Ep 281: Tina Rose, Surya Raviganesh (March 16, 2015; originally aired September 26, 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.


Tina takes her turn in the champion's seat to start off the week, and if Friday's game was representative then we would expect to see her for a while.  Richard informs us that one of her talents is billiards, and Tina says that she has been playing for around ten years.  Tina says that billiards is a challenge because it is counterintuitive -- whereas in pool or snooker you use the cue ball to sink the other ball, in billiards you're actually going in-off; she says that this means that you have to think about where your cue ball is going more than where the ball you're hitting is going.

(Nitpicking from me: In pool and snooker you also have to plan where your cue ball is going to end up, or you won't have a good next shot.  It's a key part of the game, but one that is easy to overlook until you get reasonably competent.  That said, billiards demands a more precise control of the positions of every ball because you emphatically do not want to sink the opponent's cue ball, and generally should aim to score points by canons rather than sinking.)

Tonight's challenger is Surya Raviganesh, who has just graduated with a master's degree in finance.  Richard notes that Surya was working in the literacy field when he was in India.  Surya explains that there is a charity called EVF (the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation) which aims to eradicate illiteracy in tribal areas of India.  Richard has it slightly wrong: Surya was actually working here and supporting the organisation, which was done by holding charity events -- such as a trivia night and a cultural dance night -- with the proceeds being giving to the EVF to help them build schools.


Tina took the early lead with a classic eight, but Surya did well in the first numbers round to close the gap to a point.  Then Tina scooted away with two better words, and a shared numbers round meant she was ahead by sixteen at the second break.  Against the run of play, Surya found a better word than her in the last letters round (an unpleasant mix, admittedly), and capitalised on that by solving the last numbers round to tie up the scores going into the conundrum.  It was anyone's to win, but Tina solved the conundrum and so survived the challenge, winning 46 to 36.

I was too slow to see the best option in round two, but otherwise had a maximal game.  I rounded it out with a fast conundrum solution, in what was a good game overall.


As usual, details after the jump.