IWS #166 -- The Results

QuikSand · 07-14-2009, 08:53 AM

I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it." - Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross

Welcome, friends. It is time once again to reveal the sad shame of your efforts on another challenging IWS puzzle. Many of you will volunteer excuses why you misunderstood, and argue that your fellow puzzlers simply should have done better in matching your insightful answers. A few brave souls may seek to challenge my judgment in judging answers as correct, for they did not read the fine print in the original contest. Alas, we all have seen this movie before.

ENOUGH WITTY BANTER! ON WITH THE SHOW!

1. Name something that people either do, or have, for good luck.

24 rabbits foot
3 knock on wood
2 four leaf clover
2 horseshoe
good luck charm
cross fingers

Okay, we'll start off with an eliminator. Not really my goal, but that's what we get here. Ghoulish furry appendage FTW, otherwise, stay home...

2. Name something that people think causes bad luck.

16 black cat
12 broken mirror
2 number 13
opening umbrella indoors
walking under a ladder
Friday the 13th

So, a semi-eliminator... but at least here you had two legitimate choices. If you're already pissed off, there's really no need for you to continue...

3. Name a phrase with at least three words that includes the word "luck" or a form of it.

14 luck of the Irish
3 press your luck
3 your lucky day
2 luck of the draw
2 out of luck
luck be a lady
as luck would have it
rather be lucky than good
I have the worst luck
lucky SOB
good luck charm
I got lucky
frosted lucky charms
goodbye and good luck

I honestly expected a wider range here, and this question would have been my own undoing had I played this round. I'll openly wonder how important it is, in this phrasing, to have the word "luck" actually be the first word in the phrase... if that mentality might have made a major difference among people searching for an answer here. I'm not convinced that "luck of the Irish" is dramatically more well known that a few others from that list, but it does have that advantage. *shurg*

4. I'm going to flip a coin three times. Guess how it will land, by giving me three responses, in order.

17 HTH
7 HHH
4 HHT
2 TTH
TTT
THT
(misunderstood the question)

This might be my favorite IWS question I ever came up with. Close to an eliminator, but to me this comes just about as close to capturing the essence of IWS as any single question that I can recall. I predicted that about half of the responses would be HTH, and I would have been devastated had the winner come from someone who didn't get this one. I was not disappointed.

5. Finish the following phrase: "I don't believe in luck, _________________ "

11 I/you make you own luck
3 I believe in hard work
3 I believe in skill
3 I believe in me
3 everything happens for a reason
2 I believe in fate
2 I believe in destiny
but I have a lucky number
I believe in odds
because I never had any
anymore
I believe in cause and effect
I believe in science

Ah, the dreaded "open ended question" (part one). I did a little bit of consolidation here, but basically we did get some themes. Decent spread, I think.

6. So, you're not really a believer in superstition or any of that sort of thing. But if there's one exception... one thing that the good luck/bad luck people might actually have right, it's probably... what?

4 karma
3 walking under a ladder
3 an apple a day...
2 don't mess with it if its going good (or thereabouts)
2 lucky clothing
2 streaks
2 Friday the 13th
good/bad luck is product of putting yourself into a good/bad situation
13
prayer
kiss for luck
a hot craps table
beginner's luck
broken mirror
believe in something
breaking a mirror
nothing
always bet on black
knock on wood

Now the even more open-ended question. Definitely some judgment here, and in theory I could have lumped a couple of these sub-groups together, but I'm comfy with the split above and that's that. I honestly never thought of the "apple a day" saying as being about good luck rather than good health, but I am familiar with the rules of the game, so here are your three points. maybe it's disappointing to some people to see nothing get more than a handful of responses, but i like having one or two of these in a set -- I think there's a slightly different skill involved in getting to be part of a small cluster, than just coming up with the one obviously (in retrospect, at least) correct answer.

And with that, now the usual parade of escalating scores...

