Are all bowling scores 0 to 300 possible?

[kanicbird]

Just wondering if every (integer) score 0 to 300 is possible?

[USCDiver]

I haven't gone through them all in my head, but knowing how to score bowling, I would say yes... example...

1-10 from numbers of pins on first frame and all gutterballs after that....

11-20 from strike on first frame, then 1-10 on next frame and gutterballs after that....

etc

[kanicbird]

Originally Posted by USCDiver

11-20 from strike on first frame, then 1-10 on next frame and gutterballs after that....

etc

a strike on the first and a gutter on 3-10 could not produce a score of 11 (or 13 for that matter), but what I suspect may not be possible is the higher numbers (299, 298, 297, etc.)

[JSexton]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

a strike on the first and a gutter on 3-10 could not produce a score of 11 (or 13 for that matter), but what I suspect may not be possible is the higher numbers (299, 298, 297, etc.)

Wouldn't all strikes, followed by nine pins on the last frame accomplish 299? If so, extrapolate downwards.

[kanicbird]

Originally Posted by JSexton

Wouldn't all strikes, followed by nine pins on the last frame accomplish 299?

I don't believe so
X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |9,0 I don't think is 299

[Bricker]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

I don't believe so
X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |9,0 I don't think is 299

No, it's not.

But:

X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X,9

is.

[kanicbird]

Originally Posted by Bricker

But:

X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X,9

is.

Well I never really had the need to learn about advanced math in regards to bowling, but wouldn't this be higher:

X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X,X,9

[Airman Doors, USAF]

The answer to your question is yes, although in some cases it would be stupid hard. I mean, imagine trying to get a score of 1? That would be hard for anybody.

[AWB]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

Just wondering if every (integer) score 0 to 300 is possible?

Yes, they are.

As a kinda math-geek thing, I tried to figure out how many different ways there are to bowl each score. Part of that was figuring out if each score was possible.

Being in a bowling league 5 years in a row in the 90's, I remember many times watching someone that was on fire, bowling strike after strike. After 11 in a row, their minimum possible score is 290. The 12^th (and last) ball just adds on its pin count. (Sadly for them, more often than not, they didn't get that last strike.)

[Hockey Monkey]

298 is possible. That's a friend of mine's best score ever.

My best score ever - 134

[Q.E.D.]

Originally Posted by Airman Doors, USAF

The answer to your question is yes, although in some cases it would be stupid hard. I mean, imagine trying to get a score of 1? That would be hard for anybody.

Scores of one and three are reasonably easy. Scoring two is extremely difficult; I've heard it described as "nearly impossible" to knock down two pins on a first roll.

[yabob]

Originally Posted by Q.E.D.

Scores of one and three are reasonably easy. Scoring two is extremely difficult; I've heard it described as "nearly impossible" to knock down two pins on a first roll.

But we're talking about 2 for the game - you can get that by two frames of 1 pin each and the rest gutter balls.

[DSYoungEsq]

Originally Posted by Q.E.D.

Scores of one and three are reasonably easy. Scoring two is extremely difficult; I've heard it described as "nearly impossible" to knock down two pins on a first roll.

An overall score of "1" would be really hard: all gutter balls except one ball that knocks down one pin.

An overall score of "2" is not that much harder: all gutter balls except two balls that knock down one pin.

292 is quite difficult, by comparison, because it means 11 strikes followed by a count of 2 on the final ball. I once saw compiled statistics on games from 290 to 300 kept by the (now) USBC, and they certainly happen, though far less often than scores like 299, 298, 297 and, interestingly, 291 and 290 (when not the result of 11 strikes AFTER an initial spare), where the bowler manages to totally screw up the last ball under pressure.

[CurtC]

Originally Posted by Airman Doors, USAF

The answer to your question is yes, although in some cases it would be stupid hard. I mean, imagine trying to get a score of 1? That would be hard for anybody.

My wife and I went bowling, probably 15 years ago, and her score through the fifth frame was zero.

[Q.E.D.]

