Area Man Loses Contest September 5, 2019 6:00 AM Subscribe
It's time for the 2019 LearnedLeague Championship Results! 164 champions of various A Rundles and other contests vie for the biggest prize in LearnedLeague: this scarf. If you are interested in someday joining some of the 15,098 non-scarfworthy competitors in glorious failure, come inside for details on how to join, or ask one of the many MeFi Llamas!
The LearnedLeague championship is conducted as 4 rounds of "one-day specials" (12 questions, you pick 5 to be worth more points). For the championship, competitors are proctored by video chat, and all 4 rounds are conducted back-to-back. First round results are out today; next 3 rounds will be published today and tomorrow.
I'm in 38th after round 1, and a multi-time MetaFilter Private Rundle champion is in 37th. I will definitely not stay that high for long.
To join LL, you need an invitation. You can ask me, or you can ask one of the many other LL-playing Mefites for a referral. A season lasts 25 game days, which are Monday through Friday, all in a row. There's about 4 seasons per year. We are partway through LL82; invitations would be for LL83 which starts in November. After your first season, you pay $30/year (or more) to continue.
To compete in LearnedLeague, you have to agree to Not Forfeit (CORTEX) and Not Cheat.
We also have a "private rundle", where you can compete directly against your fellow MetaFilter users. It even keeps stats, which is how I know I'm 0-2-1 against Etrigan. You need to buy a premium membership ($50/year, and you can upgrade partway through) to compete in a private rundle.
The LearnedLeague championship is conducted as 4 rounds of "one-day specials" (12 questions, you pick 5 to be worth more points). For the championship, competitors are proctored by video chat, and all 4 rounds are conducted back-to-back. First round results are out today; next 3 rounds will be published today and tomorrow.
I'm in 38th after round 1, and a multi-time MetaFilter Private Rundle champion is in 37th. I will definitely not stay that high for long.
To join LL, you need an invitation. You can ask me, or you can ask one of the many other LL-playing Mefites for a referral. A season lasts 25 game days, which are Monday through Friday, all in a row. There's about 4 seasons per year. We are partway through LL82; invitations would be for LL83 which starts in November. After your first season, you pay $30/year (or more) to continue.
To compete in LearnedLeague, you have to agree to Not Forfeit (CORTEX) and Not Cheat.
We also have a "private rundle", where you can compete directly against your fellow MetaFilter users. It even keeps stats, which is how I know I'm 0-2-1 against Etrigan. You need to buy a premium membership ($50/year, and you can upgrade partway through) to compete in a private rundle.
Hey neat, thanks for the post and congrats on your 38th place so far, that's very cool.
For people who are just in it for the power grab, there are also a lot of nice ways to contribute/participate. I'm nowhere near the upper echelons of LL play but I am on the LL ORC ROC (Official Rules Committee - Rules Organizing Committee) and the Naming Committee. You can also nerd around and help people make flags. There's also a forum in UBB style where you can talk to other trivia nerds.
I am happy to refer a MeFite. Learned League is one of the only other places I hang out on the web besides here.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:39 AM on September 5, 2019
For people who are just in it for the power grab, there are also a lot of nice ways to contribute/participate. I'm nowhere near the upper echelons of LL play but I am on the LL ORC ROC (Official Rules Committee - Rules Organizing Committee) and the Naming Committee. You can also nerd around and help people make flags. There's also a forum in UBB style where you can talk to other trivia nerds.
I am happy to refer a MeFite. Learned League is one of the only other places I hang out on the web besides here.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:39 AM on September 5, 2019
I don't think BrooksS still hangs out on MeFi, but she used to. She's in the championship mix but lower down than I would have expected given her multiple medal-winning performances at Trivia Nationals.