JUST NOT YOUR DAY, PAL

clemsonfan 24
Lorena 176
Desnudo 816
gstelmack 1,008
Submile2 2,176
path12 3,168
Mustang 4,032
panerd 4,704
MrDNA 4,896
stevew 5,984
digamma 9,216
Pyser 9,216
jbergey22 9,792
samifan24 12,672
LoneStarGirl 13,056
flere-imsaho 13,824
Karlifornia 14,688

PERHAPS YOU'D BE MORE COMFORTABLE AT ONE OF YOUR LOWER STAKES TABLES

WheelsVT 33,792
MikeVic 44,352
albionmoonlight 64,512
Sun Tzu 91,392
Dutch 91,392
kingfc22 112,896
PineTar 112,896
ThunderingHerd 125,664
Danny 161,568
Ronnie Dobbs2 205,632
lighthousekeeper 254,016
Bad-example 282,744
DataKing 548,352
SteveMax58 616,896

YOU MAY WANT TO RUB HIM FOR LUCK:

tarcone 1,507,968

AND THE LUCKIEST SUMBITCH WE ALL KNOW...

wade moore 4,021,248

Congratulations, wade, it's your Brut day!

clemsonfan · 07-14-2009, 08:58 AM

Lowest score! Woo!

flere-imsaho · 07-14-2009, 09:15 AM

Holy cow!

Passacaglia · 07-14-2009, 09:18 AM

Wow, no love for 'best of luck'? And I really don't get the thinking for HTH.

MikeVic · 07-14-2009, 09:31 AM

Why HTH? Just type one letter three times: HHH.

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 07-14-2009, 09:33 AM

Heads is first, that we can agree on.
It's going to have to end up around 50-50, so lets go tails next.
Third, we have to go either heads just feels nicer.

Hey, it's not called "I'm with a perfectly logical computer."

MikeVic · 07-14-2009, 09:39 AM

And how did my "lucky SOB" not get more votes? QuikSand even uses the phrase before announcing the winner!

QuikSand · 07-14-2009, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

Heads is first, that we can agree on.
It's going to have to end up around 50-50, so lets go tails next.
Third, we have to go either heads just feels nicer.

Hey, it's not called "I'm with a perfectly logical computer."

spot on

Maple Leafs · 07-14-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Why HTH? Just type one letter three times: HHH.

Once the first two had come up heads, the odds of the third one also being heads is only like one-in-eight.

MikeVic · 07-14-2009, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuikSand

spot on

It didn't say out of 1000 flips or whatever. I can flip a coin three times at any time and get HHH. (I don't really care, I'm just trying to create discussion as I found the question interesting as well).

MikeVic · 07-14-2009, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Once the first two had come up heads, the odds of the third one also being heads is only like one-in-eight.

lol.

Mustang · 07-14-2009, 09:56 AM

I said HHH. Why bother lifting your finger off the H button. Anything else is just logical sorcery.

DataKing · 07-14-2009, 09:56 AM

Believe it or not, this was the 1st time I've participated in an IWS, and I came in 4th. Nice. Beginner's luck???

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 07-14-2009, 10:02 AM

Well, by definition HTH is the right answer, logical sorcery be damned

Danny · 07-14-2009, 10:03 AM

3. Name a phrase with at least three words that includes the word "luck" or a form of it.

Damn, a good showing, but this question killed me. I said good luck charm. I there would be more considering what question #1 was.

Passacaglia · 07-14-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

Heads is first, that we can agree on.
It's going to have to end up around 50-50, so lets go tails next.
Third, we have to go either heads just feels nicer.

Hey, it's not called "I'm with a perfectly logical computer."

You lost me at the first sentence.

SteveMax58 · 07-14-2009, 10:22 AM

3rd...woohoo!

I got hosed on the 5. Finish the following phrase: "I don't believe in luck, "

I reverted to John Lennon...and not even in correct context of the lyrics...but it was the only thing that came to mind.

wade moore · 07-14-2009, 10:24 AM

Yay!

I've entered quite a few of these, and this is my first win.

