Monday 6th April 2015 (series 72, prelim 61)

[Andy McGurn]

Countdown recap for Monday 6 April 2015.

C1: Champion Gerry Tynan (1 win, 99 points.) An accountant from County Dublin, scored his first win on Friday over octochamp Kate Ritchie with 99 points.


C2: Challenger Mark Perret. A marketing executive from Milton Keynes whose girlfriend gave him the countdown application form as a birthday present. He is half Maltese and found it a struggle to explain what countdown was to his Maltese grandparents.

DC: Susie Dent and Janet Street-Porter.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

R01: R P I C B U X O A
R02: J I D S A O E G S
R03: 6, 1, 2, 6, 8, 100. Target: 376.
TTT: ISNTLOVE - "like Brown and Green he just wants to be read"
R04: T G I U A T C Y T
R05: W B E D P A D O M
R06: 3, 5, 6, 6, 2, 50. Target: 171.
R07: N T I A G E D R D
R08: N I W U A S V E T
R09: 5, 6, 9, 3, 2, 75. Target: 767.
TTT: SEESPACE - "do they run away from little green vegetables"
R10: R Z O A M R O E S
R11: N R A L M E T A O
R12: S R C I A K E N T
R13: R D U E H S Q I P
R14: 8, 2, 4, 9, 5, 100. Target: 113.
R15: W E I R D P O N G (conundrum)


And now a brief interlude before our main feature:

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Enjoy the show.

Round 1: R P I C B U X O A

Gerry: CARIBOU (7)
Mark: PUBIC (5)
DC: BOXCAR (6)
Score: 7–0 (max 7)

Great start for Gerry with CARIBOU, while Mark is a bit PUBIC.


Round 2: J I D S A O E G S

Gerry: DOSAGES (7)
Mark: DOSAGES (7)
DC: GASSED (6)
OT: ADIOSES (7) ADJIGOS (7)
Score: 14–7 (max 14)

DOSAGES leapt out of that selection so both spot it.


Round 3: 6, 1, 2, 6, 8, 100. Target: 376.

Gerry: 376. (100-6)*(6-2) (10)
Mark: 376. (100-6)*(6-2) (10)
Score: 24–17 (max 24)

Simple numbers game sees both players increase their scores by ten.


Teatime teaser: ISNTLOVE -> NOVELIST

Round 4: T G I U A T C Y T

Gerry: CATTY (5)
Mark: actuity
DC: ACUITY (6) GUTTY (5)
OT: CATGUT (6)
Score: 29–17 (max 30)

Mark is close to an actual word with his risk but he needed it without the first T and this means that Gerry gets the points to increase his lead.


Round 5: W B E D P A D O M

Gerry: POMADE (6)
Mark: MEADOW (6)
DC: PAWED (5) POMADED (7)
Score: 35–23 (max 37)

Gerry was obviously not aware that POMADE was also a verb and as such misses out on going further ahead in this round.


Round 6: 3, 5, 6, 6, 2, 50. Target: 171.

Gerry: 171. (((6-5)+1)+50)*3 (10)
Mark: 171. (50+5+2)*3 (10)
Score: 45–33 (max 47)

Another easy one on the numbers sees both players collect ten points.


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

Gerry: DREADING (8)
Mark: DREADING (8)
DC: GRADIENT (8) TREADING (8)
OT: DERATING (8)
Score: 53–41 (max 55)

Easy to score the max here and both contestants do, Gerry still has a 12 point lead.


Round 8: N I W U A S V E T

Gerry: NATIVES (7)
Mark: WAVIEST (7)
DC: INVEST (6)
OT: AUNTIES (7) SINUATE (7) VAINEST (7)
Score: 60–48 (max 62)

Excellent sevens by both sees the gap stay the same.


Round 9: 5, 6, 9, 3, 2, 75. Target: 767.

Gerry: 768. (5*2*75)+(6*3) (7)
Mark: 766. Mistake in working.
RR: 767. (((2*5)+75)*9)+2 (10)
Score: 67–48 (max 72)

Gerry is one away but Mark can’t capitalise because he is also one away but misdeclares 766 when he had 768 so for the second time in the game he slips further behind due to a basic error.
Rachel shows us 767 but, as is often the case, she shows us a more complex method when simpler solutions were also there.


Teatime teaser: SEESPACE -> ESCAPEES

Round 10: R Z O A M R O E S

Gerry: ROAMERS (7)
Mark: rezooms
DC: ROOMERS (7)
OT: REMORAS (7)
Score: 74–48 (max 79)

Mark’s error count is up to three now and having only lost four rounds overall, he’s only got himself to blame for the game not being much closer.


Round 11: N R A L M E T A O

Gerry: OMENTAL (7)
Mark: MATERNAL (8)
DC: MENTAL (6)
OT: MALONATE (8)
Score: 74–56 (max 87)

Mark comes good and beats Gerry on a round for the first time. Is it too little too late though?


Round 12: S R C I A K E N T

Gerry: CRANKIEST (18)
Mark: CRANKIEST (18)
Score: 92–74 (max 105)

I think both got the nine early but were pretending to still be searching in the hope the other didn’t get it. However as nines go, it was an easy one to spot and both will be disappointed at the others declaration.


Round 13: R D U E H S Q I P

Gerry: PUSHIER (7)
Mark: PUSHIER (7)
DC: SQUIRED (7)
OT: PRUDISH (7)
Score: 99–81 (max 112)

More maxing by both sees the gap remain at 18 going into the conundrum. Will Mark pick 6 small or 4 large to try to get within 10?


Round 14: 8, 2, 4, 9, 5, 100. Target: 113.

Gerry: 113. 100+5+8 (10)
Mark: 113. 100+5+8 (10)
Score: 109–91 (max 122)

Mark decides not to gamble despite Rachel trying to persuade him to do so and he goes for one large. Its an easy one and Gerry has his second win.


Round 15: W E I R D P O N G

Gerry buzzes on 3 seconds to say POWDERING which is correct.
Final Score: 119–91 (max 132)

An easy conundrum enables Gerry to take his score to 119. Rachel states that Mark should have gambled, but it was his choice at the end of the day.

Gerry is now on 218 points after two games so could be on course for a high seeding slot come the finals. But with only two more shows this week he can only get to halfway through his run this week.

Join James tomorrow for Gerry’s third game.

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

[Mark Deeks]

Rachel shows us 767 but, as is often the case, she shows us a more complex method when simpler solutions were also there.

Were there?

[Gavin Chipper]

Rachel shows us 767 but, as is often the case, she shows us a more complex method when simpler solutions were also there.

Were there?

I did it the same way as Rachel, but afterwards I also saw (75-5)*(9+2)-3. I'd say it's similar. It was basically a choice between coming up from 9*75 and coming down from 11*75.

[Andy McGurn]

Rachel shows us 767 but, as is often the case, she shows us a more complex method when simpler solutions were also there.

Were there?

((6-5)+9)*(75+2)-3 was my way and i think this is much simpler than Rachel's way.