# GB Calc **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2000, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gb-calc/18447 "2000-05-03T12:30:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gb-calc/18447/1 "2000-05-03T12:30:47Z")
Short of tracking it everyday, is there a simple formula for calculating how games a team is behind first place? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gb-calc/18447/2 "2000-05-03T12:44:15Z")
If you can find such a formula, that does not require you to know the teams’ wins/losses, you can get rich by gambling. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gb-calc/18447/3 "2000-05-03T13:41:30Z")
Lets say Team 1 is in first place and has W1 wins and L1 losses. Team 2 is not in first place and has W2 wins and L2 losses. Team 2 is ((W1 - W2)/2) + ((L2 - L1)/2) games back. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gb-calc/18447/4 "2000-05-03T15:49:31Z")
I always just took the average of the difference between the numbers. Which is a short was of saying, “See Lance’s equation.” * * * Yer pal, Satan [http://homepages.go.com/~cmcinternationalrecords/devil.gif](http://homepages.go.com/~cmcinternationalrecords/devil.gif) _I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: Three weeks, three days, 13 hours, 49 minutes and 19 seconds. 983 cigarettes not smoked, saving $122.88. Life saved: 3 days, 9 hours, 55 minutes._