Originally Posted by yabob

But we're talking about 2 for the game - you can get that by two frames of 1 pin each and the rest gutter balls.

Right.

AWB do you still have those figures anywhere?

[Freddy the Pig]

Originally Posted by Q.E.D.

Scoring two is extremely difficult; I've heard it described as "nearly impossible" to knock down two pins on a first roll.

You heard wrong. Two on the first ball isn't all that uncommon (for a mediocre bowler, anyway). It's relatively easy to pick off the 4-7 and leave the 8 standing, or the 6-10 and leave the 9 standing. I dare say that 0, 1 and 3 are all more common than 2, but 2 is not especially rare.

Incidentally, you can pick up a 0-count by fouling, which probably accounts for some of the 290's reported by DSYoung. One can imagine few worse experiences than hearing the foul buzzer while rolling the last ball of a 300 game!

[SCSimmons]

Originally Posted by pimaspinner

298 is possible. That's a friend of mine's best score ever.

My best score ever - 134

Two questions: 1) what was your friend's reaction to bowling eleven strikes in a row, then knocking down eight pins with the twelfth (I'm guessing something like ); and 2) how did you manage a negative 134?

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by SCSimmons

2) how did you manage a negative 134?

Drats, you beat me to it.

[USCDiver]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

a strike on the first and a gutter on 3-10 could not produce a score of 11 (or 13 for that matter), but what I suspect may not be possible is the higher numbers (299, 298, 297, etc.)

as others have said, it IS possible. but since you're refuting my post, I'm going to refute yours....

X | 1/0 | 0 | 0 | etc would give you 11... in short, a strike scores 10+sum of next 2 rolls. If the sum of the next 2 rolls is 1-10 you get 11-20

[Freddy the Pig]

Originally Posted by USCDiver

X | 1/0 | 0 | 0 | etc would give you 11...

Looks more like a 12 to me!

[robcaro]

I found this link quite interesting about possibilities.
http://www.egr.msu.edu/~drazkows/bowlprob.htm

[Colophon]

Originally Posted by Freddy the Pig

Looks more like a 12 to me!

Indeed it is. But of course, you could get

9- | 11 | then gutter balls for an 11. And so on for higher scores.

[Ronald C. Semone]

Although if you are in New England and bowling Candlepins, in which your bowl three balls a frame, the way to get the scores from l to 300 is a whole different story. Of course the higher scores are just about impossible. I don't know what the highest score on record is these days, but when I was bowling it was less than 200.

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by USCDiver

as others have said, it IS possible. but since you're refuting my post, I'm going to refute yours....

X | 1/0 | 0 | 0 | etc would give you 11... in short, a strike scores 10+sum of next 2 rolls. If the sum of the next 2 rolls is 1-10 you get 11-20

True, but to clarify the "looks like a 12" to me posts, you forgot to add the pin from the second frame. In other words your scorecard would have 11 for the first frame, and 1 for the second frame, for a total of 12.

[Hockey Monkey]

Originally Posted by SCSimmons

Two questions: 1) what was your friend's reaction to bowling eleven strikes in a row, then knocking down eight pins with the twelfth (I'm guessing something like ); and 2) how did you manage a negative 134?

1) yes, it was a
2) the - was meant as a dash, not a negative sign. My best score ever was 134.

[Rigamarole]

Originally Posted by Airman Doors, USAF

The answer to your question is yes, although in some cases it would be stupid hard. I mean, imagine trying to get a score of 1? That would be hard for anybody.

Obviously, you haven't seen me bowl.

[David Simmons]

Originally Posted by kanicbird

Well I never really had the need to learn about advanced math in regards to bowling, but wouldn't this be higher:

X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X |X,X,9

Yes, but once you make that second strike in frame 10 you are finished. You never throw another ball in that game. Here is the scoring of the game in your question.

Frame   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
Score   x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  xx   = 300

[David Simmons]

Originally Posted by David Simmons

Yes, but once you make that second strike in frame 10 you are finished. You never throw another ball in that game. Here is the scoring of the game in your question.

