Crag: The Tournament of Champions (Syn., Episode 33)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Our final four started before March Madness's did. Now we're down to two.



Marc Enyedy and Frank Sartori won their matches in the semifinals of Crag: The Tournament of Champions. Now we're getting ready for the finals.



Marc and Frank, come on up!

[grapebuy789]

Checking in.

[marc412]

Here too

[dougmorrisontheair]

Good news: The real life matter I referred to earlier is resolved.

Bad news: Another real life matter's cropped up. Water unintentionally got cut off at home. We can "start the show" -- but actual game play may be a day or two away.

Show will start in a few moments.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Staff announcer: "SVU" -- tonight at 8 on NBC 58.

---

(lights in studio gradually are turned on)

(shortened version of the WGYN opening theme plays)



Three dice...



...five years...



...one big winner.




This is Crag: The Tournament of Champions.

(audience cheers)

Helloooo, everybody, I'm Doug Morris. We're wrapping up our fifth anniversary celebration in a big way -- with our night of champions.

(audience cheers)

We're about to start our final match in Crag: The Tournament of Champions. This week, we invited back four of our biggest winners. They played in semi-final matches over the last couple of nights. The winners of those matches are back tonight for the finals.

One of them will be crowned champion of champions. The first player to score $5000 in the match we're about to start -- will collect a special piece of paper. His name will be placed next to the phrase "pay to the order of..."

(holds up check)

...on this certified check for $1,000,000.

(audience cheers)

Before we say hello to our finalists, I must say this audience is much better than the crowds we had for both semi-final shows combined.

(audience laughs and applauds)

With that bit of comic relief out of the way, let's make welcome our finalists. Between their tournament appearances and regular matches, they've combined for nearly a million dollars in winnings.

Ladies and gentlemen, please make welcome Marc Enyedy and Frank Sartori.

(audience cheers)

Frank entered the tournament as our wild card entry. Between the tournament and earlier winnings, he returns with $216,600 -- all in cash.

(audience cheers)

Marc entered as our second seed in the tournament. After winning the semi-finals yesterday, he's augmented his winnings to $773,450 in cash and prizes.

(audience cheers)

Marc, before we begin competition in the finals, we'll let you send shout-outs to friends and loved ones.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(Bump for Marc.)

[marc412]

I’d like to say hello to all my coworkers at the store, my family who I’m sure are watching, and all my friends both in real life and online. Thanks for all your support!

[dougmorrisontheair]

I'm sure they're all watching and rooting you on to victory.

And Frank, oddly enough, you're coming up on your fifth match of Crag. We'd let you send shout-outs under normal circumstances. We'll let you do same under these high stakes circumstances.

[grapebuy789]

I gotta give a shout-out to all my friends and family back in Massachusetts. I also have to give a shout-out to my furry blue monster friend in the audience. I promised him cookies if I win tonight.

[dougmorrisontheair]

I think we're familiar with who you're talking about -- the one who reminds us C is for cookie.

Well, you've both proven C also stands for Crag. We wish you both good luck. As you're aware, a lot is on the line.

Quick rundown of the rules for the finals. Winner of each game scores $2500; runner-up collects $500. To win a game, you must be the first to score at least 100 points -- or come closer to 100 after ten rounds.

The first player to earn $5000 wins the tournament of champions and that $1,000,000 bonus.

(audience cheers)

(ding)

First question of the finals is a single digit question. Marc and Frank already have their hands on the buzzers. And away we go.

Single digit question: How many U.S. states are not in the contiguous United States?
80 marc412
56 grapebuy789
31 randomizer.org

(Frank buzzes in)

Frank?

[grapebuy789]

1 (BEF)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Frank says 1 state is not among the contiguous United States. Is that right?

(buzz)

No. Marc, an early break for you in the finals. As before, the Crag dice will narrow it down in multiple choice form. It's up for you to choose the right answer.

(ding)

Again our question. How many U.S. states are not in the contiguous United States? Marc, is the right answer 2, 3 or 4?

[marc412]

Two—Alaska and Hawaii. (ECF)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Showing off, are we? (scattered laughter from the crowd) He's right and all over it.

(ding; audience applause)

Alaska borders Canada to its east. Hawaii's surrounded by water. Neither state borders another U.S. state -- hence why the other 48 states are contiguous.

Marc, you've just earned the maximum of two rolls of the dice. These are the combinations you're aiming for.

Four different straights worth 20 points each. The numbers 1-2-3 make a low straight; 4-5-6 a high straight; 1-3-5 an odd straight and 2-4-6 an even straight. Numbers don't have to appear in that order -- just as long as you get three different numbers that are all low, all high, all odd or all even.

Anytime you roll three of the same number, that's a triple for 25 points.

Anytime the dice total 13, we'll double the sum for 26 points. *But* if you have a pair of numbers and an odd number that add up to 13, that's a Crag -- and it's worth 50 big points.

(rolling sfx)

There go the dice. Marc, please stop them one at a time as they lock into your buzzer.

(ding)

Stop on a 5.

(ding)

Stop on a 6.

(ding)

And stop on a 3. Overshot the 13 total by one. Marc, you may take the sum of the dice in points -- 14 for this roll -- or freeze up to two numbers and reroll the rest.