I'll be thinking long and hard to try and come up with a solid theme and set of questions.

Passacaglia · 07-14-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Once the first two had come up heads, the odds of the third one also being heads is only like one-in-eight.

Awesome.

Sun Tzu · 07-14-2009, 10:27 AM

weaksauce

Ronnie Dobbs2 · 07-14-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

You lost me at the first sentence.

If you can't see it starting with heads, I don't know what to tell you. It's certainly not logical, but heads is the natural first one to put in.

DataKing · 07-14-2009, 10:33 AM

No one ever says "choose tails or heads."

kingfc22 · 07-14-2009, 10:41 AM

Number 5 crushed me.

path12 · 07-14-2009, 10:50 AM

I didn't even think of rabbit's foot. I so suck at IWS.

clemsonfan · 07-14-2009, 10:52 AM

The only one I got was #1. I was way beyond off on the others.

Dutch · 07-14-2009, 10:57 AM

Was with stupid with the first four and thought I was going to put up a great showing, and then bombed the last two. Grrrr...

I don't participate in many IWS's where I think it's too wide open, but I liked the theme here and had some nice balance to the questions.

tarcone · 07-14-2009, 11:33 AM

2nd place makes me feel much better after my Hollywood showing.

stevew · 07-14-2009, 12:45 PM

I really thought 6 was a horrible question, but other than that it was a very good event.

DanGarion · 07-14-2009, 01:11 PM

Weird, what happened to my entry?

digamma · 07-14-2009, 01:15 PM

You exported the wrong stage file?

gstelmack · 07-14-2009, 01:32 PM

I'm overlooking
A four leaf clover
That I overlooked before

Glengoyne · 07-14-2009, 02:02 PM

Damn, I thought we had until this coming Sunday to participate. I would have been screwed by my "Luck of the Draw" answer, especially so with my Irish heritage. I was pretty good on the rest, Even debating between HHH and HTH...That one really was "What would Stupid do?" Great question.

Karlifornia · 07-14-2009, 02:41 PM

Did I even answer the last question? I certainly don't remember it.

Pyser · 07-14-2009, 03:24 PM

i think the broken mirrors in q6 could be combined, but i still did miserably

MIJB#19 · 07-14-2009, 04:02 PM

Oh crap, I missed playing in this IWS. QS ones are always great.
*sigh*

MrDNA · 07-14-2009, 10:01 PM

Wrestled with black cat/walk under a ladder for what brings bad luck and I picked the wrong one. Not that it matter, since you bastards apparently didn't watch enough "Press Your Luck!"

tarcone · 07-14-2009, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDNA

Wrestled with black cat/walk under a ladder for what brings bad luck and I picked the wrong one. Not that it matter, since you bastards apparently didn't watch enough "Press Your Luck!"

Tampa may be down right now, but I kicked your arse in this game.

Julio Riddols · 07-15-2009, 08:45 AM

If I ask someone to guess the result of a coin flip from now on, I am going to simply ask, "Which side do you think this coin will land on?" Which creates a whole slew of issues.

WheelsVT · 07-15-2009, 11:56 AM

My first IWS submitted at the buzzer and I hit the top half. Not bad. I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere but how is that score figured out? Thought I would just get X points on a question where X is the number that had the same answer as me.

I want another IWS!!

gstelmack · 07-15-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WheelsVT

I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere but how is that score figured out? Thought I would just get X points on a question where X is the number that had the same answer as me.

And then those get multiplied together.

LoneStarGirl · 07-30-2009, 08:04 PM

Paging Wade Moore!

wade moore · 07-30-2009, 08:05 PM

Yikes.

Life has been a bit crazy and I totally forgot about this.

I'll try to get on it tomorrow.

jbergey22 · 08-08-2009, 07:46 PM

Whats the good word Wade?

