Monday, March 18, 2024

Care for a SNORT?


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 1002 2/6

🟩⬜🟩🟨⬜ SHONE   9 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SNORT

WordleBot
Skill 76/99
Luck 93/99
Streak 753

Well, let’s hope The Bot doesn’t try to cheat me out of a second Deuce in the last 4 days.  Guess #1 provided beaucoup letters today —  S & O (as Letters 1 & 3, respectively) plus N (out of position).  I didn’t know it at the time — but only 9 solutions remained.  I decided to go with a word starting SNO— for Guess #2.  Between SNORT & SNOWY, I decided to try SNORT since R & T are such frequently occurring letters.  Luck was with me and I watched all the letters turn green for a Deuce.  I defeated both The Bot (2 vs 3) and the (current) NYT avg (2 vs 3.8). 

I’ve not received any feedback from the WordleBot Police regarding the theft of my correct data for Game #999 on March 14.  I solved in 2 guesses - but WordleBot now shows my score as 3.  Other than that, my weekend was fantastic. 

Take care and stay safe.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

The TOXIN Avenger?


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 1001 3/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ SHONE   67 WL
⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ GATOR      5 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TOXIN

WordleBot
Skill 99/99
Luck 58/99
Streak 752

Good to get back Under Par this morning since today’s game featured an unusual word.  Guess #1 showed me the O & N (both out of position) and almost 70 solutions remained.  Guess #2 gave me T (out of position) — but I still didn’t have O in the right place.  Luckily for me, uncontrollable record-keeping swung into action.  My play during Game #760 (TONIC on 7/18/2023) revealed that 3 of the 5 remaining solutions had been previously used — so it was down to JUNTO & TOXIN.  While neither of these words held great appeal for me, one was far more familiar.  I played TOXIN for Guess #3 and watched all the letters turn green.  I tied The Bot with my 3 and bested the (current) NYT avg (3 vs 3.9). 

Has anyone else noticed the phenomenon of selecting to see WordleBot after playing — and still seeing the choice to play that day’s Game?  Choosing to “Compare and recent scores” allows me to confirm WordleBot knows I’ve played — but this behavior seems related to changes initiated for Wordle 1000.

Another side Note:  WordleBot seems to have lost the correct info for my Game #999 on March 14.  I solved in 2 guesses - but WordleBot now shows my score as 3.  Anyone else notice problems with their data for that game displaying incorrectly?  I sent an inquiry to the WB team but haven’t heard back yet. 

Hope you're having a fine weekend. 

Take care and stay safe.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Wordle 1000: Words ERUPT


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 1000 4/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 SHONE  496 WL
🟨🟩⬜⬜⬜ TRAIL          4 WL
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩 ERECT         1 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ERUPT 

WordleBot
Skill 99/99
Luck 44/99
Streak 751

I was due for an ordinary result after my deuce yesterday — and it just happened to fall on 1K Day.

Guess #1 showed me only the E (out of position, almost 500 solutions remaining) but Guess #2 was more helpful, providing T (out of position) and R (in position as Letter 2).  My hunch was that today’s solution either started with ER— or ended with —ET.  None of the —ET words struck my FANCY (not yet used a solution), so my favorites were ERECT & ERUPT.  Feeling that erection should come before eruption, I played ERECT for Guess #3 — and (not surprisingly) lost that coin flip.  But ERECT turned all the letters green.  I tied The Bot with my four — but was bested by the (current) NYT avg (3.7 vs 4).  Hope you're having a fantastic day.  

Take care and stay safe.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Ever SINCE I got back from vacation...


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 999 2/6

🟩⬜⬜🟨🟩   7 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

WordleBot
Skill 87/99
Luck 93/99
Streak 750

And to think — I almost wimped out and went for the guaranteed 3!

