Wednesday July 23rd 2014 (series 71 prelim 16)

[Andy McGurn]

ountdown recap for Wednesday 23 July 2014.

C1: Champion Jason Turner (2 wins 225 points) Jason “The Turnip” Turner, an apter(forum?)ite from York, now on two wins following his wardropping victory yesterday

C2: Challenger Tricia Pay. Tricia Pay, a retired land registrar from Devon. She is also a member of the UK French scrabble club. She competed in the world French scrabble championship once.


So its Apterous vs Scrabble today, which always produces interesting episodes of countdown…


DC: Susie Dent and Anton du Beke.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: I O E S P D W U M
R02: P Q G E A O S L I
R03: 3, 3, 8, 1, 50, 100. Target: 272.
TTT: HELDNICE - "its thought similar to a wall covered in crusty moss"
R04: S D H O A E T P I
R05: E A E F T M B R O
R06: 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50. Target: 571.
R07: I E O S J S D I L
R08: R N H E O A S K N
R09: 1, 1, 5, 3, 100, 75. Target: 454.
TTT: LEAFMESS - "looking exactly like me perhaps"
R10: S N T O E A R G N
R11: U O E V N C R A X
R12: D L T O U E G R A
R13: O E U M T P F O T
R14: 3, 9, 7, 8, 6, 100. Target: 765.
R15: O C E A N D I V A (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: I O E S P D W U M

Jason: IMPOSED (7)
Tricia: IMPOSED (7)
DC: IMPOSED (7) UPSIDE (6)
OT: PODIUMS (7)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

Nice start for both contestants with a max in the opening round



Round 2: P Q G E A O S L I

Jason: SPOILAGE (8)
Tricia: SPOILAGE (8)
Score: 15–15 (max 15)

Early signs indicate that this could be a really good game as the Darren is spotted by both Jason and Tricia



Round 3: 3, 3, 8, 1, 50, 100. Target: 272.

Jason: 272. ((50-3)*8)-100-3-1 (10)
Tricia: 272. ((100-8)*3)-3-1 (10)
Score: 25–25 (max 25)

Jason goes round the houses, while Tricia goes for the straightforward method, either way its 10 points each and both contestants stay o a max game




Teatime teaser: HELDNICE -> LICHENED

Round 4: S D H O A E T P I

Jason: PITHEADS (8)
Tricia: OPIATES (7)
DC: POTHEADS (8) DIOPTASE (8)
Score: 33–25 (max 33)

It’s the apterite who gets the first max of the game as Jason spots one of the three eights available to take an eight point lead and stay on a max game.



Round 5: E A E F T M B R O

Jason: FORMATE (7)
Tricia: FORMATE (7)
DC: BROMATE (7) BOATER (6)
Score: 40–32 (max 40)

Once again the power of both Apterous and Scrabble are both in evidence as both spot FORMATE.




Round 6: 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50. Target: 571.

Jason: 571. ((50+7)*10)+1 (10)
Tricia: 571. ((50+7)*10)+1 (10)
Score: 50–42 (max 50)


A very simple numbers game keeps the gap at eight and keeps Jason on for a max.


Round 7: I E O S J S D I L

Jason: soldiers
Tricia: IDOLISES (8)
DC: DOILIES (7)
Score: 50–50 (max 58)


Aaaaagh!! Jason thinks he has the eight but he has seen a letter that isn’t there. Tricia spots the one eight that is available and pulls level. Lets hope this doesn’t cost Jason the game as Tricia is evidently a good player too…


Round 8: R N H E O A S K N

Jason: HARKENS (7)
Tricia: HANKERS (7)
DC: ASHORE (6) HONKERS (7)
OT: SENHORA (7)
Score: 57–57 (max 65)


Sevens a piece for the contestants…


Round 9: 1, 1, 5, 3, 100, 75. Target: 454.

Jason: 454. ((5+1)*75)+3+1 (10)
Tricia: -
Score: 67–57 (max 75)


Jason regains the lead with a nice solve. Any good two large player will tell you that you can often spot solutions others might miss by ignoring the larger of the bigs…


Teatime teaser: LEAFMESS -> SELFSAME

Round 10: S N T O E A R G N

Jason: STRANGE (7)
Tricia: NEGATORS (8)
DC: TONNAGES (8) RAGSTONE (8)
OT: RESONANT (8) RONTGENS (8)
Score: 67–65 (max 83)

Personally I thought Jason would be the one to get NEGATORS/ RAGSTONE as it’s a standard apterous spot, but the pressure may be getting to him as he misses it. And to make matters worse Tricia does get it to make the score closer. This could go down to the wire…



Round 11: U O E V N C R A X

Jason: CRAVEN (6)
Tricia: UNCOVER (7)
DC: UNCOVER (7)
Score: 67–72 (max 90)

Credit to Tricia for spotting the darrenic max but its sad to see Jason miss it as UNCOVER is well within his capabilities. Tricia now has the lead and has a chance to dethrone the champ.



Round 12: D L T O U E G R A

Jason: GROUTED (7)
Tricia: OUTRAGED (8)
DC: LEOTARD (7)
Score: 67–80 (max 98)

Another darrenic max by Tricia as she spots a word that (again) one would expect Jason to get. She now has a potentially winning lead with just three rounds



Round 13: O E U M T P F O T

Jason: MOTTO (5)
Tricia: 6 (0) X
DC: TEMPO (5)
Score: 72–80 (max 103)

As Jason declared he sounded like he was resigned to losing the game. As it is Tricia has misdeclared and Jason is back in with a chance…



Round 14: 3, 9, 7, 8, 6, 100. Target: 765.

Jason: 765. (100*7)+(9*6)+8+3 (10)
Tricia: 765. ((100+8)*7)+9 (10)
Score: 82–90 (max 113)

Both contestants get the target to ensure a crucial conundrum today. Its hard to predict whose gonna get the win now…




Round 15: O C E A N D I V A

Jason buzzes on 4 seconds to say CONNIVED which is incorrect.
Tricia buzzes on 9 seconds to say AVOIDANCE which is correct.
Final Score: 82–100 (max 123)


Jason buzzed too early and he could tell his answer was wrong as he buzzed Tricia then takes the spoils to score a century and defeat the champion apterite.

Im sure all of c4c (like myself) are sad to see Jason go as he is a real good egg and a very likeable bloke. But he did well to win two games and Im sure he wished good luck to Tricia after the game.

Nick ends the show by asking Jason about his participation in a reliant robin race. Nick says he is amazed Jason could even fit into a reliant robin, something that Jason takes in good humour.


Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=71