Watson Week: Entering the Far Turn…

What is Toronto???? THE HARDWARE HAD A HÆMORRHAGE!

All right, all right, ya Watson-loversz! All right! The Machine has a commanding lead, but as anyone familiar with the television version of “North America’s Favourite Quiz Programme” can attest, it’s during Day 2 of the two-day affairs that the real running begins.

Can Watson maintain? Or is he just cheap speed? Will the ghost of Mr. Richard Mitchell be heard screaming down the stretch, “Vladimir Syringe! Vladimir Syringe!”?

Oops, wrong spasm of excitement there. Of course, we meant to write, “The hardware had a hæmorrhage! The hardware had a hæmorrhage!”

We shall see. So far, the Watson has coasted unmolested on the lead. He has shown some flair for the comical with his non-round-number wagers. His buzzer skills are unlikely to be counteracted by the efforts of the humans flanking him, regardless of their quick-twitch muscle fibre count.

Is this Watson an upstart Spend a Buck? Or just another Groovy?

Needless to say, All-In-One V6, The Handy Capper, FastCapper and The Betting Analyst Supreme Express are rabidly cheering the Machine to victory. Even the Exciting New LifeLiner Speed Analysis is beginning to soften.

Yet they are aware that even their greatest handicapping exploits are unrealized without the guidance and decision-making skills of a gray-matter partner on the other end. When these powerful programs hook up with a responsible flesh-and-blood player, the combination is frequently a successful one — or at the very least one in which the humanoid finds himself or herself with a much better information set than he or she would have on his or her own. (Let’s hear it for gender equality!)

As always, we point to the example of the Boys In the Backroom, the so-called expert staff of handicappers here. They are mildly talented at the game, maybe on the lines of a John McCain at Jeopardy! (and, yes, go ahead and use the google to see that Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) was indeed a contestant more than 40 years ago!), and they do great work with V6 at the ready. So in your genius hands (yourself being a Kenneth Jennings Jr. or a Bradford Rutter, Esq.), imagine the sorts of Ultimate Tournament of Parimutuel Champions you’d be knocking down with a little assistance from All-In-One V6.

One wrap-up “Watson Week” post tomorrow. Until then, we shall hope for a grandstand finish this evening!