Ep 293: Shaun Ellis, Patrick Clark (April 1, 2015; originally aired October 12, 2011)

Rounds: Here.

Disclaimer: I watched this episode when it first aired, and although I did not recall any of it I cannot rule out memory being a factor.


Shaun gets his turn in the champion's seat tonight for the last game before the finals start.  Richard lets us know that Shaun is a keen poker player.  Shaun expands on that by saying he is trying it as a hobby with the hopes of making it into a career one day.  Shaun adds that he has had "a million" jobs in his life, and none of them have involved sitting at home in his pyjamas, drinking coffee, and doing maths puzzles all day.  Richard points out that -- based on Shaun's previous game -- he does not exactly have a poker face.  Shaun laughs and agrees, and responds that that is why he plays poker online.

Tonight's challenger is Patrick Clark, a neuroscience student.  Patrick is very interested in the brain and the nervous system and how it all comes together.  There's really not much more content than that, I'm afraid -- Patrick is doing that thing of responding to Richard's questions, but not expanding on them of his own accord.  That's a common enough habit, but in a situation like this you need to be a bit more expansive.


The contestants started off by sharing a round, and then Shaun was a bit too risky in the second round and Patrick gained a modest lead.  Some more shared rounds followed, and then Shaun levelled the scores on a reasonably awkward letters round.  Another pair of shared rounds maintained the trend -- there really wasn't much to choose between the contestants -- but Patrick found the better option in the last numbers round to be ahead going into the conundrum.  Shaun rallied, though, solving that conundrum in good time to finish victorious, 56 to 53.

I was a bit off my game tonight, and it was reflected in the low maximum count.  Fortunately I managed to do enough to see off the contestants, although I was not able to get nearly as far clear as I should have done.


As usual, details after the jump.

Round 1: N T O E S R H E U

I had TONE, STONE, STONER, THRONES / SHORTEN, ENTHUSE, rightly rejected ENTHUSER, and SHOUTER.  RENTHOUSE seemed unlikely to be a single word, so that was the best that I managed.  After time I noted some other sevens of UNHORSE and TENURES / TUREENS.

It's seven from each contestant, with Patrick finding HUNTERS while Shaun has HORNETS.  David has gone one better, finding SOUTHERN for eight.  He wished that Shaun had tried a final consonant, as a D would have allowed SHORTENED for nine.  I wish that, too, as I'd seen the potential for that (and its anagram DETHRONES)

The other eight is HEREUNTO.  The other sevens are SOUTHER, NEUTERS / RETUNES, OUTSEEN, SHUNTER, REHOUSE, THEREON, TONSURE, HETEROS, and ESTRONE (variant spelling of OESTRONE (a certain hormone).

Shaun: HORNETS
Patrick: HUNTERS
Me: SHORTEN
David: SOUTHERN

Scores: 7 apiece


Round 2: S D B C I O A E M

I had BIDS, DISCO, BASIC, BODIES, COMEDIA (variant spelling of KOMEDYA: "a once-popular Philippine dramatic form dealing with the conflict between Christians and Moors in early medieval Europe"), and COMEDIAS.  After time I noted some other sevens of AMOEBIC, MEDICOS, and CODEIAS (CODEIA being another name for CODEINE).

Patrick has BODIES for six, while Shaun goes out on a limb, tentatively suggesting COMBIES.  Alas for him, COMBI is listed but without a specific plural form, so the plural is inferred to be COMBIS.  David has found BODICES for his seven.

So I've got the consolation of outdoing David, although the legitimacy of COMEDIAS is a bit uncertain.  I'm counting it, though. *chuckles*  COMEDIAS is the only eight, with the remaining seven being AMEBOID (variant spelling of AMOEBOID).

Shaun: [invalid -- COMBIES]
Patrick: BODIES
Me: COMEDIAS
David: BODICES

Scores: Shaun 7, Patrick 7 (13), me 15


Round 3: Target 312 from 25 100 75 4 9 3

Getting close with 3*100 is easy enough, and a tweak got me to the target with 312 = (100 + 4)*3.

Both contestants have solved this, with different methods.  Shaun went with 312 = 3*100 + (75/25)*4, while Patrick opted for 312 = 25*9 + 75 + 3*4.  Richard jumps in to demonstrate that he has found a tweaked solution; it turns out to be the same one that I listed.  Lily has also tweaked, but a different way: 312 = (75 + 3)*4.

Shaun: 312
Patrick: 312
Me: 312
Richard: 312
Lily: 312

Scores: Shaun 17, Patrick 17 (23), me 25


First break: DIME TEAT ("Find the answer and find peace")

Peace is hopefully the result if you MEDITATE.

