Subject: Never won winnables!
Date: Tue Mar 7 12:43:05 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:This one is even better!
Game: W6x5 6369-10; ..... Game stats: 12/1/8.3%/2201; ..... Player Elo: 2396.126 ▲ 1.998.
Date: Fri Mar 10 09:01:47 2023
User: datrox-3
Message:Game: 7x3 16679-12
Game stats: 1/1/100%/2168
I admit: This game was played only once. I hope it fits in this thread. I first had to send home cards in one suit all the way to the king (only 3 cards in another suit) before I could send home the other suits. Maybe there is an easier way. But this way was very nice.
Date: Thu Mar 16 17:58:04 2023
User: datrox-3
Message:Game: 7x3 29363-12
Game stats: 30/1/3.3%
Interesting game. The only promising opening was a dead end. But trained by the dead end I found another (not so promising) opening which after about 50 moves finally turned out to be correct. All attemps are mine.
Date: Thu Mar 16 19:26:51 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Game: 10x0 21972-5
Game stats: 39/1/2.6%/2223
Player Elo: 2111.208 ▲ 5.358.
Date: Thu Mar 16 20:47:42 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:WOW, 2 in a row.
Game: 9x1 22048-5
Game stats: 38/1/2.6%/2138
Player Elo: 2115.573 ▲ 4.365.
That gives me a new personal best Elo.
Date: Mon Mar 27 18:29:46 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Wow, a real stunner:
Game: 6x4 20921-5
Game stats: 118/1/0.8%/2389
Player Elo: 2141.193 ▲ 6.543.
Using cards can be VERY rewarding. I think it took me about 10 hours to win just 6 games today.
Date: Mon Mar 27 20:04:52 2023
User: ix
Message:
Date: Tue Mar 28 03:28:23 2023
User: Kumquat-of-Conciliation
Message:We assume that when he hits multiple dead ends, he 'backs out' partially, to a particular spot in the game, and then tries various pathways from there, and if those don't work, he goes further back to a different branch point. Rinse and repeat. Just like solving a maze. So it's hard to put a number on it. In most of our books, each one of those failed pathways is an attempt (of course), but since he doesn't necessarily go back to the beginning every time (just an assumption, since he makes notes), he doesn't have to play the games from the beginning each time. Speculation, all that, but would seem logical. If he did all that work within the game format online, it might be 500 attempts. 1000+. Nobody knows, not even his cat.
So, just to me, that's not impressive (hardly) at all - only in his persistence, if one wants to give him credit for that. It's just a brute force solve. If one tries every conceivable combination on a lock, one will eventually find the one that works. Is that impressive?
Date: Tue Mar 28 03:30:24 2023
User: TNmountainman
Message:Here's a nice one. Some trickeration involved:
Game: 11x0 12524-5
Game stats: 38/1/2.6%
Although I saw the probable solution near the end of the first attempt, it took me 3 tries to nail it down.
Date: Tue Mar 28 04:33:10 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:I can't backup halfway, because I haven't recorded the card layout at that point. I always re-deal the cards from the beginning. That game above (Game: 6x4 20921-5, Game stats: 118/1/0.8%/2389) probably took 3, or maybe 4, re-deals. I never count the number of re-deals. AND, on a difficult game like this one, I always play it out a 2nd time, just to be doubly sure that my notes are correct (it's disappointing how often they're not).
And btw, "every conceivable combination" on a 6x4 game is way, WAY out of the realm of possibility (there are thousands)!
Date: Tue Mar 28 04:36:16 2023
User: ix
Message:
Date: Tue Mar 28 05:51:30 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Wow, this must be my lucky week:
Game: 10x0 13613-5
Game stats: 18/1/5.6%/2101
Player Elo: 2144.773 ▲ 3.579.
THANKS, ix!... I appreciate your friendly reply.
Date: Wed Mar 29 04:33:06 2023
User: Klepp
Message:Come come now, I contend this game was lost purposefully (and I'm being earnest).
7x5 5396-10
Date: Sat Apr 1 14:04:10 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Game: 5x6 11364-5
Game stats: 7/1/14.3%/1976
Player Elo: 2157.177 ▲ 2.127.
