# "Duel" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419 "2007-12-18T02:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/21 "2007-12-18T17:51:37Z")
I don’t understand why the question about Bush’s eyes would piss anyone off. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/22 "2007-12-18T18:28:41Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] I was out before it even started based on a question in the commercial, specifically “what’s the only continent without a desert?” Since every continent has a desert I figured it wasn’t worth my time watching a quiz show that didn’t bother to ask questions that had right answers. [/QUOTE] Antarctica? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/23 "2007-12-18T18:34:19Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I don’t understand why the question about Bush’s eyes would piss anyone off. [/QUOTE] They left off the correct answer - “Beady”. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/24 "2007-12-18T18:35:01Z")
The phone rang in the middle of that long, long, long leadup to the answer about Bush’s eyes, BTW – what \*is \* the answer? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/25 "2007-12-18T18:42:56Z")
I tried out for this show at the Dayton, Oh auditions in early November. Since I didn’t make it, I was hoping to hate the show. I didn’t hate it, although from a contestant’s point of view, I would not rush to get on a show where only 1 of 24 contestants wins anything at all. Bad odds. However, I thought the questions had a great amount of “tip of tongue” (oooh, I know that; what the hell is it!) factor to them. Also at least one of the questions, the one about who hasn’t been married to a million selling musician, was a great trick question. So, questionable format (although not nearly as bad as _DonD_), but very good questions. In fact, I described the difference between _Duel_ and \*Deal or No Deal \*as being similar to the difference between playing video poker and real poker - video poker has absolute strategy (make the same decisions every time for the best long-term results) and one has relative strategy (regular poker, where you have to what the other players might do). _Duel_, with it’s relative strategy, is the better show. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/26 "2007-12-18T18:46:23Z")
[QUOTE=HoboStew] Antarctica? [/QUOTE] The Antarctic Desert is the largest desert on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/27 "2007-12-18T18:50:11Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I don’t understand why the question about Bush’s eyes would piss anyone off. [/QUOTE] Because I have no clue, and can’t imagine why any reasonable person would have a clue, as to what color Bush’s eyes were. I hate pure guesswork “trivia” questions. I don’t mind questions that only a “foodie” would get (I’m not a foodie, but I know what Scoville units measure). I’m not keen on stupidly easy questions–Which of the following words is NOT in the pledge of allegience. I dislike pop culture questions because I’m unlikely to know the answer–but I consider them fair game for a mixed topic quiz game like this one. I dislike current event questions for similar reasons. I kinda liked the question about which denomination had the White House on it–though I didn’t have a clue which bill it was. But knowing the eye color of the president? That just struck me as pure guesswork question. And I don’t like those. I think the color was blue–but I’m not positive. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/28 "2007-12-18T18:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=Eureka] But knowing the eye color of the president? That just struck me as pure guesswork question. And I don’t like those. I think the color was blue–but I’m not positive. [/QUOTE] Blue. I thought it was a very interesting question – you’ve certainly seen enough close-up pictures of the president…why _wouldn_’t you know his eye color? FWIW, I had no clue. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/29 "2007-12-18T19:42:50Z")
Actually a reality show where the contestants have to try to stay one step ahead of a psychotic truck driver has much to recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/30 "2007-12-18T20:59:45Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] Actually a reality show where the contestants have to try to stay one step ahead of a psychotic truck driver has much to recommend it. [/QUOTE] Yeah but somebody already invented “I Love New York.” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/31 "2007-12-18T21:10:00Z")
[QUOTE=Eureka] Because I have no clue, and can’t imagine why any reasonable person would have a clue, as to what color Bush’s eyes were. I hate pure guesswork “trivia” questions. I don’t mind questions that only a “foodie” would get (I’m not a foodie, but I know what Scoville units measure). I’m not keen on stupidly easy questions–Which of the following words is NOT in the pledge of allegience. I dislike pop culture questions because I’m unlikely to know the answer–but I consider them fair game for a mixed topic quiz game like this one. I dislike current event questions for similar reasons. I kinda liked the question about which denomination had the White House on it–though I didn’t have a clue which bill it was. But knowing the eye color of the president? That just struck me as pure guesswork question. And I don’t like those. I think the color was blue–but I’m not positive. [/QUOTE] I only knew which bill had the White House on the back because I had been to the bank yesterday to make some deposits and the teller turned the $20’s over as he counted them so I noticed the White House. If I’d been asked the question before that I would have been guessing. I had no idea Bush’s eyes were blue, they always look squinty whenever I see him and the cameras never get that close. Not that I’d care anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/32 "2007-12-18T23:06:55Z")
I kept watching only because the female contestants were hot. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/33 "2007-12-18T23:47:02Z")
France Deserts: [redirect to /world/FR/B9/Les\_Deserts2.html](http://www.fallingrain.com/world/FR/0/Les_Deserts.html) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/34 "2007-12-19T01:40:05Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] I tried out for this show at the Dayton, Oh auditions in early November. [/QUOTE] How do they find contestants for a show that doesn’t exist yet? (I’m esp. curious since a Philly guy just did his self-intro.) ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/35 "2007-12-19T02:19:00Z")
A tongue print?! What a maroon! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/36 "2007-12-19T02:32:37Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] A tongue print?! What a maroon! [/QUOTE] Yeah, I :rolleyes: ed. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/37 "2007-12-19T02:44:19Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] How do they find contestants for a show that doesn’t exist yet? (I’m esp. curious since a Philly guy just did his self-intro.) [/QUOTE] Blurb in the local paper. I didn’t see it myself; it was forwarded to me. [This](http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DDNB&p_theme=ddnb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11CA44D6D2D6E428&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM) is an archive of that article. Note they changed the rules of the audition. It was supposed to be a 50 question test, followed by auditions of the high scorers. But when I got there, they decided not to give the test, and I had to wait 3 hours while they auditioned everyone in groups of eight. Had I known the format was different (I’m a good test taker, but could audition more effectively), I wouldn’t have gone. But after a 1 1/2 hour drive up, I stayed. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/38 "2007-12-19T05:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] from a contestant’s point of view, I would not rush to get on a show where only 1 of 24 contestants wins anything at all. Bad odds. [/QUOTE] That’s not how it works. Everyone who wins a Duel gets to keep their bank. That one chick who won on a tie-breaker left with nothing, but the others walk away with 10k, 10k, and 45k so far. I am so rooting for the hillbilly. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/39 "2007-12-19T15:06:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] That’s not how it works. Everyone who wins a Duel gets to keep their bank. That one chick who won on a tie-breaker left with nothing, but the others walk away with 10k, 10k, and 45k so far. [/QUOTE] Oh. That’s not so bad. It kills my best rationalization, though (that most likely, I would have won nothing anyway). Well, as you can tell by my ignorance of that fact, they explained NOTHING about the show at the audition. It was pretty weird trying out for a show in which I had no idea what they wanted to see. I was pretty surprised they didn’t take the guy next to me in my group of eight - he correctly answered the 3 questions they asked us; he had a good TV personality, and was a minority. They did keep 2 of the eight for a later tryout, but those two are not in this group of 24. Maybe they will be on a later show. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419/40 "2007-12-19T15:09:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] That’s not how it works. Everyone who wins a Duel gets to keep their bank. That one chick who won on a tie-breaker left with nothing, but the others walk away with 10k, 10k, and 45k so far. [/QUOTE] What does their bank consist of? The jackpot is based on number of “wrong guess” chips at $5K per, right? So do they win what their opponent got wrong, or what? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duel/430419.md?page=3)