Guess #1 shared the bounty of S & E (in position, as the first and last letters) and N (out of position, destined for either Letter 2 or 3).   Based on my (nearly infallible) record-keeping from Game #983 (SENSE on 2/27/2024), I knew that only 7 solutions remained — and 3 of those were previously used.  Instead of playing CRISP (for a "sure thing" 3), I threw caution to the winds and played SINCE.  It was a happy sight to watch all the letters turn green.  I’ve been Under Par 9 out of the last 10 days, beat The Bot again (2 vs 3), and bested the (current) NYT avg (2 vs. 3.7).  It's the BIG 1K tomorrow.

Take care and stay safe.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

LOCAL Hero


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 998 3/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜    193 WL
⬜🟩🟨🟩⬜        5 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

WordleBot
Skill 99/99
Luck 60/99
Streak 749

My strong play continues since returning from vacation toward the end of last month — and the weather has been unusually warm (for the most part) as well.  Let the good times roll, I say.

Guess #1 provided only the O (out of position) and nearly 200 remaining solutions.  But Guess #2 showed me that O was Letter 2 - and gave me two more letters, L (out of position) and A (in position, as Letter 4).  My thorough Wordle record-keeping served me in good stead, as my play from Game #829 (LOYAL on 9/26/2023) showed that only 5 solutions remained — and 2 of those were previously used.  I had even included a note to try LOCAL as Guess #3.  Viewing myself as a credible source of information, I played LOCAL and watched all the letters turn green.  I’ve been Under Par 8 out of the last 9 days, beat The Bot (3 vs 4), and bested the (current) NYT avg (3 vs. 4.0).  Hope you're having a wonderful day. 

And you need to watch a great movie, check out "Local Hero."

Take care and stay safe.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

(Humble) Bragging


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 993 3/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨   496 WL
⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨   10 (6) WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

WordleBot
Skill 81/99
Luck 53/99
Streak 744

Since returning home from Hawaii during the last week of February, my posting of feedback in the Wordle forum has been poor.  I don’t know whether to attribute this lapse to being busier at work, attempting to get my sleep schedule back on-track (maybe DST will help beginning this weekend), a push to finish my annual goal of viewing all the Best Picture nominees prior to the Oscars (also this weekend — and only “Poor Things” remains.  Tickets purchased for tomorrow) — or maybe I’m just lazy.  I even neglected to humble-brag about reaching my milestone of two years without losing a game (Notice how I’ve cleverly worked the bragging in right here anyway.  It happened on Feb. 24 — Game #980, PIPER — a day that will live in infamy, I suspect, based on the NYT avg of 5.2 in that game)!  But enough stalling — let’s talk about today.

Guess #1 provided only the E (out of position) and almost 500 remaining solutions.  But Guess #2 gave me three more letters, R, A & L (all also out of position).  My meticulous Wordle record-keeping (some might use the term “anal”) served me in good stead, however.  My play from Game #816 (CLEAR on 9/13/2023) showed that only 6 solutions remained — and even included a note to try EARLY as Guess #3.  Eager to follow my own previous advice, I played it and watched all the letters turn green.  I was Under Par for a fourth straight day, tied The Bot, and bested the (current) NYT avg (3 vs. 3.6). 

Hope you're having a great day.
Take care and stay safe.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

The DEVIL made me do it


Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 984 3/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨   496 WL
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩        1 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

WordleBot
Skill 99/99
Luck 57/99
Streak 735

Wordle players of a certain level of maturity (read: “old, like me”) may find themselves thinking about comedian Flip Wilson for the first time in a while today.

Guess #1 provided only the E (out of position) and almost 500 remaining solutions.  But Guess #2 showed me that the word ended with —IL.  I thought of PERIL first — but realized it couldn’t be the solution (since no R was present).  But I was a lucky DEVIL, as it seemed only one possible solution remained for Guess #3 (“Hope you guessed my name!”).  All the letters turned green and I was Under Par a fourth straight day.  I tied The Bot and bested the (current) NYT avg by almost a full guess (3 vs. 3.9). 

Take care and stay safe.