c4countdown

So, we're now into the 2nd half of the first round, and today we're heading back in time for another matchup between 2 contestants from the 9 rounder era.

And like yesterday, it's a battle of 2 semi-finalists, with David Hoskisson of Series 44 taking on Mike Whiteoak of Series 13.

Here are the stats:

Firstly, Series 44 Semi-Finalist David Hoskisson - 9 Games, 7 Wins, 475 Points (Average: 52.78 - Not Including 2 Tie-Break Conundrums)
Highest Score: 70 vs. Heather Harvey (2nd Game)
Lowest Score: 27 vs. John Rainsden (Semi-Final)
9's Achieved: 0/2
Total Points/Max/%: 475/685 (69%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 304/415 (73%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 111/180 (62%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 60/90 (67%)

Secondly, Series 13 Semi-Finalist Mike Whiteoak - 8 Games, 6 Wins, 469 Points (Average: 58.63 - Not Including Masters Game)
Highest Score: 80 vs. Derek Evans (5th Game)
Lowest Score: 39 vs. Nita Marr (6th Game)
9's Achieved: 4/7
Total Points/Max/%: 469/638 (74%)
Letters Points/Max/%: 309/398 (78%)
Numbers Points/Max/%: 120/160 (75%)
Conundrum Points/Max/%: 40/80 (50%)

Join Jack for the recap later.

Round 2 : from the selection FOLIATES instead of a final vowel Mike went for a consonant... which was a B! There would have been a nine!

Round 3: I saw CANDLE and with an O is CELADON.

MP

PYODERMA and MYRIAPOD in round 11.

Nick is on form today; he always shows an interest in the words found by the players or by Dictionary Corner and I think now that he's more used to presenting and the format of the game, I'm really beginning to enjoy him as a host. Plus, he's mentioning the crucial conundrums now!

Bond theme?

What do you call a 7 time champion of Countdown who loses their 8th game?

Octopussy.

Adam Gillard wrote:Bond theme?

No it's not... its a duck !!!

MP

Another good close game that, swinging slightly one way and then the other, just unfortunate for Mike that he found himself behind going into the conundrum. Well done Dave, looking forward to your game against Neil!

Ryan Taylor wrote:What do you call a 7 time champion of Countdown who loses their 8th game?

Octopussy.

Excellent

Not a strong game, Penelope friendly, and very entertaining. Good game David and Mike.

MP

szodiac wrote:Round 2 : from the selection FOLIATES instead of a final vowel Mike went for a consonant... which was a B! There would have been a nine!

Aren't you going to tell us what?

Adam Gillard wrote:Nick is on form today; he always shows an interest in the words found by the players or by Dictionary Corner and I think now that he's more used to presenting and the format of the game, I'm really beginning to enjoy him as a host. Plus, he's mentioning the crucial conundrums now!

But didn't he say at one point "that brings you up to 3 behind" when Mike went 2 ahead?
Watching for his slips make it more amusing to watch.

Also not sure Susie deserved to be attacked about the hinnie.

Anyway an interesting game and couldn't guess the result.

252 brought back nightmare memories of my third game, though it was a bit easier to solve today.

I thought GGHINNIE was a great scramble and clue for the answer.

Another close game with a crucial conundrum. Lovely stuff. I wonder the percentage of games so far that have had crucials compared with a standard series...much more? Any stattos want some homework?

BLANCOED round 3 for a beater.

Gavin Chipper wrote:

szodiac wrote:Round 2 : from the selection FOLIATES instead of a final vowel Mike went for a consonant... which was a B! There would have been a nine!

Aren't you going to tell us what?

LIFEBOATS.

I'm not sure there are any more Bond film titles that are conundrum material, but it would be nice to see them try.

Interesting that EMPORIA was missed in round 1, but got in round 11...............

Adam Gillard wrote:Nick is on form today; he always shows an interest in the words found by the players or by Dictionary Corner and I think now that he's more used to presenting and the format of the game, I'm really beginning to enjoy him as a host. Plus, he's mentioning the crucial conundrums now!

