[jackdied.com] Winter Bowling: Last Night of 2009

Winter Bowling: Last Night of 2009

[jackdied]

Dec 20 2009, 22:17 EST [updated Dec 20 2009, 22:40 EST]

The last league game of 2009 was tonight, but the final game of the half-season is actually in January. We got stomped 6-2. It was just me and the mighty George Jones (subbing*) versus team "I Hate Splits." I bowled 145, 181, 175 (my average) and George threw 165, 238, 198 (his average). We had two absences which put us down 20 pins per game and the other team had a good night. Jones did walk away with a bottle of wine** for having highest over average in the 2nd game. My teammates had planned to pre-bowl this morning before they drove off for Christmas but didn't because of the snow.

Gambling

I made $8 playing "poker." This is a bowling variation with a $1 buy in. You get 1 card for each mark (spare or strike) and the person with the highest hand at the end takes the pot. The game is 90% chance and the expected payout is $1 for each $1 you put in (hurray for unity!). The United States Bowling Congress bylaws state that you are allowed to gamble as long as you aren't betting against yourself and the game is legal under your state's laws. The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are less clear because no one has bothered to read them.

Innumeracy

Bowling math isn't hard but some people are innumerate to the point they think a game is a nail biter even when it is impossible for them to lose. Bowling math is just simple sums but with these tips even you can look like a savant:

After the 5th frame double your score to estimate your final score for the game.
Every frame you haven't bowled has a max score of 30 (buncha strikes in a row). So if you are starting the 6th frame add 150 to your score to know the max.
... but you aren't going to throw all strikes so add 20 per frame instead which is a string of mostly spares.
A bowler with a 125 average needs 4 marks per game. 150 average needs 7 marks per game. 175 average needs 8 marks per game. 200 average needs 9 marks per game.

That last one is a rule-of-thumb and not straight sums which actually makes it more useful to the mathematically challenged rather than less. For the non-challenged bowling is interesting in that high end scores are not bell-shaped. If a 120 average bowler leaves an open frame then big whoop, but the difference between a perfect 300 game and a 246 game is one 8-1 split in the middle. That's a 54 pin difference for having just one bad frame surrounded by 11 strikes.

* Jones is a steady sub in our league. He shows up every Sunday and bowls if there is an opening. There is an opening so frequently he has bowled more games than some people officially on teams. The upside of subbing is that you don't have to pay (the person who is absent does). The downside of subbing is that you don't get a share of the prize money.

** The highest-over-average prize is usually a free pizza but it is themed for holidays. Thanksgiving is a frozen turkey, and Easter a ham.

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Winter Bowling: Last Night of 2009 [jackdied] Dec 20 2009, 22:17 EST [updated Dec 20 2009, 22:40 EST] [permalink] The last league game of 2009 was tonight, but the final game of the half-season is actually in January. We got stomped 6-2. It was just me and the mighty George Jones (subbing) versus team "I Hate Splits." I bowled 145, 181, 175 (my average) and George threw 165, 238, 198 (his average). We had two absences which put us down 20 pins per game and the other team had a good night. Jones did walk away with a bottle of wine* for having highest over average in the 2nd game. My teammates had planned to pre-bowl this morning before they drove off for Christmas but didn't because of the snow. Gambling I made $8 playing "poker." This is a bowling variation with a $1 buy in. You get 1 card for each mark (spare or strike) and the person with the highest hand at the end takes the pot. The game is 90% chance and the expected payout is $1 for each $1 you put in (hurray for unity!). The United States Bowling Congress bylaws state that you are allowed to gamble as long as you aren't betting against yourself and the game is legal under your state's laws. The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are less clear because no one has bothered to read them. Innumeracy Bowling math isn't hard but some people are innumerate to the point they think a game is a nail biter even when it is impossible for them to lose. Bowling math is just simple sums but with these tips even you can look like a savant: After the 5th frame double your score to estimate your final score for the game. Every frame you haven't bowled has a max score of 30 (buncha strikes in a row). So if you are starting the 6th frame add 150 to your score to know the max. ... but you aren't going to throw all strikes so add 20 per frame instead which is a string of mostly spares. A bowler with a 125 average needs 4 marks per game. 150 average needs 7 marks per game. 175 average needs 8 marks per game. 200 average needs 9 marks per game. That last one is a rule-of-thumb and not straight sums which actually makes it more useful to the mathematically challenged rather than less. For the non-challenged bowling is interesting in that high end scores are not bell-shaped. If a 120 average bowler leaves an open frame then big whoop, but the difference between a perfect 300 game and a 246 game is one 8-1 split in the middle. That's a 54 pin difference for having just one bad frame surrounded by 11 strikes. * Jones is a steady sub in our league. He shows up every Sunday and bowls if there is an opening. There is an opening so frequently he has bowled more games than some people officially on teams. The upside of subbing is that you don't have to pay (the person who is absent does). The downside of subbing is that you don't get a share of the prize money. ** The highest-over-average prize is usually a free pizza but it is themed for holidays. Thanksgiving is a frozen turkey, and Easter a ham.	Current Quickies Archives All Posts Jun 2010 May 2010 Apr 2010 Mar 2010 Feb 2010 Jan 2010 Dec 2009 Nov 2009 Oct 2009 Sep 2009 Aug 2009 Jul 2009 Jun 2009 May 2009 Apr 2009 Mar 2009 Feb 2009 Jan 2009 Dec 2008 Nov 2008 Oct 2008 Sep 2008 Aug 2008 Jul 2008 Jun 2008 May 2008 Apr 2008 Mar 2008 Feb 2008 Jan 2008 Dec 2007 Nov 2007 Oct 2007 Sep 2007 Aug 2007 Jul 2007 Jun 2007 May 2007 Apr 2007 Mar 2007 Feb 2007 Jan 2007 Dec 2006 Nov 2006 Oct 2006 Sep 2006 Aug 2006 Jul 2006 Jun 2006 May 2006 Apr 2006 Mar 2006 Feb 2006 Jan 2006 Dec 2005 Nov 2005 Oct 2005 Sep 2005 Aug 2005 Jul 2005 Jun 2005 May 2005 Apr 2005 Mar 2005 Feb 2005 Jan 2005 Dec 2004 Nov 2004 Oct 2004 Aggregators Instapundit Arts & Letters Daily Fark.com CNN FoxNews Content - Articles National Review Tech Central Station Content - Big Blogs National Review Volokh Conspiracy Content - Blogs Junk Yard Blog Mass Backwards Mass Right Thought Mesh Chicago Boyz
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