Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Game Recap & Discussion [SPOILERS]

[goatman]

38R on oddly difficult boards with some quirky cats; near instaget FJ had to cycle thru elections to get to Obama/McCain.
Win from the 4th with FJ and LT: telemetry, Belle Conto >Ann Patchett, amicable, electrocution, DD: N.C., Bambi >Felix Salter

[Lampy]

This felt like they were burning off a board from the Decades tournament half the time, but then there was that Flags cat. Weird day.

[Category 13]

The FJ category is one of my wheelhouses and got it pretty quickly. But I can easily see someone starting on the wrong end and not getting to 2008 in time.

Count me as another victim of the wrong starting block. I came to it a couple seconds after the think music ended.

Think of how much time could be eaten up even if someone were to merely recite the disqualifier list starting from 1956:
Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Nixon, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Clinton, Gore, Bush.....

[John Boy]

Seemed like probably the weakest game overall of the new season (I know, only game #7). Mai generally seemed out of her element, although she got what I considered a very nice get on "Being and Nothingness." Dylan seemed very nervous and missed how many softballs? I never could figure how he ended up in the lead. Really, North Carolina for "these two letters?" RTFC, man! I kinda liked Natalie and hoped she would continue, but whatever her strengths may have been, FJ wagering in a very simple situation seemed too much for her to master. Oh well, she had a nice run.

I also hate this kind of FJ clue where you have to mentally examine 15 presidential elections in the span of the Think Music. I made the mistake of starting at the earliest, mentally made it into about the 80s, and suddenly recalled Obama in 2008 as if by divine inspiration. So I did get this one, but still hated the clue.

Congrats to Dylan, and enjoy your stay as champion. I don't foresee it lasting beyond tonight.

[brick]

I got WWD, I think it is sold in grocery check out stands a lot.

I would love for you to follow up on that. It is mostly an industry trade publication in a lot of ways. I think it's sales are overwhelmingly by subscription, and the daily is only online now. There is a weekly glossy now. Maybe that is circulating differently.

[Dr. J]

The FJ category is one of my wheelhouses and got it pretty quickly. But I can easily see someone starting on the wrong end and not getting to 2008 in time.

Count me as another victim of the wrong starting block. I came to it a couple seconds after the think music ended.

Think of how much time could be eaten up even if someone were to merely recite the disqualifier list starting from 1956:
Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson, Nixon, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Clinton, Gore, Bush.....

This is exactly what I did, so it took me FOREVER (paused the TV while I finished it) to get to 2008.

I'm disappointed that so many boards are going uncleared, and was very sad not to see those three final fashion questions.

[willwoodlen]

Sketchy wagering in all four games and concluding with a really bad FJ wager pretty much confirms Natalie had never been to this site prior to taping.

The most Lach Trash so far for me in the new season. Electrocution, Roger Clemens, Hakeem Olajuwon, Canadians and a couple I can't recall at the moment.

Or she has been to this site and still (gasp!) wagered according to her own wishes. It's possible she figured she might as well wager everything since she was within reach of Mai and had to wager something. It's true that her wager wasn't optimal, but it wasn't as brainless as some seem to think.

[willwoodlen]

Don't know if others have this experience, but with this FJ I got a triple-stumper shortly after failing on one all the contestants got (the game shown last Friday, 9/18). This happens a lot, though sometimes in the reverse order. When I get one every contestant misses, I can almost always count on missing an FJ triple-get very soon.

[BigDaddyMatty]

Sketchy wagering in all four games and concluding with a really bad FJ wager pretty much confirms Natalie had never been to this site prior to taping.

The most Lach Trash so far for me in the new season. Electrocution, Roger Clemens, Hakeem Olajuwon, Canadians and a couple I can't recall at the moment.

Or she has been to this site and still (gasp!) wagered according to her own wishes. It's possible she figured she might as well wager everything since she was within reach of Mai and had to wager something. It's true that her wager wasn't optimal, but it wasn't as brainless as some seem to think.

Sorry, but it's indefensible. If Natalie wagers anywhere between $2,701-3,600, she wins in WRR, WRW and WWW. By going all in, she eliminates the third path to victory. Which, of course, is the one she needed. Unless you think a potential extra $5,400 is worth more than an additional way to win--and it's not, especially for a three-time champ--this was an objectively bad wager.

[Woof]

Oy! This was a painful episode to watch. I think that I would have won the game on Lach trash alone. And let's not even talk about FJ. I had thought that Natalie was a stronger champ than she looked in this game, but I suppose everyone's entitled to an off game.

[Carpe Diem]

There was a lot of yelling at my TV this episode. First when the city I was born was a TS (that would be Monterey). Second when the question that made me mad at my trivia team a couple of weeks ago was asked. (That would be the Roger Clemens question. A couple weeks ago, we were asked "What pitcher has won 7 Cy Young awards?" I was pretty sure the answer was Clemens, but was overruled by the three guys on my team.)

Who did they think that it was?