I was at the recordings for this week. Before the conundrum on yesterday's show I heard Nick say "What's the maximum points you can get for a conundrum?" But i'm glad he now knows what is crucial and what isn't.

Ryan Taylor wrote:What do you call a 7 time champion of Countdown who loses their 8th game?

Octopussy.

I was going down the "What do you call a female octochamp?" route...but maybe i'm biased

Kirk Bevins wrote:Another close game with a crucial conundrum. Lovely stuff. I wonder the percentage of games so far that have had crucials compared with a standard series...much more?

If we consider only 15 rounders, the database I have has 2510 applicable games in it (spanning from September 2001 to October 2012). 601 of those went to a crucial, so 23.9%.

The breakdown is as follows:
Series prelims 533/2287 = 23.3%
Series quarter finals, semi-finals and finals 41/147 = 27.9%
CoC matches 15/45 = 33.3%
Specials 14/34 = 41.2%

So far in this championship we've had 8 crucials from 18 games (tiebreaks only count once), which is 44.4%.

Graeme Cole wrote:

Kirk Bevins wrote:Another close game with a crucial conundrum. Lovely stuff. I wonder the percentage of games so far that have had crucials compared with a standard series...much more?

If we consider only 15 rounders, the database I have has 2510 applicable games in it (spanning from September 2001 to October 2012). 601 of those went to a crucial, so 23.9%.

The breakdown is as follows:
Series prelims 533/2287 = 23.3%
Series quarter finals, semi-finals and finals 41/147 = 27.9%
CoC matches 15/45 = 33.3%
Specials 14/34 = 41.2%

So far in this championship we've had 8 crucials from 18 games (tiebreaks only count once), which is 44.4%.

Legend.

Adam Gillard wrote:Bond theme?

I'll bet tomorrow, CECIL will generate a target of 007.

Adam Gillard wrote:Bond theme?

@ James and all Bond enthusiasts some Bond related conundrums for you to have a go at:
WEBLOFELD
JULIUSNOQ
GOLDFINER
THINDOGGO
TAILORISE

MP

szodiac wrote:WEBLOFELD

Nice!

JULIUSNOQ

Is this right? Solver says JONQUILS is max.

GOLDFINER

Nice. But what about OLDFINGER as the scramble? Slightly funnier I reckon.

THINDOGGO

What's the Bond part here?

TAILORISE

Nice!

Ryan Taylor wrote:THINDOGGO

What's the Bond part here?
[/quote]

A clue then, Ryan.

Britt Ekland played an MI6 staffer assigned to Hong Kong, ordered by M to assist Bond in any way necessary in retrieving the Solex Agitator from Scaramanga. She is notable for having a bad luck streak throughout the film, going through everything from blocking Bond's car in his arrival to Hong Kong to being tossed in a closet to being thrown inside the trunk of Scaramanga's AMC Matador when merely trying to put a tracker in it!

(The Man With The Golden Gun)

Glad you liked them. We could have had Bond themed conundrums all week

I'll think again with Julius No...

MP

Ryan Taylor wrote:

szodiac wrote:THINDOGGO

What's the Bond part here?

Easy, if you know your Bond girl played by Britt Ekland in The Man With The Golden Gun. (the worst of the franchise.)

Ah, thank you both! I've only ever seen a handful of Bonds but the recent 50 year celebration and Skyfall have made me want to see them all. Might take me a few years to get round to it though.

Ryan Taylor wrote:

JULIUSNOQ

Is this right? Solver says JONQUILS is max.

Instead of the above try:
DOCTORNOH !!

MP

First Round Game 9 2020 Word Update

The max would have increased by TWENTY (from 125 to 145), if played today, as there were two 9's available in Rounds 3 & 11, that wasn't available in 2013.

New Words Now Allowed:

R2: FLOATIES
R3: ENCODABLE (increases MAX from 8 to 18)
R7: UNPRAISE
R11: PYODERMIA (increases MAX from 8 to 18)
R13: CANALETS, SEALCOAT

Dave Hoskisson had never had a word disallowed before this game and was the only player in the tournament to have this record, but then he declared loafiest.