David's talk is about a few words (or terms) notionally related to insects: 'paparazzo', 'Vespa', 'WASP', and 'carmine'.  He also mentions 'vermillion', but points out that its derivation is from worms, not insects.


Round 4: N F D R I A E U G

I had FIND, DRAIN, FRIEND, FIGURED, READING / GRAINED, and was briefly tempted by FRAUDING (not valid) but decided against it.  After time I noted FEUDING as another seven.

The contestants have each found seven-letter words; Shaun has READING while Patrick has GRAINED.  David has found FEARING and GUNFIRE for his sevens, and points out that FRAUDING is not valid.

There is an eight to be had, though: ARGUFIED (ARGUFY: "to argue or wrangle").  The other sevens are UNFIRED, GAUDIER, FRINGED, GRADINE (variant spelling of GRADIN: "one of a series of steps or seats raised one above another") / DERAIGN ("to dispose troops for (battle)"), URANIDE, REFUGIA (plural of REFUGIUM: "an area where an organism can survive during a period of unfavourable conditions"), and DUNGIER*.

Shaun: READING
Patrick: GRAINED
Me: FIGURED
David: FEARING, GUNFIRE
Best: ARGUFIED

Scores: Shaun 24, Patrick 24 (30), me 32


Round 5: O I E W L T E S P

I had WILE, TOWEL, TOWELS, EPISTLE, and angsted over EPISTOLE (not valid).  I knew there was a valid anagram of those letters, but was pretty sure that EPISTOLE was not it.  Just after time expired I finally saw it: PETIOLES (PETIOLE: "the stalk by which a leaf is attached to the stem").  I was just a bit too slow, alas.

Patrick has been limited to SPOIL for five, but Shaun gets the points and ties up the scores with his find of TOWELS.  David has found EPISTLE, but also PETIOLES.

The other eight is SWEETLIP (also SWEETLIPS, any of various fishes).  The other sevens are PETIOLE, PEEWITS, POETISE, and PELITES (PELITE: "any clay rock").

Shaun: TOWELS
Patrick: SPOIL
Me: EPISTLE
David: EPISTLE, PETIOLES

Scores: Shaun 24 (30), Patrick 24 (30), me 39


Round 6: Target 550 from 100 50 25 75 8 1

Patrick chooses the heavyweight mix (which he calls the "dysfunctional family mix"), and I imagine Sam being pleased.  Then the target turns out to be divisible by 25 and I imagine Sam being disappointed.  Heh.  I started off with 550 = (8 + 75/25)*50, then found the simpler 550 = 8*75 - 50.

It comes as little surprise that both contestants have solved this, using the second of the solutions that I did.  It was also Lily's solution.  However, David pipes up with a solution of his own: 550 = (8 - 75/25)*100 + 50.  It's been good to see the hosts getting involved in the numbers tonight.

Shaun: 550
Patrick: 550
Me: 550
Lily: 550
David: 550

Scores: Shaun 34 (40), Patrick 34 (40), me 49


Second break: HAND BEAD ("Helps tame your mane")

Just swap the endings around to find HEADBAND.


Round 7: H F C R O E U T K

I had FORCE, FOURTH, TUCKER, and ROCKET.  After time I noted CHOKER as another six, and then finally spotted TOUCHER (amongst other meanings it is a term from lawn bowls) for seven.

The contestants continue to be well matched, each finding sixes.  Patrick has TUCKER -- he calls it "a delectable six" -- while Shaun ripostes with TOUCHÉ.  David points out the sevens of TOUCHER / RETOUCH, and then the very interesting seven of FUTHORK ("the runic alphabet").

The other sevens are COUTHER and FUTHORC (variant spelling of FUTHORK).

Shaun: TOUCHÉ
Patrick: TUCKER
Me: FOURTH
David: TOUCHER / RETOUCH, FUTHORK

Scores: Shaun 40 (46), Patrick 40 (46), me 55


Round 8: Target 484 from 75 100 25 7 1 4

With the contestant's scores tied, the conundrum is going to matter whatever happens here.  But there is still position to be jockeyed for, of course.  Patrick tries the balanced mix this time, which has been surprisingly popular recently.  I struggled to make anything with this, eventually settling for one away with 483 = 4*100 + 75 + 7 + 1.  It took a little while after time before I realised that 121 could be made in another way than 100 + 25 - 4, and so found the solution 484 = (100 + 7*75/25)*4.  That turns out to be the only solution.