I've mostly given up on referring people because my referrals don't work out all that well, but if someone needs a referral for next season, I do have one.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:42 AM on September 5, 2019
I've mostly given up on referring people because my referrals don't work out all that well, but if someone needs a referral for next season, I do have one.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:42 AM on September 5, 2019
How's the air up there, y'all? I am barely good enough at trivia to hang on in a Rundle E (in part because there's nowhere to demote me to) but it's a heck of a lot of fun.
posted by Alterscape at 8:52 AM on September 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Alterscape at 8:52 AM on September 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I'm a rookie (thanks Jessamyn). So far, five days in, I have felt: smart, stupid, frustrated by my memory, and impressed by my memory. The defense aspect is interesting. In rookie rundles I think the defense is more random than anything else. I'm sure it settles down as questions answered evolve.
Now to design a flag. Oh, the pressure.
posted by tayknight at 9:24 AM on September 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
Now to design a flag. Oh, the pressure.
posted by tayknight at 9:24 AM on September 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
They bumped me up to the major leagues when I was quite happy being middle of the pack in the minors. My stats will be fucked :/
Also, I found $20 between the couch cushions. Is it too late to join the Mefi private club?
posted by Freelance Demiurge at 9:44 AM on September 5, 2019
Also, I found $20 between the couch cushions. Is it too late to join the Mefi private club?
posted by Freelance Demiurge at 9:44 AM on September 5, 2019
I'm #131 and don't expect to make it the cut and honestly surprised to be that high. (The LL Championship is really one of those things where "it's a honor just to be nominated" really means something as the difference between me placing #1 in A vs. #21 really feels like a crapshoot sometimes.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:58 AM on September 5, 2019
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:58 AM on September 5, 2019
Also because I forgot to say it last week, jessamyn, and to just go ahead and sing the praises more publicly anyway, I thought your Welcome on behalf of the Rules Committee last week was fantastic.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:41 AM on September 5, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:41 AM on September 5, 2019 [5 favorites]
Oops I just realized my link above requires a LL login to view. Sorry. Trust me though -- it's good :)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:41 AM on September 5, 2019
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:41 AM on September 5, 2019
I can give a referral, if anyone needs one.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:54 AM on September 5, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 10:54 AM on September 5, 2019
Down to 75th, but hey I made the cut!
I administer the private rundle. You sign up during regular registration times; I keep the same rundle name and password (they don’t auto-renew season after season). If you want in, just let me know.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:16 PM on September 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I administer the private rundle. You sign up during regular registration times; I keep the same rundle name and password (they don’t auto-renew season after season). If you want in, just let me know.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:16 PM on September 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I'm currently in my rookie season, thanks to Huffy Puffy. I've surprised myself a little bit so far, but yesterday and today have been more tricky (I won yesterday thanks to defense). It's both fun and frustrating, when you sit staring at a question you think you should be able to answer for several minutes.
In my noobness, I had no clue the Championship was also underway! Good luck to all who made it, I will be watching with interest.
posted by nubs at 1:39 PM on September 5, 2019
In my noobness, I had no clue the Championship was also underway! Good luck to all who made it, I will be watching with interest.
posted by nubs at 1:39 PM on September 5, 2019
I’m in my mumbleth season, and I’m undoubtedly somewhere in the bottom quartile and I still really enjoy it. So it’s possible to be good enough at trivia to enjoy it and also not be the Literal Best. Which is I guess what you’d expect since we’re the vast majority of the league!
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 3:52 PM on September 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 3:52 PM on September 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also happy to refer anyone as long as they agree to abide by the rules laid out above!
posted by peacheater at 8:58 AM on September 6, 2019
posted by peacheater at 8:58 AM on September 6, 2019
So it’s possible to be good enough at trivia to enjoy it and also not be the Literal Best.
Despite my earlier comment, I generally consider myself to be playing Thorsten rather than my opponent. I'll spend literal hours pondering the questions, and then assign defense in less than a minute.
posted by Etrigan at 12:08 PM on September 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Despite my earlier comment, I generally consider myself to be playing Thorsten rather than my opponent. I'll spend literal hours pondering the questions, and then assign defense in less than a minute.
posted by Etrigan at 12:08 PM on September 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
I finished 60th.
Two previously-mentioned MeFites finished in the top 25. MeyerT wins his third scarf, and that Jennings guy finishes 6th.
