Number Nine - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) World Series of Poker (Main Event). Last year, the annual No Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament began delaying its final table by four months to allow publicity to build for the event and its last nine contenders.
• A2) Tennis. The concept was introduced under the awkward title, "Championship Series, Single Week" in 1990, became the Tennis Masters Series in 2000, and has been called the ATP Masters Series since 2004.
• A3) Turnberry. The course on the Firth of Clyde features Turnberry Lighthouse, which was built over the ruins of Turnberry Castle, where Robert the Bruce, the Scottish King from 1306 to 1329, was born.
• A4) 17. 35,396 different puzzles are known that start with only 17 squares filled in. A minimum of 18 are needed for a symmetrical puzzle.
• A5) 501. The total can be achieved with three identical sets of three darts: a triple 20, a triple 19 (these first two darts can be swapped), and a bullseye (worth 50; the very last dart must be a double-score or a bullseye).
• A6) 3. The 1-5, 2-8, and 3-9 are the double woods that make it hard to see how many pins you have standing.
• A7) North America. Australia and South America each consist of four territories, Africa six, Europe seven, and Asia twelve.
• A8) 55. A Double 6 set has 28, a Double 12 set has 91, and so on, easily calculated using the formula for triangular numbers, (n*(n+1))/2, where n is one higher than the number of the set because of the blanks (e.g., Double 6 -> (7*8)/2 = 28).
• A9) NHL. Glenn Anderson, Andy Bathgate, Johnny Bucyk, Clark Gillies, Adam Graves, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull (two teams), Lanny McDonald, and Maurice Richard all wore #9. Six Major League Baseball players and two NBA players have had their number 9 retired, but no NFL team has ever retired the number (Drew Brees could eventually be the first if last year wasn't an anomaly).
• A10) Yellow. It matches the 1-ball, as the solid and striped balls that are eight apart share the same color.
• A11) 9 of Diamonds. Among other stories, Sir John Dalrymple supposedly authorized the Glencoe Massacre on February 13, 1692 using the nine of diamonds playing card. His family's coat of arms bears sports nine diamonds, almost in the same pattern as on the card.
• A12) Lefty Grove. By turning the trick on August 23 and September 27, 1928, the Philadelphia Athletics hurler became the first pitcher to ever accomplish the feat twice in an entire career. Only Sandy Koufax, in 1962 and 1964, and Nolan Ryan, in 1968 and 1972 have since tied the latter record.