KWhit · 08-13-2009, 08:30 PM

double u

tee

eff

gstelmack · 08-14-2009, 08:10 AM

IWS #167

1. Name an FOFC poster that Wade has it in for.

2. Name a multiplayer league rule that Wade has been instrumental in changing.

3. How many twin brothers does Wade have?

4. How many posts does Wade have?

5. Name a multiplayer league in which Wade has won the championship.

6. How many posters are on Wade's ignore list?

Maybe that will inspire him to post his own set

stevew · 08-14-2009, 12:31 PM

At some point, if the winner doesn't post a new one(say generously 3 weeks), the 2nd place guy should post the next one.

Seriously, it's at a month now?

hoopsguy · 08-14-2009, 12:38 PM

Normally Wade just wrecks draft games.

stevew · 08-14-2009, 12:50 PM

That's hilarious.

stevew · 08-14-2009, 12:52 PM

I'm going to post a new game next tuesday if one has not been posted.

wade moore · 08-14-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

I'm going to post a new game next tuesday if one has not been posted.

No you're not.

Sorry if life gets in the way. I'll try to do this this weekend or early next week, don't get your panties in a bunch.

07-14-2009, 09:33 AM	#6
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	Heads is first, that we can agree on. It's going to have to end up around 50-50, so lets go tails next. Third, we have to go either heads just feels nicer. Hey, it's not called "I'm with a perfectly logical computer." __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

07-14-2009, 09:56 AM	#12
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	I said HHH. Why bother lifting your finger off the H button. Anything else is just logical sorcery. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

07-14-2009, 09:56 AM	#13
DataKing Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago	Believe it or not, this was the 1st time I've participated in an IWS, and I came in 4th. Nice. Beginner's luck??? __________________ Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty)

07-14-2009, 10:02 AM	#14
Ronnie Dobbs2 Pro Rookie Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Bahston Mass	Well, by definition HTH is the right answer, logical sorcery be damned __________________ There's no I in Teamocil, at least not where you'd think

07-14-2009, 10:27 AM	#20
Sun Tzu Pro Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: In the thick of it.	weaksauce __________________ I'm still here. Don't touch my fucking bacon.

07-14-2009, 08:58 AM	#2
clemsonfan High School JV Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dayton, OH	Lowest score! Woo!

07-14-2009, 09:15 AM	#3
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	Holy cow!

07-14-2009, 09:18 AM	#4
Passacaglia Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Big Ten Country	Wow, no love for 'best of luck'? And I really don't get the thinking for HTH.

07-14-2009, 09:31 AM	#5
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	Why HTH? Just type one letter three times: HHH.

07-14-2009, 09:39 AM	#7
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	And how did my "lucky SOB" not get more votes? QuikSand even uses the phrase before announcing the winner!

07-14-2009, 10:03 AM	#15
Danny Head Coach Join Date: Jul 2001	3. Name a phrase with at least three words that includes the word "luck" or a form of it. Damn, a good showing, but this question killed me. I said good luck charm. I there would be more considering what question #1 was.

07-14-2009, 10:22 AM	#17
SteveMax58 College Starter Join Date: Dec 2006	3rd...woohoo! I got hosed on the 5. Finish the following phrase: "I don't believe in luck, " I reverted to John Lennon...and not even in correct context of the lyrics...but it was the only thing that came to mind.

07-14-2009, 10:33 AM	#22
DataKing Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago	No one ever says "choose tails or heads." __________________ Current Games Diablo III (BattleTag: DataKing#1685) Allegiances: Chicago Bears - Detroit Red Wings - Kansas Jayhawks Awards: 2011 Golden Scribe - Other Sports Category (The Straight(away) and Narrow - A Forza Motorsport 3 Dynasty)

07-14-2009, 10:41 AM	#23
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Number 5 crushed me. __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

07-14-2009, 10:50 AM	#24
path12 Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	I didn't even think of rabbit's foot. I so suck at IWS. __________________ We have always been at war with Eastasia.

07-14-2009, 10:52 AM	#25
clemsonfan High School JV Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dayton, OH	The only one I got was #1. I was way beyond off on the others.