Date: Sat Apr 1 16:46:08 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Gee, another one:
Game: 5x6 32290-5
Game stats: 9/1/11.1%/2002
Player Elo: 2160.613 ▲ 2.341.
Date: Thu Apr 6 11:18:05 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:Game: W6x5 19432-10; ...... Game stats: 5/1/20%/2093; ...... Player Elo: 2402.658 ▲ 1.164.
Date: Fri Apr 7 08:55:43 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:My 1st ever 4x6 (after just 2 unwinnables) was a fun one!
Game: 4x6 23626-5
Game stats: 3/1/33.3%/2082
Player Elo: 2162.803 ▲ 3.163.
Date: Sun Apr 23 06:14:55 2023
User: sebcbien2
Message:12x0 27355-7 Tournament 3:25 Won 4.8% 1/21
I finished it 1 minute or so too late during Zany tournament
Date: Mon Apr 24 19:34:24 2023
User: ix
Message:
Date: Thu May 4 18:26:52 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:I was working on my 10-sum games today, and I got this one:
Game: 5x5 21346-5
Game stats: 12/1/8.3%/2225
Player Elo: 2202.597 ▲ 4.360.
Date: Mon May 8 11:29:06 2023
User: sebcbien2
Message:11 moves to open a column and then careful moves
You Win
Game: 11x0 22561-5
Game stats: 29/1/3.4%/2087
Player Elo: 1963.488 ▲ 5.479
Elapsed: 16:12
Date: Thu May 11 17:08:31 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:I was working on my 10-sum games today, and I got this one:
Game: 5x5 29416-5
Game stats: 11/1/9.1%/2213
Player Elo: 2219.991 ▲ 4.013.
Date: Sat May 20 13:12:19 2023
User: rbw--3
Message:You Win
Game: W9x2 22492-9
Game stats: 4/1/25%/1770
Date: Mon May 29 15:32:04 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Wow, this one was a surprise, 🙂!
Game: 8x3 16786-10
Game stats: 47/1/2.1%/2265
Player Elo: 2240.146 ▲ 4.384.
Date: Tue Jun 6 05:18:34 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:Some w9x2 games are more difficult than others.
Game: W9x2 5011-9; ..... Game stats: 7/1/14.3%/1844; ..... Player Elo: 2368.988 ▲ 0.373.
Date: Thu Jun 8 17:47:30 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:I was very happy to win this one, 🙂!
Game: 4x6 8283-5
Game stats: 3/1/2.1%/2070
Player Elo: 2259.800 ▲ 2.
Date: Fri Jun 9 08:05:43 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:WOW, this one goes a long way towards making up for my earlier careless loss (see "Rarely won winnables"):
Game: 9x0 8579-5
Game stats: 27/1/3.7%/2254
Player Elo: 2259.470 ▲ 4.029.
Date: Thu Jun 15 12:01:42 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Gee, another good win:
Game: 7x3 7060-6
Game stats: 48/1/2.1%/2211
Player Elo: 2260.246 ▲ 3.519.
It is absolutely essential to use cards on games like this, imo.
Date: Thu Jun 15 12:51:45 2023
User: BuzzClik
Message:I am curious about the "careless loss" mentioned in your June 9 post. From your descriptions of your use of cards, you have discussed making measured steps, taking detailed notes, and having the solution fully laid out prior to replicating it online. What constitutes a careless mistake under these circumstances?
Date: Thu Jun 15 16:37:52 2023
User: TNmountainman
Message:9x2-8 #39
Now 1/15/6.7%. Very tough. Only mildly surprised hadn't been won previously.
Date: Thu Jun 15 18:53:51 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:@ Buzz. Usually it means either 1) that my notes were not correct (eg. I wrote down 6c -> 7h, when I meant to write "6s", or I left out one of the moves), or 2) my notes were correct, but I didn't manage to follow them precisely (eg. when my notes said "6s -> 7h", I mistakenly moved the "6c"). A 3rd possibility is that notes included an illegal move. Using cards is not perfect, but it reduces my losses on difficult games by more than half, imo. If you look at my 'Elo' graph, you will see that I still have LOTS of losses. Of course, some of those losses are because I misread the layout, and thought it was an easy game. I lost a w12x1 on Wednesday because of thinking it was an easy game. Well, it was, if you made the correct first move, but I didn't, lol.
