have potentially bad outcomes. He tells us that an awareness of calculated risk is the key.



Round 7: G R T E I E D P A

Gareth: repaged
Alex: PARTIED (7)
DC: GAITERED (8) PARGETED (8)
Score: 33–45 (max 56)

Gareth seemed pretty sure of repaged but he is not right and Alex’s PARTIED gives him a 12 point lead.


Round 8: T C T L U E I D O

Gareth: cotted
Alex: CLOUTED (7)
DC: CLOTTED (7) DUCTILE (7)
OT: DULOTIC (7)
Score: 33–52 (max 63)

Gareth could have added one letter to his invalid six to give a valid seven. He doesn’t though and its now a good lead for the challenger.


Round 9: 4, 5, 10, 8, 100, 25. Target: 300.

Gareth: 300. (8-5)*100 (10)
Alex: 300. (8-5)*100 (10)
Score: 43–62 (max 73)

The numbers rounds have been simple so far today and both contestants boost their scores further with the simple solve.



Teatime teaser: OMITSORT -> MOTORIST



Round 10: T W R J A E A L E

Gareth: RELATE (6)
Alex: WATER (5)
DC: WELTER (6)
OT: AERATE (6) TALWAR (6)
Score: 49–62 (max 79)

Gareth hits a letters max for the first time today enabling him to reduce the lead to 13.


Round 11: O E V F L A R B E

Gareth: BRAVE (5)
Alex: LEAVER (6)
DC: OVERLEAF (8)
Score: 49–68 (max 87)

But Alex cancels out Gareth’s first max immediately with his LEAVER. Soon he’ll be one from his medical studentry as he is in his fifth year.



Round 12: Q T R G U O A S O

Gareth: ROOST (5)
Alex: QUARTS (6)
DC: RAGOUTS (7) QUARTOS (7)
Score: 49–74 (max 94)

Alex says he will chance a six and Gareth then says that he will stick with a five. Alex may have influenced Gareth to choose the shorter option there.
This means Alex can win it on the next round as long as he at least matches Gareth.



OoW – Susie tells us about the history of the word MAIL which predates the postal service.


Round 13: F D L E A O S T L

Gareth: STALLED (7)
Alex: TOLLED (6)
DC: FLOATELS (8)
Score: 56–74 (max 102)

But Gareth stays in with a chance as he beats his challenger here. DC Guest Martin seems very proud of FLOATELS.


Round 14: 3, 7, 25, 100, 75, 50. Target: 909.

Gareth: 903. (((50/25)+7)*100)+3 (5)
Alex: 903. ((100+25)*7)+((75-50)+3) (5)

Both can only get six away (despite two away also being very straightforward) and with that Alex has won. The score is now 61-79, but we don;t know what the max is at this stage as Rachel can’t get the solution in the time.
However we do know that Alex has won the game and is the new champion.


Round 15: V I R U S G O N E

Gareth buzzes on 8 seconds to say OVERUSING which is correct.

Its a fine conundrum solve from Gareth but its too little too late as Alex has won the game. Hopefully Gareth has enjoyed his short spell as champion and will put his teapot in a special place.

Despite some early nerves Alex has done well to win.

Rachael has also done well as after the game is over she demonstrates that R14 was indeed possible:
RR: 909. (((75*100*3)+50)/25)+7 (10)
Final Score: 71–79 (max 122)


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73

[Jon Corby]

+7 on that final numbers game, not +3

[Andy McGurn]

+7 on that final numbers game, not +3

EDITED