[willwoodlen]

Sketchy wagering in all four games and concluding with a really bad FJ wager pretty much confirms Natalie had never been to this site prior to taping.

The most Lach Trash so far for me in the new season. Electrocution, Roger Clemens, Hakeem Olajuwon, Canadians and a couple I can't recall at the moment.

Or she has been to this site and still (gasp!) wagered according to her own wishes. It's possible she figured she might as well wager everything since she was within reach of Mai and had to wager something. It's true that her wager wasn't optimal, but it wasn't as brainless as some seem to think.

Sorry, but it's indefensible. If Natalie wagers anywhere between $2,701-3,600, she wins in WRR, WRW and WWW. By going all in, she eliminates the third path to victory. Which, of course, is the one she needed. Unless you think a potential extra $5,400 is worth more than an additional way to win--and it's not, especially for a three-time champ--this was an objectively bad wager.

Sayin' so don't make it so. I offered my comment knowing everything you say. I also offered it knowing I would, in her place, have wagered according to your math. I'm simply saying she might have thought about it differently, where you talk as if you know for a fact that she didn't think at all.

[BigDaddyMatty]

Sketchy wagering in all four games and concluding with a really bad FJ wager pretty much confirms Natalie had never been to this site prior to taping.

The most Lach Trash so far for me in the new season. Electrocution, Roger Clemens, Hakeem Olajuwon, Canadians and a couple I can't recall at the moment.

Or she has been to this site and still (gasp!) wagered according to her own wishes. It's possible she figured she might as well wager everything since she was within reach of Mai and had to wager something. It's true that her wager wasn't optimal, but it wasn't as brainless as some seem to think.

Sorry, but it's indefensible. If Natalie wagers anywhere between $2,701-3,600, she wins in WRR, WRW and WWW. By going all in, she eliminates the third path to victory. Which, of course, is the one she needed. Unless you think a potential extra $5,400 is worth more than an additional way to win--and it's not, especially for a three-time champ--this was an objectively bad wager.

Sayin' so don't make it so. I offered my comment knowing everything you say. I also offered it knowing I would, in her place, have wagered according to your math. I'm simply saying she might have thought about it differently, where you talk as if you know for a fact that she didn't think at all.

There are only three possibilities:
1. She didn't think.
2. She did think, and made a massive strategic blunder.
3. She did think, and actually valued a potential $5,400 windfall over a victory on a TS.

All of those are indefensible. #3 is probably the worst, given her past performance, how close she was to TOC eligibility, etc.

[rjaguar3]

I don't like Natalie's wager, but it is a best response to a small Colbyesque $1,699 wager by the leader. The all-in wager is not my choice given how rare it is for leaders not to cover.

[Category 13]

The only defense I can possibly offer for Natalie's FJ wager, and it's very miniscule, is that she may have loved the category so much as to think it would be her ace in the hole.

Presidential elections is very high on the list of my favorites, and I would have been tempted to wager Marsian if the situation called for it. But that pre FJ score scenario was just too easy to see the importance of going Venusian.

[opusthepenguin]

Presidential elections is very high on the list of my favorites, and I would have been tempted to wager Marsian if the situation called for it.

Keith or Veronica?

[TheSunWillComeOut]

Ay yi yi, rough game for everyone.

Daily Double in a flag category? Yes please! (I know if that was me up there I'd Clavin that sumbitch!) Although TPTB didn't have to rub it in for me, first having at least two players so far that auditioned the same week I did, and now having a flag category with a DD in it when they're on. I know I still have 15 months in the pool, but it's going to be a *long* 15 months if they keep teasing me like this ...

I was visiting my folks and watched the taped game with them - I instinctively said out loud when the categories appeared, "Oh wow, David Kendall's gonna LOVE this one." Had to do a bit of explaining. Knew I'd be right, though.

[dhkendall]

Ay yi yi, rough game for everyone.

Daily Double in a flag category? Yes please! (I know if that was me up there I'd Clavin that sumbitch!) Although TPTB didn't have to rub it in for me, first having at least two players so far that auditioned the same week I did, and now having a flag category with a DD in it when they're on. I know I still have 15 months in the pool, but it's going to be a *long* 15 months if they keep teasing me like this ...

I was visiting my folks and watched the taped game with them - I instinctively said out loud when the categories appeared, "Oh wow, David Kendall's gonna LOVE this one." Had to do a bit of explaining. Knew I'd be right, though.

I'm ... famous? Yay?

[BigDaddyMatty]

Presidential elections is very high on the list of my favorites, and I would have been tempted to wager Marsian if the situation called for it.

Keith or Veronica?

Bruno. Or maybe Forrest.

[opusthepenguin]

Presidential elections is very high on the list of my favorites, and I would have been tempted to wager Marsian if the situation called for it.

Keith or Veronica?

Bruno. Or maybe Forrest.

Hopefully not Bruno. That kind of wager means pulling the pin on a grenade if you miss.