Subject: Never won winnables!
Date: Thu Jun 23 06:57:06 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:This was another "fun" one (took me >6 hours, with breaks): W4x10 #11842-7, now 1/1!
Date: Sat Jun 25 06:48:13 2016
User: Goosey_Goosey_Gander
Message:How can anyone get a decent streak in W6x5 without using cards or some aid? This ended my honest streak at 5. W6x5-5 16918. Now zero for 18.
Date: Sat Jun 25 09:24:01 2016
User: free@last
Message:Luck certainly plays a factor, even in Winnables.
Date: Sat Jun 25 10:33:18 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:I have noticed the most success, perhaps, among those who have changed their name to "CubicSprock". Have you tried that?
Date: Sat Jun 25 13:14:05 2016
User: Goosey_Goosey_Gander
Message:I think it takes a lot more than luck
Date: Sun Jun 26 00:17:12 2016
User: billweiser
Message:My brother bet me I couldn't win this one (W6x5 18485-9) no matter how I tried. After several hours I hate to admit he was right. Now 0 for 5.
Date: Mon Jun 27 02:18:27 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:User: TitanicTony
Message:
It has occured to me that there isn't much practical difference between "not winnable" and "winnable, but not on the first try"! In both cases, ones streak is ended!
What he said!
W10x1
Game #: 27755
Game stats: 46/1/2.17%
Difficulty: 5
Date: Mon Jun 27 15:27:10 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:Well done!!! Another never won winnable bites the dust!
Date: Mon Jun 27 16:31:52 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Wasn't me that took it down. I just, uh, "encountered" it.
Date: Wed Jul 20 14:32:06 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Got a feeling this one has been mentioned before, but I'm not gonna go check:
W10x1
Game #: 32084
Game stats: 66/0/0.00%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 12:29
Streak was: 5
Date: Wed Jul 20 15:18:42 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:I think we've managed to win all the ones mentioned in this thread, so that is likely a new one :-)
Date: Wed Jul 20 15:48:34 2016
User: WRAC
Message:This took me 14 tries, but I don't think I'm playing very well today. The solution isn't very hard... ONCE you see it. I think there are a few players who could get it on their first attempt if they were patient enough to think it out.
Link: 10x1 32084-5
Date: Thu Jul 21 10:02:58 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Now 4/101, so clearly it's not 0-for-66 hard, and therefore climate 5 is indeed it's correct categoration. lol.
Date: Thu Jul 21 10:53:18 2016
User: Mastermind
Message:Well, if WRAC wins it once and dcn21 thrice (most possibly,to improve on the time) does it still make the level 5 correct ?
I will accept a game to be of level 5 only if I can win it in not more than 3 attempts!
Date: Thu Jul 21 11:21:49 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Hmmmm.........
Looks like the (expert analytical) services of Andaronjim are needed again!
Date: Thu Jul 21 11:50:50 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:It seemed like there was one tricky part to me, where you have to trust sending the 4h home is the right move, but I never would have guessed that game would have started out 0/66. Now 5/105.
Date: Wed Aug 3 03:59:59 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:This one is barely worth mentioning, but it was a "never won" winnable, and a tiny bit tricky, imo!
Congratulations! You Win
Game #: 8x3 12859
Game stats: 4/1/25.00%
Difficulty: 10
Date: Wed Aug 10 10:57:32 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:W7x4: #17181-7
Now 0/3.
And a "crazy" game: W7x4: #14938-5.
Now 29/143. Must have been in a tournament.
Date: Wed Aug 17 11:18:39 2016
User: rws33315
Message:Game: W6x5 5610-5
Plays: 15
Wins: 0
Percentage: 0.00
Date: Wed Aug 17 13:33:42 2016
User: Mastermind
Message:Got it out of the way after four tries. Moderately tough.