Shaun is four away with 480; I'll take a wild guess that it was 7*75 - 25 - 100/(4 + 1).  But Patrick has managed to get to just two away with 486 = (100 + 1)*4 + 75 + 7.  A rare instance of tweaking from a contestant!  Lily has found the solution to this round; well done, Lily.

Shaun: 480
Patrick: 486
Me: 483
Lily: 484

Scores: Shaun 40 (46), Patrick 40 (53), me 62


Round 9: QUIT GNATS

With the -ING, QU-, and a probable double T there was little rearrangement left to do to find the answer of SQUATTING.  Shaun managed to get there in good time, and so survived a very close game.

Shaun: SQUATTING (3.5s)
Patrick: [no answer]
Me: SQUATTING (1.5s)

Scores: Shaun 40 (56), Patrick 40 (53), me 72


There was very little to choose between the two contestants tonight.  A little each way, and the conundrum decided it all.  I admit that I was glad to see Shaun win; he has been entertaining to watch.  Bad luck to Patrick; it's rare that a contestant scores over fifty points and still loses.  Not that I'd know anything about that. *cough*

Ep 292: Deborah Kemper, Shaun Ellis (March 31, 2015; originally aired October 11, 2011)

Rounds: Here.

Disclaimer: I watched this episode when it first aired, and although I did not recall any of it I cannot rule out memory being a factor.


Deborah gets her first turn in the champion's seat, after her victory over Matthew yesterday.  Richard reveals that Deborah had a special anniversary recently, and asks her to tell us about it.  Apparently, a little while ago (from when the show was filmed) Deborah's 20th wedding anniversary was approaching, and her husband sat her down one day and said that he had been saving money -- where in the world would she like to go?  They ended up choosing a twenty-day cruise around the Mediterranean.

Tonight's challenger is Shaun Ellis, an online data producer whose goal is to live and work in New York.  Richard asks what the attraction of New York is; Shaun responds that he went there on his honeymoon last year for seven fantastic weeks, and when he came back to Australia he missed some of the things he had become used to: a 24-hour chemist a block away, things open all the time, and $5 cabs across town.  He can't wait to get back to that kind of living situation.  He told his brother, Cameron, about how great it was; Cameron had fewer ties, and just upped and moved to New York in response.  Now he posts on Facebook to tell Shaun what he is up to.


The contestants start out with a shared round, then Shaun took the lead in round two.  He then extended it in round four to move clear by more than the conundrum.  Deborah was not able to make any headway on that until the last letters round, where Shaun went against his instincts by gambling on a British colloquialism.  It was not valid, and that opened the door for Deborah.  But Shaun slammed it shut again by finding a good solution to the last numbers round, and was safe going into the conundrum.  Neither contestant managed to solve it, and Shaun won through, 43 to 27.

As usual, details after the jump.

Ep 397: [QF4] Toby Baldwin, Shaun Ellis (March 6, 2012)

Rounds: Here.


Again, not much to the chat although we do get to see Shaun's improved poker face.  It's a little scary, to be honest.


Once more there's some good back-and-forth, but two of Shaun's words are invalid which gives Toby crucial points.  Toby needs it, too, because he concedes a lot of ground on the numbers, and was behind by more than the conundrum going into the final numbers round.  Shaun erred, I feel, by choosing a difficult numbers option, and Toby was just able to outdo Shaun in it.  That brought the match down to the conundrum yet again, with Shaun leading but not safe.  Toby held his nerve to spot the answer with five seconds left on the clock, and scrapes through into the finals, 43 to 39.

Another slightly mixed performance from me today, including an invalid declaration in the first round that was quite bizarre in retrospect.  I'd correctly judged that it wasn't going to cost me points, at least.  I did miss a longer word in another round, but aside from that it was smooth sailing.  Just like last night, I solved the conundrum eight seconds in for what ended up being a fairly easy win.

As usual, details after the jump.

Ep 304: Shaun Ellis, Kate Philip (October 27, 2011)

Rounds: Here.


Win or lose, Shaun will be heading home after this game.  Asked about moments that stand out for him, he is embarassedly amused about trying GASHEAD on his first night.  (It's not valid, I should add, which is part of the amusement.)  In an amusing reference to round two of episode 302, he adds that he has a new life mission now: To write a screenplay wherein a character says "I'm just going to go and re-lock the door".

The challenger tonight is former air traffic controller Kate Philip, who is now studying for her bachelor of science.  Richard tries to draw some connection between being an air traffic controller and playing the game, and Kate helps the link by saying that being able to form patterns out of disparate information should be useful.  Richard follows up on her use of 'disparate', using it to segue into noting that she's involved in the business of vintage clothing.  She responds that she's always loved the style, fit, and form of vintage clothes, and she's started a plus-size vintage clothing store online called Curvy Vintage.


