Pet hates of quiz machine players

[Nil Satis]

allthough trying to clear the bastard might be a laugh one night

Dr P

As far as I know, there has still never been a Sum Up clearance recorded here so that would be more than a laugh! The problem is that you have to clear all the operators as well as all the numbers. The nearest I have got was a couple of times when I have cleared all the numbers but been left with three or four operators, and I haven't read on here of anyone making that final step. Please let us know on here if you do manage to achieve this.

[Drpepper]

Haha, if i ever find the game again i'll be happy, never mind clear it.

Tbh when i played it i felt there wasn't an abundance of operators, and surely it would just be a case of making sure you get rid of them early, like if you're playing all out, just making sure you clear the +'s as early as possible like you'd do with the X and /'s.

Also wouldn't leaving just the one/two minuses at the end make a clearance easier, as then the numbers don't necessarily have to be a multiple of 13 to be cleared, or am i just being ignorant of how the game works??

[Nil Satis]

Well, it's not a multiple of 13 that you need, it's only 13 itself that counts, although I'm sure that's what you meant.

The real problem with clearing is that you have to be so lucky/skilful with what you are left, given that there is a maximum number of components you can use in any sum. Obviously if you could arrange it that you were left with just the numbers 9 and 4 (or 9, 4 and +) then you would have a clearance but what is more likely is that you would have 9, 4, +, - and -. Now morally that for me is a clearance but the game hasn't been programmed that way. Actually, what is much more common is that you are left with numbers that simply don't make 13, or with far too many operators.

You can obviously try to affect how many operators there are towards the end by choosing whether or not to use them early on. e.g. by choosing to use 9 and 4 as the sum with or without including the + that might be adjacent. The problem with this is that you do need to use the x and / operators early on to rack up a good score and more importantly I don't think there is a set number of numbers and operators in the initial screen. I've never counted them to prove this but it's certainly my impression that this ratio varies, in the same way that the number of each letter used on the initial screen on Word Up varies each time (so that you aren't guaranteed the right number of U's to accompany the Q's).

Still, do keep playing Sum Up if you can find it. I don't think you'll find it very profitable but it is rewarding to play in the wider sense. This and Word Up are probably the only games I would consider playing for fun as opposed to profit.

[Fruiter]

Bloody kids, just been down the local rileys to have a go on the quizzer, found out they';re cutting costs so got rid of one of the two machines, i waited an hour for 2 14 year old's playing spot the difference to come off! I had to go home without a game i was gutted! I just wish a got as much pocket money as them 2 kids

[BigEd]

My pet hate is someone lurking while you play.
Mind you, had to laugh last night, as a couple were playing Battleship on a machine. Bloke went to the bar for drinks and change, and his drippy missus left the machine for a moment. What I guess was a lurking pro saw a chance, and jumped on the machine.

After a few seconds of discussion, which involved a very cockey bloke saying "well you left the machine, so I started to play, and there is nothing you can do about it", I saw the most marvelous punch to the throat ever! I have never seen a grown man gasp for air and cry so much, fantastic.

I didn't bother playing the machine that night