[marc412]

Reroll that three. (D)

[dougmorrisontheair]

All right, we freeze the 5 and 6 first.

(freeze sfx)

For the rest of this round, those dice will remain on ice. We now reroll the 3.

(rolling sfx)

And let's see what happens to that last screen.

(ding) (scattered cheers)

Stop on a 2. Three different numbers total 13. We'll double for 26.

Frank, don't worry. We have a lot of match left to go. Round 2 starting -- and already we're going to the big screen for it.

What single digit number comes next in this series of numbers?

(ding)
64 marc412
84 grapebuy789
03 randomizer.org

(Marc buzzes in)

Marc?

[marc412]

4 (BCD)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Marc says 4 comes next in the sequence. Is he right?

(ding; audience applause)

Yes. They're numbers on a European Roulette wheel starting at 0 and going clockwise in order. Reminds me of the time I lost $300 playing Roulette and left the table with a spinning headache.

(audience groans)

(rolling sfx)

Before the natives get restless, it's back to the dice, Marc.

(ding)

Stop on a 3.

(ding)

Stop on a 1.

(ding)

That's worth groaning. (audience groans) Yeah. Marc, want the 5 points or a reroll?

[marc412]

Roll them all again. (ECD)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Rerolling everything. We can do that.

(rolling sfx)

And we're doing that now.

(ding)

Stop on a 1.

(ding)

Stop on a 2.

(ding) (audience groans)

And -- you break even with another 2. Total of 5 points.

After Round 2:
marc412
grapebuy789

With those points awarded, time for the first missing digit question of the finals. Normally at this time we play a sample. But on this night of champions, our finalists definitely know by now how missing digit questions work. So, we'll proceed with Round 3.

Missing digit question: I show you the year the Panama Canal opened – and you tell me the missing digit.

(ding)
36 marc412
33 grapebuy789
36 randomizer.org

(Marc buzzes in)

Marc?

[marc412]

4? (ADC)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Marc's guessing the Panama Canal opened in 1914. Is he right?

(ding; audience applause)

Good guess, Marc. You're right.


(rolling sfx)

Dice are yours again, Marc.

(ding)

Stop on a 4.

(ding)

Stop on a 6.

(ding) (scattered cheers)

And stop on another 6. One of the best combinations without getting a straight or better. Marc, would you like another 16 points or a reroll?

[marc412]

Reroll the 4. (F)

[dougmorrisontheair]

(scattered cheers)

Going for a triple or a Crag. By the way, just like the regular matches, we still award $1000 to the first player to roll a Crag in these finals.

With that, let's freeze the boxcars.

(freeze sfx) (rolling sfx)

That first screen rerolls. Let's see if we have our first Crag of the finals.

(ding)

Stop on a 3. Just a net loss of 1 point for 15 total.


After Round 3:
marc412
grapebuy789

Marc now leading 46 to nil. Frank, let's see if you can get on the board with this next question. It's on history.

Missing digit question: I show you the year Congress started recognizing American Indians as U.S. citizens -- and you tell me the missing digit.

(ding)
92 marc412
12 grapebuy789
32 randomizer.org

(Frank buzzes in)

Frank?

---

[ADDENDUM FROM DOUG: Per a note from Frank in the vacay section, this is an "untimed down," to use football terminology.]

[grapebuy789]

4 (FAE)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Frank says the year in question is 1924. Is he right.

(ding; audience applause)

Yes he is. Good job, Frank.


(rolling sfx)

You're going to get on the board. A Crag will give you the lead.

(ding)

Stop on a 1.

(ding)

Stop on a 2.

(ding)

And stop on a 6. Dice total 9 points if you stop here. Right now, Frank, you're trailing 46-0 and we're midway through Round 4.

[grapebuy789]

Let's re-roll the 1 and 2. (CC)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Very well. Let's freeze that 6 first.

(freeze sfx) (rolling sfx)

First two numbers are rerolling.

(ding)

Stop on a 2.

(ding)

And stop on another 2. Total of 10 points.

(Frasier's theme plays)

Marc still has an early lead in this first game of the finals. Hear that music calling? Time to toss a Scrambled Eggs question your way.

(audience cheers)

Question involves an eight-letter scrambled proper noun. I'll give you a clue about the scrambled proper noun and then show it to you.

Don't tell us what the proper noun is. Instead, tell us how many letters are in their correct positions.

So -- here's the query.

With the eggs, we've scrambled the first and last name of a television host. Tell us how many of the eight letters are in their correct positions.

(ding)

71 marc412
29 grapebuy789
61 randomizer.org

(Marc buzzes in)

Marc?

[marc412]

Four. (DAC)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Are 4 eggs in their right places?

(ding; audience applause)

Yes. "Kime Wore" is an anagram of "Mike Rowe". Only the vowels are in their right places.

(rolling sfx)

Away go the dice again, Marc. Chance to pad your lead comes now.

(ding)

Stop on a 1.

(ding) (scattered cheers)

Stop on a 6!

(ding) (loud groans from the crowd)

And a 4 on the end. Welp -- Frank's happy about that roll. Marc, want 11 points or another try?