jsuchard on Crosswords

Message

MarleysGh0st · #26 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:14 am

Since I'm in a one-a-day-wait-some-indefinite-period-to-see-the-show market, how are they explaining the constant changes in the rules as they go back to an older show, then forward to a newer one?

Or are they just leaving the audience befuddled?

earendel · #27 Post by **earendel** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:35 am

MarleysGh0st wrote:Since I'm in a one-a-day-wait-some-indefinite-period-to-see-the-show market, how are they explaining the constant changes in the rules as they go back to an older show, then forward to a newer one?

Or are they just leaving the audience befuddled?

I've heard mention of the changes in format but no one has set down what they are.

snomaim · #28 Post by **snomaim** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:38 am

One change is that the Crosswords Getaways (vacation trips) are being eliminated and there will be more Crossword Extras instead. Also, the prize for the bonus round is being upped to $5,000.

jsuchard · #29 Post by **jsuchard** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:56 am

MarleysGh0st wrote:How are they explaining the constant changes in the rules as they go back to an older show, then forward to a newer one?

No explanation is given, nor is there any indication made that the rules might vary from episode to episode.

MarleysGh0st · #30 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:57 am

jsuchard wrote:No explanation is given, nor is there any indication made that the rules might vary from episode to episode.

So it's really like playing a game of Calvinball.

plasticene · #31 Post by **plasticene** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 5:40 pm

I'm really sorry I had to miss the viewing party, it's been way too long since I've seen you guys. I finally saw the show and ...

Spoiler

it was a very pleasant surprise--when I looked at the promotional stills long ago, I thought I spotted one of Jeff's opponents playing the final round puzzle. I must not have been looking closely enough. Congratulations, Jeff! Very well played!

Too bad the last round didn't go so well. I think you would have won it if you had been more daring and gone for the clues with the most blanks remaining, rather than the ones with the fewest. Did you notice it took five clues to fill in the eight squares in the top center, when it might have taken as few as two if you'd called for the across clues first?

I know you didn't ask for a critique, but I just can't help myself! In any case, you certainly were impressive throughout, and we all know that you hold the honor of being the show's first true champion.

thguy65 · #32 Post by **thguy65** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:21 pm

plasticene wrote:
Spoiler
it was a very pleasant surprise--when I looked at the promotional stills long ago, I thought I spotted one of Jeff's opponents playing the final round puzzle. I must not have been looking closely enough. Congratulations, Jeff! Very well played!

Too bad the last round didn't go so well. I think you would have won it if you had been more daring and gone for the clues with the most blanks remaining, rather than the ones with the fewest. Did you notice it took five clues to fill in the eight squares in the top center, when it might have taken as few as two if you'd called for the across clues first?

I know you didn't ask for a critique, but I just can't help myself! In any case, you certainly were impressive throughout, and we all know that you hold the honor of being the show's first true champion.

Here's where the old rules/new rules are a factor.
In these first set of shows, money was awarded in the final round for each correct response, rather than an all-or-nothing cash prize for completing the puzzle. IIRC, only the trip prize was dependent on completing the puzzle. So the best strategy to increase cash and decrease tax burden was the one we saw employed in this episode.

plasticene · #33 Post by **plasticene** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:01 pm

thguy65 wrote:Here's where the old rules/new rules are a factor.
In these first set of shows, money was awarded in the final round for each correct response, rather than an all-or-nothing cash prize for completing the puzzle. IIRC, only the trip prize was dependent on completing the puzzle. So the best strategy to increase cash and decrease tax burden was the one we saw employed in this episode.

Thanks for letting me know that. I've seen a lot of players use that strategy, even since the rule change, and I think it partially accounts for the low success rate at the puzzle.

jsuchard · #34 Post by **jsuchard** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:28 pm

Another difference is this:
The original rules held that the "Crossword EXTRA"s were independent (and longer) words that weren't in the overall puzzle, which were worth twice the money of the longest regular words in the puzzle, and there was no option to decide what amount to wager.

This doesn't seem like much of a difference, except that the current rules (where the "EXTRA"s are a part of the overall puzzle) fill in more of the puzzle by the time the final round starts. Now, no game-time is wasted on words that won't even appear in the puzzle, which amounts to two or three words per game. I think that this change was made partly to increase the number of final round winners. If I had had two or three more words already filled in, I think I could have won.

With regard to my "strategy" of filling in more words instead of longer words:
It wasn't my specific and intentional game-plan to go for more completed words for $100 each, although that certainly is justified. The reason I went for shorter words was two-fold.
1) When the overall puzzle was revealed, I knew for a certainty that I could not finish it in 90 seconds. There were just too many blank spaces left. We had too many missed clues in the first three rounds, wasting time compared to correctly solved clues. And since I couldn't finish the puzzle, I should at least get the most money possible.
2) Each clue that is not immediately and correctly solved is a time-waster. The contestant should not sit and think, but merely solve or pass. I felt it was more likely that I could immediately solve the smaller words than the longer words. I think that I "passed" three times, and each time the request to pass was immediate (and decided upon even before the host was finished reading the clue).

kayrharris · #35 Post by **kayrharris** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:48 pm

So I'm totally mixed up or just stupid, or both. We don't get Crosswords here, so that explains some of my confusion.

Spoiler

It seems I see congratulations which seems you won. But then you say in your last post you think you would have won if.....and Plasticene also mentions something about "you would have won if..."

Maybe you can PM me with the answer.

Thanks!

Ritterskoop · #36 Post by **Ritterskoop** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:52 pm

kayrharris wrote: We don't get Crosswords here, so that explains some of my confusion.

Spoiler
It seems I see congratulations which seems you won. But then you say in your last post you think you would have won if.....and Plasticene also mentions something about "you would have won if..."
Maybe you can PM me with the answer.

Thanks!

PM on the way.