I had a much better relative performance this game -- I came close to keeping both contestants scoreless. On the other hand, I missed some of the higher scoring options, including a full monty.  There's something to be said for the French version's more generous time limit of 45 seconds per round...

Shaun cruised to an easy 44 to 6 victory over Kate, and retires undefeated with a total of 280 points.  The season starts off with someone going the distance, which is hopefully a sign of good things to come.

As usual, details after the jump.

Ep 303: Shaun Ellis, Nathan McCain (October 26, 2011)

Rounds: Here.


Shaun is back for his fifth game; Richard talks a little more to him about his online poker playing.  Shaun admits to not having a poker face, which is why he sticks to playing it online.  He also relates how it kept his ego in check after he became the carryover champion of the show -- the feeling of invincibility quickly faded after losing $50 in five minutes.

Today's challenge is Nathan McCain, an outdoor recreation facilitator and surfing instructor.  The early banter was about nicknames (David's poker nickname is Slingshot, after twice winning from a long way back), and Nathan reveals that his is Tambour, after the tambourine.  This resulted from a mate heckling him and then challenging him to perform on stage, which has led to him playing at festivals in various places.


Oh, dear, I definitely felt out of form for this game.  I was trying to get it done in a hurry before I had to go out, but that's hardly an excuse given that a filming would be more hurried.  The first five rounds went relatively poorly and soon had me fourteen points adrift; it took a tricky numbers round (not solved perfectly) to get me back in the right direction, and the final numbers round  gave me a narrow lead going into the conundrum.  Unusually for me, I managed to get it straight away, sealing an unconvincing victory in a low-scoring contest.

Shaun was in much more comfortable territory, as Nathan was only able to score in one round.  Shaun thus (relatively speaking) cruised to his fifth straight victory with a final score of 40 points to 7.  Will he go the distance?  Tomorrow will tell!

As usual, details after the jump.

Ep 302: Shaun Ellis, Crockett Cooke (October 25, 2011)

Rounds: Here.


Shaun Ellis returns for his fourth night and it is revealed that he has an ambition to write a screenplay.  He has a few in the works, but -- as many of us can relate to -- has to overcome his laziness.  He continues to display gently self-directed humour as he adds that he also has to make them just a little bit better.

Going up against Shaun is former police officer Crockett Cooke, who once completed the Great Victorian Bike Ride on a tricycle for charity.  He's wearing a cornflower, the symbol of the Motor Neurone Disease Association -- he lives with a rare form of that disease.  The bike ride involved a distance of almost 600 kilometres over ten days, which sounds like an impressive effort on a tricycle!


I put in a much better effort today, even though I felt somewhat "off".  There was definitely some room for improvement and the conundrum continues to be difficult for me.  I started on the back foot as Shaun got off to a good start, but then he overreached and I soon gained the lead and kept ahead thereafter.  Unfortunately, Crockett never really got into the match, and Shaun gained his fourth victory to the tune of 59 to 13.

Details after the jump.

Ep 301: Shaun Ellis, Ilona Coote (October 24, 2011)

Rounds: Here.


Series 4 starts off with Shaun Ellis in the champion's seat.  Shaun is an online data producer, who wants to live and work in New York; he's also an avid online poker player and would like to make a career out of it one day.  He returns after having won two games at the end of series three; the first was a 43 to 27 victory over accountant Deborah Kemper, and the second was a very close 56 to 53 win against neuroscience student Patrick Clark, courtesy of the conundrum.

In this episode it is revealed that Shaun has an unusual tattoo on his left inner forearm.  In a nice bold font a centimetre or two high it reads: ouch¹ (aʊtʃ).  When asked why he got such an unusual tattoo, he remarks that he thought it would be funny, and with delightful good humour adds "... because there's nothing like funny tattoos."  Richard checks about Shaun's plans for an accompanying tattoo on the other forearm; Shaun responds that the most common remarks about his existing tattoo were "You'll regret that" and "That's a big mistake", so he's thinking of getting either "regret" or "big mistake" tattooed there.

In the challenger seat for this game is meteorologist Ilona Coote.  She's still in training so she doesn't actually get to make the predictions yet, but may well be doing so in a year or so.


It's a decidedly shaky start to this project; after beginning well I stumbled badly and limped home to an unconvincing win.  Perhaps ironically, if I had started less well I might have ended up with a higher score.  That said, Shaun scraped by even more barely, with a 38 to 36 victory for his third successive win.

Breakdown after the jump.