Whew!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:23 PM on September 6, 2019 [8 favorites]
Two previously-mentioned MeFites finished in the top 25. MeyerT wins his third scarf, and that Jennings guy finishes 6th.
Whew!
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:23 PM on September 6, 2019 [8 favorites]
Congrats Huffy Puffy! Much better than I will ever do, I think.
posted by nubs at 12:47 PM on September 6, 2019
posted by nubs at 12:47 PM on September 6, 2019
I'm down to Rundle B for the first time in my career (probably about where I belong). With the new Top 3 rule, challenging for a Championship run is not out of the question, with a run of good luck, but I'd never make the cut. Great job, Huffy Puffy, congrats. One of these seasons I will win the MeFi Rundle and y'all will never hear the end of it.
posted by Rock Steady at 1:08 PM on September 6, 2019
posted by Rock Steady at 1:08 PM on September 6, 2019
I'll spend literal hours pondering the questions, and then assign defense in less than a minute.
Oh man, I've never spent more than five minutes total. I wonder if I'm an outlier?
posted by Chrysostom at 1:58 PM on September 6, 2019
Oh man, I've never spent more than five minutes total. I wonder if I'm an outlier?
posted by Chrysostom at 1:58 PM on September 6, 2019
That’s about what I spend. I’m terrible at guessing, so if I don’t immediately know the answer, I often just answer “asdf”. Luckily, I generally know 3-4 questions a day, so I’m in good shape if my defense works out. This season, not so much.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:44 PM on September 6, 2019
posted by kevinbelt at 6:44 PM on September 6, 2019
Hangin' on in the middle of Rundle C! I am just good enough at trivia to face each day's questions with bright shiny optimism that inevitably devolves into despair as I try to divine the name of yet another TV show I have never seen.
I often spend more than 5 minutes on my answers but find there are diminishing returns.
Also, Huffy Puffy, a big thank you for the LL invite from me and also my partner. I'm pretty sure LL's his favorite thing in life right now. It's a source of great amusement to me that he's the trivia expert in the household but I got there first!
posted by ferret branca at 7:54 PM on September 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
I often spend more than 5 minutes on my answers but find there are diminishing returns.
Also, Huffy Puffy, a big thank you for the LL invite from me and also my partner. I'm pretty sure LL's his favorite thing in life right now. It's a source of great amusement to me that he's the trivia expert in the household but I got there first!
posted by ferret branca at 7:54 PM on September 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
I’m terrible at guessing, so if I don’t immediately know the answer, I often just answer “asdf”.
Anytime I don’t know a person’s name, I’m going with “George Lazenby”. I don’t know why that popped in my head the first time I got stuck, but now I can’t stop.
posted by nubs at 5:20 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Anytime I don’t know a person’s name, I’m going with “George Lazenby”. I don’t know why that popped in my head the first time I got stuck, but now I can’t stop.
posted by nubs at 5:20 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Congratulations Huffy Puffy! 25th place is so impressive.
Though I was correct in my assumption that I didn't make the cut after Round 2, I scored myself in the last half and could have made into the imaginary top half* (with 854) which felt like a personal victory.
* if almost no one else who was also cut did any better than me in the last 2 rounds which is, of course, quite unlikely
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:42 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Though I was correct in my assumption that I didn't make the cut after Round 2, I scored myself in the last half and could have made into the imaginary top half* (with 854) which felt like a personal victory.
* if almost no one else who was also cut did any better than me in the last 2 rounds which is, of course, quite unlikely
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:42 PM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Oh hey Huffy Puffy, I'd love an invite to the MeFi group.
posted by lazaruslong at 9:58 AM on September 9, 2019
posted by lazaruslong at 9:58 AM on September 9, 2019
(for next season, obv)
posted by lazaruslong at 9:58 AM on September 9, 2019
posted by lazaruslong at 9:58 AM on September 9, 2019
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posted by Etrigan at 6:31 AM on September 5, 2019 [1 favorite]