07-14-2009, 10:57 AM	#26
Dutch "Dutch" Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Tampa, FL	Was with stupid with the first four and thought I was going to put up a great showing, and then bombed the last two. Grrrr... I don't participate in many IWS's where I think it's too wide open, but I liked the theme here and had some nice balance to the questions. Last edited by Dutch : 07-14-2009 at 10:58 AM.

07-14-2009, 11:33 AM	#27
tarcone Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pacific	2nd place makes me feel much better after my Hollywood showing.

07-14-2009, 12:45 PM	#28
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	I really thought 6 was a horrible question, but other than that it was a very good event.

07-14-2009, 01:11 PM	#29
DanGarion Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Great Northwest	Weird, what happened to my entry? __________________ Los Angeles Dodgers Check out the FOFC Groups on Facebook! and Reddit! DON'T REPORT ME BRO!

07-14-2009, 01:15 PM	#30
digamma Torchbearer Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: On Lake Harriet	You exported the wrong stage file?

07-14-2009, 01:32 PM	#31
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	I'm overlooking A four leaf clover That I overlooked before __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

07-14-2009, 02:02 PM	#32
Glengoyne Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Fresno, CA	Damn, I thought we had until this coming Sunday to participate. I would have been screwed by my "Luck of the Draw" answer, especially so with my Irish heritage. I was pretty good on the rest, Even debating between HHH and HTH...That one really was "What would Stupid do?" Great question.

07-14-2009, 02:41 PM	#33
Karlifornia Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: San Jose, CA	Did I even answer the last question? I certainly don't remember it. __________________ Look into the mind of a crazy man (NSFW) http://www.whitepowerupdate.wordpress.com

07-14-2009, 03:24 PM	#34
Pyser Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Los Angeles	i think the broken mirrors in q6 could be combined, but i still did miserably

07-14-2009, 04:02 PM	#35
MIJB#19 Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands	Oh crap, I missed playing in this IWS. QS ones are always great. sigh __________________ * 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail

07-14-2009, 10:01 PM	#36
MrDNA High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2007	Wrestled with black cat/walk under a ladder for what brings bad luck and I picked the wrong one. Not that it matter, since you bastards apparently didn't watch enough "Press Your Luck!" __________________ Norfolk Flame (Shiba) Jacksonville Bulls (UFL) R.I.P. *Ayr Bravehearts (FOFL)*

07-15-2009, 08:45 AM	#38
Julio Riddols College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bryson Shitty, NC	If I ask someone to guess the result of a coin flip from now on, I am going to simply ask, "Which side do you think this coin will land on?" Which creates a whole slew of issues. __________________ Recklessly enthused, stubbornly amused. FUCK EA

07-15-2009, 11:56 AM	#39
WheelsVT High School JV Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: GA	My first IWS submitted at the buzzer and I hit the top half. Not bad. I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere but how is that score figured out? Thought I would just get X points on a question where X is the number that had the same answer as me. I want another IWS!!

07-30-2009, 08:04 PM	#41
LoneStarGirl College Starter Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Little Rock, AR	Paging Wade Moore!

08-08-2009, 07:46 PM	#43
jbergey22 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minnesota	Whats the good word Wade?

08-13-2009, 08:30 PM	#44
KWhit Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Conyers GA	double u tee eff

08-14-2009, 08:10 AM	#45
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	IWS #167 1. Name an FOFC poster that Wade has it in for. 2. Name a multiplayer league rule that Wade has been instrumental in changing. 3. How many twin brothers does Wade have? 4. How many posts does Wade have? 5. Name a multiplayer league in which Wade has won the championship. 6. How many posters are on Wade's ignore list? Maybe that will inspire him to post his own set __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

08-14-2009, 12:31 PM	#46
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	At some point, if the winner doesn't post a new one(say generously 3 weeks), the 2nd place guy should post the next one. Seriously, it's at a month now?

08-14-2009, 12:38 PM	#47
hoopsguy General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Chicago	Normally Wade just wrecks draft games.