Snooker's Biggest Quiz

[berolina]

So here is the scoreboard after Round 54 (with 49 still to be complete):

What happened to Round 49?

[The Statman]

Congratulations Mal. Every match in that round achieved a different scoreline.

It can't happen in the last 32 as there are more matches than possible outcomes.

It WILL happen in the final as there is only one match!

So here is the scoreboard after Round 54 (with 49 still to be complete):

Pos. . . . . . . . Points . . . . . . Name
..1 . . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . . . snookersfun
..2 . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . Robert602
..3 . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . Cessy143
..4 . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . Mitsuko
..5 . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . Lindea
..6 . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . The Statman
..7 . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . Alex0Paul
..8 . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . Davis greatest
..9 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . Mal
10 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . semih_sayginer
11 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . berolina
12 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . April madness
13 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . PaulTheSoave
14 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . Hegeland

(A reminder that there are no tied positions – you go straight to the top of your new total.)

ROUND FIFTY-SIX

Anyone?

[berolina]

I think you're right, Mal!

[Mal]

Hello everyone,

Every score in that round is different.

first time it happened in 2nd round in 2005 and gets more likely as the rounds go on, with fewer matches, but conversely more scorelines.

(can't happen in first round as only 10 different possible scorelines, but 16 different matches)

[davis_greatest]

Something like every frame score (1, 2, ...., 13) had been achieved by the end of that stage in the tournament?

Again, can't be right, as not bound to happen in the final, but am I getting warmer or colder?

[davis_greatest]

Or something like the person who loses has won more frames in the tournament than he has lost?

I only say SOMETHING like that, because that is not bound to happen in the final!

[The Statman]

Well, let's say you're getting warm!

[davis_greatest]

This isn't a full answer but is it related somehow to the fact that there was a "run" of frames achieved by losers: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12? (i.e. results of 13-7, 13-8,... , 13-12)

[The Statman]

It is bound to happen in the final, full stop.

I should ignore the final, and concentrate on the first three rounds. Maybe look at the results of the second round in 2005, might help!

[davis_greatest]

Would it still be bound to happen in the final if the final were changed to best-of-31 frames?

[The Statman]

Well not exactly.

It IS to do with match lengths – well that's half of it.

[chasmmi]

I was thinking about that but then there should be no increased lilihood of it happening in the quarters so it can't be

[davis_greatest]

Is it related in any way to the number of sessions played?

[The Statman]

Well, think why something may be impossible in the last 32 – and it has nothing to do with the players themselves, their rankings etc., just to do with the way the tournament is set up.

Once you've cracked this, and seen how it is guaranteed to happen in the final (albeit as I said earlier, that this would be disregarded as trivial by statisticians), you'll have the answer.

[davis_greatest]

That two players in the top 16 who are ranked beside each other (like 4 & 5, 7 & 8, 10 & 11 etc.) meet in a match?

Doubt it. The players ranked 16 and 17 could meet in the last 32 and the above is not bound to happen in the final.

Not that I have any better ideas...