Date: Wed Aug 17 14:33:44 2016
User: MaggieJ
Message:Game #: 22588
Game stats: 20/0/0.00%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 1:20
Streak was: 1
Date: Wed Aug 17 15:31:14 2016
User: ix
Message:Game #: 6x5 22588
Game stats: 21/1/4.76%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 5:45
1st try, knowing it was hard i avoided any tempting moves and arbitrarily cleared column one, then went after the ace of spades.
Date: Wed Aug 17 18:01:43 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Game: 6x5 14975-5
Plays: 15
Wins: 0
Percentage: 0.00
(Not mine, but I see it was in the winnable universe.)
Date: Fri Aug 19 17:48:16 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:My good w6x5 streak (51) was terminated by game # 20999-10, which seriously reduces my Winnable Challenge score!
I would be pleased if someone would post the solution!! Thanks in advance!
Date: Fri Aug 19 19:21:04 2016
User: WRAC
Message:Tough game - took me 7 tries - but not too bad once you find the correct opening. Try clearing column 4 first.
Date: Fri Aug 19 20:33:44 2016
User: ix
Message:got it with wrac's clue, i'm sure tony will too
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:32:57 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:THANKS WRAC (and ix)!!!
YES, I got it, and I can sort of understand how I missed it when it mattered (sigh)!
I think that getting older (more experienced) isn't improving my game at all (sigh)!
Date: Sun Aug 21 09:58:30 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:Here are a couple of more w6x5-5:
# 8215 is 0/10, and # 26692 is 0/54! These 2 didn't hurt me, so no clues are needed.
Date: Wed Aug 24 21:38:36 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:these probably aren't too hard, just haven't been played.
Game: 5x8 23371-6
Plays: 1
Wins: 0
Percentage: 0.00
Game: 5x8 19431-6
Plays: 1
Wins: 0
Percentage: 0.00
Game: 5x8 2256-10
Plays: 1
Wins: 0
Percentage: 0.00
Date: Wed Aug 24 22:43:46 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:Game W5x8: 13594-6
Game stats: 3/0/0.00%
Obviously not easy, but likely not terrible, either.
Date: Wed Aug 24 22:47:07 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:Game W5x8: 13594-6 1/4 now.
Date: Wed Aug 24 22:56:50 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:Not surprised. Didn't push it. Good work.
Date: Wed Aug 24 23:07:15 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:yeah it seems most of these 5x8 aren't super tricky, but it is just so hard to play out in your head it is easier to try something that looks good and go for it. Especially when you are either trying to play fast or don't have a long streak on the line.
Date: Wed Aug 31 01:17:19 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:W4x10: 20337-5
Game stats: 7/0/0.00%
I'm sure it's winnable, and I almost won it; just don't want to play it again.
Date: Sat Sep 3 11:59:52 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:fun one to start the day.
Game #: 7x4 30965
Game stats: 45/1/2.22%
Difficulty: 8
Elapsed: 8:44
Streak: 35
Today: 1
Date: Mon Sep 19 13:31:42 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:This one nearly ended my streak, but I got it on the first try (using cards):
Game #: 6x5 32748
Game stats: 32/1/3.13%
Difficulty: 7
Elapsed: 5:04
Streak: 21
Today: 3
Date: Mon Sep 19 13:52:26 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:So..........by saying "first try (using cards)", does that mean *as* you were using cards, you immediately went straight to the solution? Or in the midst of that "first try", did you backtrack, re-route, or have any dead ends that you had to abandon? Just wondering exactly what "first try (using cards)" really means to you. And yes, it is a serious question.
Date: Mon Sep 19 17:51:42 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:"Immediately" is an exageration! "First try (using cards)" means 1) that there was no backtracking (as much luck as brain power), 2) that I didn't need to know the whole solution (> 60 moves) at the first move, but could develop the solution as I progressed, and 3) that every move was written down so that I could fairly quickly enter the solution without making any mistakes! Multiple tries with cards normally means redealing the cards, since, if I try to backtrack, I can never be sure that I have the cards in the right place! Clear enough?
