What are the odds of winning?

[gaz1954]

Couple of general questions: 1 - Does anyone KNOW how many entries are received for the main crossword competitions, e.g MOS/Express/Telegraph, etc. 2 - How many ABers have actually won on these comps? Esp. the main boys/girls (you know who you are).

[shaneystar2]

They must receive thousands of entries ..I 've won runners up in the DT a couple of times ..a book token and a Whitakers and have been sending in the DT cryptic for more years than I care to remember .. but that bloomin ' pen still eludes me !! Good Luck .

[alfieblue]

thousands upon thousands of entries! If I recall, a member of AB won the MOS a few weeks ago. Lucky him! you have got to be in it to win it, I suppose. Luck of the draw. I keep sending my entries in, with fingers crossed!!!

[ironmonger]

I have won the Daily Express Monday �1,000 crossword twice. Once for my wife and one for my Sister who lives in a different part of the country. I no longer send this comp in so good luck to everyone

[Aquagility]

I do the Telegraph Cryptic each Saturday, and the GK each Saturday and Monday. Never won anything, though I did win the Generalist recently.
Assuming that one would buy the paper anyway, the fixed cost of the stamp and the envelope - say 40p a time - cannot possibly be a worthwhile bet. If there were 250K entries, you would be looking to win �100K, less the bookies take. More than a 'boxed pen' or a book token, anyhow.
So why do we do it? Answers on my desk by Monday, please. Meanwhile, enjoy!

[gaz1954]

Good to see one or two well-known AB winners, although I am surprised there are not more!. Personally have won several cash priizes including the Express Birthday Quiz (�250), plus variious prizes (about 5-6) in the last 18 months. Like the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it.
Good luck to everyone anyway. Gaz

[masterchef]

I won the Telegraph pen a couple of years ago and a book token before that for The Sunday Telegraph crossword.
I've also won five prizes of �25.00 over the past few years in the You crossword.
My husband and I used to do all the Mail on Sunday, Subday Express and the three weekend Telegraph crosswords but have now given them all up as the entry cost, purchase etc. out weigh the prizes.
I have yet to use the pen as I looked up the value of it (�40.00+) so didn't enquire the price of the ink cartridges.
I think I shall stick with The Rainbow Quiz which gives me much more pleasure in the knowledge that the entry fee and donation are doing someone some good and as I always say if I did win a prize I would donate it back to the charity.
masterchef

[the selebian]

i have sent the MOS crossword in every week for about 7 years and not won anything i have a friend whose permanent home is in South Africa and she sends it in form there and has won it twice over the years well i just keep hoping my luck will be in day good luck all you ABers

[Cugetit]

Over many years I have won 3 or 4 runners-up book tokens with the Telegraph (Sat & Sun). As has been said, there must be many thousands of entrants. Obviously, the chances of winning will be better than the Lottery but not as good as a dabble on the horses/dogs. Good luck, anyway.

[Christiana]

I won the Telegraph pen twice and bought some cartridges -they are both awful writers and I don't take them out in case I lose them. So why do I bother - for that moment of elation when you first find out you won. Daft really

[podger123]

We sent in the Express and MOS for about 30 years!! We only ever won a runners up prize from YOU. I bought some very posh curtains.Since the AB was formed we don't bother as the odds of being first out are reduced so greatly. We stick to winning cars, cash and holidays from the consumer competitions which can be found in shops etc and which need a sentence ending to make a witty ditty!

[gordonclown]

I won �20 Daily Mail crossword from about two weeks ago - received the cheque last Thursday. In the past I have won �1000 on Sunday supplement star's name - from high-lighted crossword letters, 3 timmes on Sumthing in Express Fridays, Mentathlon once - PS2 and games, robot dog and other bits, and loads of dictionarys form Sheffield Star Saturday crossword. It's just luck, but if you don't do it regularly the odds must be against you.

[edinmike]

This year marks my 20th anniversary of entering the MOS crossword, without success, but I persevere. What ARE the odds ??

[puzzler1]

i have won the YOU crossword-once in over 20 years!!

[terrybigfoot]

My wife and I won the Telegraph Sat GK crossword in Sept 2006. Fantastic surprise as we had been doing it for years!
�200 and an almanac. We've been doing it every Sunday morning sitting up in bed with loads of cups of tea ever since, and not even been mentioned in despatches!? Perhaps when you've won once they won't let you win again. Who knows? We will continue because its great fun (no comments about better things to do in bed on a Sunday morning please!!!!!).

[gaz1954]

Edinmike, you hit the nail on the head, WHAT ARE THE ODDS?. As for Terrybigfoot doing the crossword in bed with the wife, at least you have an incentive to finish one thing quickly!. lol Gaz

[JUNKMAN]

Just to get an idea of the odds, I thought - why not ask one of the papers concerned ?
I've emailed the Guardian, who replied that they get between 1800 and 2500 entries every week for the Saturday Crossword.
If you roughly calculate that figure against the daily circulation rate, and apply the same precentages to the other national papers, you would get the following:
Daily Telegraph 6000 entries
The Times 4300 entries
Observer 3250 entries
Mail on Sunday 14000 entries

Of course, apart from the Guardian figures, the rest is merely hypothetical - but it might give some idea of the odds.

Incidentally, I've been doing the Times, Observer Everyman, and Guardian crosswords for over 20 years, and the Mail on Sunday for 5 years - and I've never won a thing!!

[Ragged-Robin]

I send in the Observer Everyman crossword most weeks, as did a friend of mine until he died recently at 92. Amazingly, and I can't explain it, I have won it about 5 times as had my friend in a couple of years and we both have won the books, ie, 1st 3, as well as the book token. The first time I won it I had posted it to catch the 12:30 Saturday collection so, working on the assumption that among the last to arrive put itnear the top I posted as late as possible until I found my friend invariably posted his on the Monday. Thereafter I posted mine on any day and, as I say, won several times. So, no help at all there, and I don't usually win things. I do try to write very clearly, esp. my name and address. They're only human and I bet they discard the indecipherable ones until they find one that's easy to read.