Date: Fri Jun 16 14:03:17 2023
User: TNmountainman
Message:This one did shock me. Hard, but not so much as the 9x2 one I posted above from yesterday.
11x0 11179-5
Now 1/32/3.1%/2092
Date: Sat Jun 17 18:14:27 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Game: 10x1 9682-7
Game stats: 16/1/6.3%/1921
Player Elo: 2266.294 ▲ 0.975.
Date: Sat Jun 24 04:26:20 2023
User: sebcbien2
Message:10x0 27239-5 unfortunately at 5th attempt now 1/24
Date: Sat Jun 24 07:36:41 2023
User: sebcbien2
Message:10x0 11477-5 first time ! now 1/16
Date: Mon Jun 26 17:35:11 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Game: 5x7 13470-5
Game stats: 7/1/14.3%/1829
Player Elo: 2261.431 ▲ 0.617.
Date: Tue Jun 27 16:41:14 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Game: 4x6 20459-5
Game stats: 3/1/33.3%/2068
Player Elo: 2265.607 ▲ 1.973.
Date: Thu Jun 29 06:07:13 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:Game: 9x1 32044-5; .... Game stats: 37/1/2.7%/2155; .... Player Elo: 2375.519 ▲ 1.783.
I would have liked at least 3 Elo points for that one!
Date: Thu Jun 29 12:23:56 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:Game: 5x5 8639-5; .... Game stats: 8/1/12.5%/2165; .... Player Elo: 2377.585 ▲ 1.847.
Gee, 2 in a row.
This one was even more difficult than the one above; it took me > 4 hours.
Date: Mon Jul 17 01:54:51 2023
User: Uberman
Message:I'm sure Hop would be too modest to post this himself, but here's his first game of the day in 7x4, as part of the Monday LLC competition:-
7x4 #24655-10
47/1 2.1%
Elapsed - 7:28
Bumps his current streak up to 93 (11th All-Time)
Date: Tue Jul 25 13:57:51 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:| Game: | 4x10 19810-6 |
| Game stats: | 12/1/8.3%/1957 |
| Player Elo: | 2380.625 ▲ 0.648. |
Date: Wed Jul 26 08:19:54 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:| Game: | W7x4 16318-10 |
| Game stats: | 3/1/33.3%/1841 |
| Player Elo: | 2381.325 ▲ 0.342. |
Date: Thu Jul 27 15:19:43 2023
User: TitanicTony
Message:| Game: | W4x10 27691-5 |
| Game stats: | 8/1/12.5%/1849 |
| Player Elo: | 2382.812 ▲ 0.356. |
Date: Sat Jul 29 13:16:30 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:You Win
Game:
| 7x4 208-7 |
| Game stats: | 4/1/25%/1705 |
| Player Elo: | 2276.125 ▲ 0.289. |
Date: Thu Aug 3 08:10:38 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:You Win:
| Game: | 4x8 2475-5 |
Game stats:
| 3/1/33.3%/1904 |
| Player Elo: | 2266.244 ▲ 0.894. |
Date: Sat Aug 5 14:04:34 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:WOW.
Game: 8x2 5615-5
Game stats: 52/1/1.9%.
Unfortunately, this was my 2ND attempt.
Somehow I messed up the 1st attempt, GRRR!
And, it is of course not the 1st time either.
Unfortunately, these things happen. Iiwii...
Date: Sat Aug 5 15:59:30 2023
User: Ellie2
Message:Gee, another one already, and this time I got it on my 1st try!
Game: 8x2 7225-5
Game stats: 43/1/2.3%/2159
Player Elo: 2253.563 ▲ 2.999.
Date: Sat Aug 5 16:12:56 2023
User: TitanicTonys_deckofcards
Message:Well.......................................you know what I mean by "first"....................
Post follow-up