Spoilers for 25th April 2008

[DaveC]

Hiyo.

As some of my 62 viewers thus far may have noticed but not commented on.. I put a little ditty on the end of the review covering the whole PRORATES/PRAETORS + ? thing, mostly based on other people's wisdom.

I should like to add some "further explore" of some description this time around as well, depending on what comes out, so any suggestions for that gratefully received. Any remarks from Benji included as desired.. it's his game after all.

Funny how putting something on the end like that attracts no comments, but a tiny little spelling error and the hawks swoop in. I should put one in deliberately somewhere just for jolly.

I shall leave you to rake over the coals of that one.

DC

[Joseph Bolas]

Obviously the cards are marked on the back so that when you use the glasses you can see what the cards are, but I don't get how Paul knew the card in the wallet was the 5 of Clubs. Also did Carol have a quick look at the card before she put it in the wallet?

[Joseph Bolas]

Think you can have SLOUCHES as a DC beater.

[Michael Wallace]

Wasn't SLOUCHES there in round 9?

[Michael Wallace]

25-4 = 21
21*10 = 210
210 - 1 = 209
209 * 3 = 627

[Craig Beevers]

25-4 = 21
21*10 = 210
210 - 1 = 209
209 * 3 = 627

Did the same, except without the -1 bit and just took 3 off at the end. Surprised Carol didn't get it.

[Joseph Bolas]

25-4 = 21
21*10 = 210
210 - 1 = 209
209 * 3 = 627

Did the same, except without the -1 bit and just took 3 off at the end. Surprised Carol didn't get it.

Carol might get it after the break.

Since when has 1 large and 5 small been referred to as a Countdown Haircut?

[Michael Wallace]

25-4 = 21
21*10 = 210
210 - 1 = 209
209 * 3 = 627

Did the same, except without the -1 bit and just took 3 off at the end. Surprised Carol didn't get it.

Same - she's usually fine with the "oh look it's divisible by n" ones.

[Ben Pugh]

Wasn't SLOUCHES there in round 9?

Also LOUCHEST.

[Joseph Bolas]

ABETTING as an equaliser.

[Ben Pugh]

4 x (75 + 100/50) - 25

[Bryan Conlan]

4 x 75 = 300
300 - 25 = 275
275 + 10 = 285
100/50 = 2
285 - 2 = 283

[Richard Brittain]

I think that the comment someone made recently about Carol not being as good on the numbers as she used to is a fair one.

Another solid, if unspectacular, win for Benji. If he wins two more, he will probably qualify for the finals as fourth seed and stands a decent chance of making the semi-finals, which I hope he does.

[Martin Gardner]

Yes good performance, you'd have beaten me on the final numbers game, Ben.

Martin

[Matthew Green]

(25 x 3) - (4 x 3) = 63
63 x 10 - 3 = 627

Got this in about 6 seconds at work in front of a crowd of people. They said I should go on the show...

[Joseph Bolas]

I don't know about anyone else, but I thought todays conundrum was more of a Final conundrum. I couldn't look past the mispelling of FRICASSEE so never got CEASEFIRE.

[DaveC]

(25 x 3) - (4 x 3) = 63
63 x 10 - 3 = 627

Got this in about 6 seconds at work in front of a crowd of people. They said I should go on the show...

After 63 x 10 you only have a 1 left to play with, of course you can simplify out the common x 3

( 25 x 3 ) - (4 x 3 ) becomes ( 25 - 4 ) x 3

This is the basis for the solution already offered by Michael with a variation of the same by Craig. It's pretty good going to get 90% of the way there in 6 seconds. In calmer environs you'd be in good shape to get that one for sure.

DC

[Joseph Bolas]

Another solid, if unspectacular, win for Benji. If he wins two more, he will probably qualify for the finals as fourth seed and stands a decent chance of making the semi-finals, which I hope he does.

Ben (do you prefer Ben or Benji btw?) will most likely win 8 games, becoming the 4th octochamp of the series .

[Benji Hanks]

Most people do know me as Benji to be honest, I just thought I'd go ever so slightly more "professional" for my countdown appearance... possibly due to the fact I was asked whether I preferred Ben or Benjamin!

[Matthew Green]

(25 x 3) - (4 x 3) = 63
63 x 10 - 3 = 627

Got this in about 6 seconds at work in front of a crowd of people. They said I should go on the show...

After 63 x 10 you only have a 1 left to play with, of course you can simplify out the common x 3

( 25 x 3 ) - (4 x 3 ) becomes ( 25 - 4 ) x 3

This is the basis for the solution already offered by Michael with a variation of the same by Craig. It's pretty good going to get 90% of the way there in 6 seconds. In calmer environs you'd be in good shape to get that one for sure.

DC

OOOPS

Lucky nobody else at work spotted this!

[Charlie Reams]

Funny how putting something on the end like that attracts no comments, but a tiny little spelling error and the hawks swoop in. I should put one in deliberately somewhere just for jolly.

This used to annoy me too, because people only ever email me to point out minute errors on the Corral (or, annoyinger still, the publicly-editable wiki) rather than congratulating me on the ten thousand pages without any errors. But then I realised it's just human nature to ignore things when they work properly, and it's a sign of a good system when no one has to think about its successes - compare the reliability people expect from cars to the level of service people tolerate from Internet Explorer. Now I try to take it less personally.

[Howard Somerset]

Funny how putting something on the end like that attracts no comments, but a tiny little spelling error and the hawks swoop in. I should put one in deliberately somewhere just for jolly.

I must admit that, when reading a recap, I rarely go beyond the conundrum. I must start to read right to the end in future, so that I don't miss out on such gems as you've included.