I would guess that using cards reduces my overall loses by about half, and reduces my loses on "difficult deals" by about 90-95%. I think it is very, very sad that Goosey_Goosey_Gander stopped using cards (his results have dropped dramatically)!!!
Imo, all the best streaks in the difficult variants have been achieved either by 1) brillance, or 2) luck, or 3) using cards, or 4) using a solver!
Date: Mon Sep 19 18:29:15 2016
User: ix
Message:tony, i've shown my respect for your philosophy before, so i don't think you doubt it, but what ggg did is far from sad. its akin to stopping performance enhancing drugs, it will show in your stats, but it puts us on all on equal footing. yikes, i'm dangerously close to agreeing with tn on something.
Date: Mon Sep 19 19:53:20 2016
User: TNmountainman
Message:Thank you for your reply, Tony. "Immediately" was a poor choice of word. "Directly" is really my intended meaning. However..."multiple tries" to me has a different meaning. Of course re-dealing cards would be a new try; but let's say you get 20 moves in, and see your path blocked. So you "backtrack" to where you were 1 or 2 or 3 moves prior, and try a different pathway. To me, that would be a new "try", as you exhausted the possibility of the original "try". Not that it *really* matters in the context of the 'rules' you use, but I am just curious how you 'count' tries.
And I am dismayed you would characterize G_G_G's conscious choice in the way you did. He has already clearly stated that he feels good about it. Believe it or not, there *are* other things more important in life than winning, and/or keeping a certain percentage intact. And although he can certainly speak for himself, his last word on that was quite positive, as I recall.
Although sometimes luck (see SirPape in 4x4 - maybe) is of course involved, this game is designed to be competitive using (your term) "brilliance". I think G_G_G realized that. imo.
Is it possible you miss his presence as someone to somehow help bolster your stance?
And sorry, ix, I bet there's a support group for that.
Date: Tue Sep 20 03:10:46 2016
User: TitanicTony
Message:The only thing in freecell more important than winning is to have fun playing the game, imo! You can have your fun your way, and I can have my fun my way!!!! Oh, and to stay healthy is also very important! As I have said before, staring at cards is healthier than staring at a computer screen, imo!
Date: Wed Sep 28 15:07:25 2016
User: MaggieJ
Message:Game #: 18517
Game stats: 9/0/0.00%
Difficulty: 6
Elapsed: 4:23
Streak was: 10
Date: Wed Sep 28 16:37:56 2016
User: ix
Message:wow, looks tough, i've tried a few times and gotten about as far as a fish in the deep sea that sees one of those lures dangling in front of a much bigger fish and thought "hey free food". its a 10x1 by the way, a mr bob toughie, now 19/0
Link: http://freecell.net/f/c/view_one_game.html?;18517,6,10x1
Date: Wed Sep 28 21:50:41 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:You think that one's tough? Check out this one:
Game #: 24162
Game stats: 75/1/1.33%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 6:38
Streak was: 5
Seriously, shouldn't that be at least level 6, if not 7? LOL.
Date: Wed Sep 28 22:02:35 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:Which was immediately followed by this one:
Game #: 10x1 29387
Game stats: 41/4/9.76%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 3:47
Streak: 1
WTH?
Date: Wed Sep 28 22:27:56 2016
User: Patti_Scialfa
Message:Almost immediately followed by:
Game: 10x1 4191-5
Plays: 68
Wins: 12
Percentage: 17.65
....and......
Game #: 27405
Game stats: 61/8/13.11%
Difficulty: 5
Elapsed: 7:53
What purgatory have I plunged into?
Date: Thu Sep 29 00:15:33 2016
User: CubicSprock
Message:24162 is interesting, took several tries before seeing the key.
Date: Thu Oct 13 19:48:17 2016
User: ix
Message:yay, only 19 tries!
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