Frame   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
Score   x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  xx   = 300

Oops. That 10th frame should have three strikes in it. Your score is 299.

[jasonh300]

As a former bowler...several nights a week for many years, and also as a former bowling center employee, from mechanic behind the machines to front desk and manager, I've probably seen every score possible.

When I managed on Saturdays and Sundays when the kids were bowling on the junior leagues, I saw the final scores from 1 to 10 come up occasionally.

A friend of mine who is a really good bowler shot his first 300 on a Sunday night, while substituting on our team. Two days later, he shot 11 strikes in a row and then chunked the ball out for a 3-count and got a 293. (Since then, he's shot a couple each of 298, 299 and 300).

ABC (American Bowling Congress) and WIBC (Women's International Bowling Congress) awards a ring for a 300, 299 or 298.

We used to give a pin to league bowlers who shot a 299...we always told them it was the pin they left standing, but once the machine was reset, it was a 1 in 20 chance that it was the actual pin if we even pulled it out of that pinsetter.

[black_floyd]

Originally Posted by David Simmons

Yes, but once you make that second strike in frame 10 you are finished. You never throw another ball in that game. Here is the scoring of the game in your question.

Frame   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
Score   x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  xx   = 300

Forgive me if I misunderstood your post but it sounds like you're implying that you only get to throw two balls in the tenth frame. If you get either a strike or a spare, you get to throw a third ball. The only way to end up just being able to throw two balls in the tenth frame is if you have an open frame.

[SmellMyWort]

Here I was hoping Hockey Monkey bumped this to post a new high score.

[Ludovic]

Originally Posted by DSYoungEsq

An overall score of "2" is not that much harder: all gutter balls except two balls that knock down one pin.

When I first started bowling at age 5 I didn't know anything about bumpers (which might not have existed back then) or the bowl-from-below method. My first game I got a 2 on. From ONE ball.

[hajario]

Originally Posted by black_floyd

Forgive me if I misunderstood your post but it sounds like you're implying that you only get to throw two balls in the tenth frame. If you get either a strike or a spare, you get to throw a third ball. The only way to end up just being able to throw two balls in the tenth frame is if you have an open frame.

Hi and welcome. Just to let you know, you responded to a six year old post that was written by a man who died a couple of years ago.

[aldiboronti]

And if he replied we would have our first real zombie thread!

[pulykamell]

Originally Posted by hajario

Hi and welcome. Just to let you know, you responded to a six year old post that was written by a man who died a couple of years ago.

And who actually corrected his own mistake in the very next reply. How did the person bumping this thread miss that?

[black_floyd]

Originally Posted by pulykamell

And who actually corrected his own mistake in the very next reply. How did the person bumping this thread miss that?

Yes, I did misunderstand his post. The line "Oops. That 10th frame should have three strikes in it. Your score is 299." threw me off as well because it accidentally came off like it was possible to get a 299 with a tenth frame turkey so my point of reference was a little off. I wasn't trying to be a semantic asshole or anything.

[RadicalPi]

This site (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com/bowling/bowling.htm) has everything you'd want to know and more about bowling scores, including the number of ways that exist to obtain every possible score. The only scores with only one way to obtain them are 291 and above, which require you to miss some pins on your 12th ball. Also, the most common score to obtain probabilistically is 77.

[tim314]

Originally Posted by RadicalPi

This site (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com/bowling/bowling.htm) has everything you'd want to know and more about bowling scores, including the number of ways that exist to obtain every possible score. The only scores with only one way to obtain them are 291 and above, which require you to miss some pins on your 12th ball. Also, the most common score to obtain probabilistically is 77.

Cool! I'm glad the thread was revived just for that link.

[Exapno Mapcase]

I bowled a 301 once.

Not saying how many games that took.

[Asimovian]

Originally Posted by tim314

Cool! I'm glad the thread was revived just for that link.

Ditto. Although some of the math issues in this thread gave me a headache.

[Colibri]

Moved to the Game Room from GQ.

Note that this thread was started in 2006.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator