Guess Kotonowaka's Aite - November 2023 edition

[Jejima 1,346]

Announcing the November 2023 edition of Guess Kisenosato's Aite.... / Guess Hokutofuji's Aite.... / Guess Kiribayama's Aite....

Guess Kotonowaka's Aite

All you have to do is guess S2E Kotonowaka's opponent each day, before the torikumi comes out. If you guess correctly, you get a shiroboshi. This is surprisingly more fun (or frustrating) and challenging than it should be. It also gets you to think a bit more about the 'inner-workings' of sumo.

Here is the current banzuke:-

Banzuke for November 2023

Reonito (YOW 12-3)  Y1 
Gurowake (YOE 10-5)  YO  Sakura (Y1E 9-6)  
Sumo Spiffy (S1W 10-5) S1  Bunbukuchagama (K1E 10-5)
                                            S2  Profomisakari (S1E 8-7) 
Tetsuba (M1E 9-6)  K1 Oshirokita (M2E 8-7)
Hakuhonofan (M2W 8-5-2)  M1 Jakusotsu (K1W 7-8)    
Jejima (M4W 8-7)  M2  shimodahito (M1W 5-8-2)
Fashiriteta (M6E 7-8)  M3 WAKATAKE (M3W Kosho)
Ryoshishokunin (M4E Kosho)  M4  Athenayama (M6W 5-10)
Seiyashi (M3E 2-2-11)  M5  The Kyokai (M5E 1-14) 
rokudenashi (mz) 4-10-1  M6 

Banzuke-gai
Hoshotakamoto (M5W 0-0-15)

Comments:
Sumo Spiffy will be considered for promotion to Ozeki with a yusho, or yusho equivalent.
Bunbukuchagama will be considered for promotion to Ozeki with a yusho, or yusho equivalent.

The rules are as follows:-

1. Guess S2E Kotonowaka's opponents on each day of the basho.
2. Entries need to be in before 11:30 am Japan time on the previous day, except for the days 1 and 2 entries which need to be in before 11:30 am Japan time on the Friday prior to the start of the basho. If it turns out that the daily toriukumi is printed before these times, then any entry proved to have come afterwards is not allowed for that day (so enter early to be safe).
3. Tie-breakers to decide the Yusho.... We look at the result of the day 15 prediction, then day 14, and so on back to day 1. If still a tie, then the highest ranked on the banzuke can claim the Yusho.
4. If S2E Kotonowaka goes kyujo during the basho, we switch to S1W Wakamotoharu (S1E Daieisho then K1E Abi kept further in reserve, if needed due to a mass spate of kyujos) for the days after his fusensho loss (I.e. we can still guess who gets the freebie). For the immediate day afterwards, (unless it is known very soon after the event), everyone will get a 'kyujo'.
5. Players that are leading the Yusho race (especially in the final few days of the basho), are requested / expected to get their picks in very early (before all the other players, if possible) - in order to avoid suspicions of 'tactical picking'.
6. If the kyokai changes the originally posted torikumi for any day (such as for a late kyujo), the first version released will be used for the purpose of this game. (Highlighted, so that I will remember it, unlike in a previous basho!)
7. If the sumo forum goes down for a long period of time, you may still make your picks to Jejima or Jakusotsu at the 'obvious' gmail addresses or by any other method. 

Special prizes (many thanks to Yaochoyama):

1. Outstanding performance (shukun-sho) - the one who correctly picks the aite the most consecutive days. You have to have a minimum of three to win this prize.

2. Fighting spirit (kanto-sho) - the one who limits their incorrect aite picks to the shortest number of consecutive days (literally the one whose longest losing streak is the shortest). Any losing streak of 5 or more days would disqualify you from this prize.

3. Technique (gino-sho) - the one who is best at making correct picks when no one, or hardly anyone else does. A point system is used as follows and you need at least 3 points to claim this prize:

3 points if you're the only win to make the correct pick
2 points if you're one of two to make the correct pick
1 point if you're one of three to make the correct pick

New players () are cordially invited to this game!

[Gurowake 4,016]

Will anything change from last basho?  Well, at least one match will be now that Tobizaru is not in sanyaku.

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

[Sumo Spiffy 544]

17 hours ago, Gurowake said:

Will anything change from last basho?  Well, at least one match will be now that Tobizaru is not in sanyaku.

Plus Meisei being bumped down. It doesn't (shouldn't) affect the base sanyaku rotation, but it sure might change things for us early on compared to Aki.

[Jakusotsu 5,874]

Day 1 - Takayasu
Day 2 - Meisei

(...without having looked at Gurowake beforehand...)

[Seiyashi 4,072]

Day 1: Takayasu
Day 2: Meisei

[Fashiritētā 171]

1. Takayasu 

2. Meisei

[Reonito 1,384]

Penciling this in on the assumptions that Terunofuji doesn't enter and no one else in the joi decides to sit out:

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

[Sakura 1,480]

1 Takayasu
2 Meisei

[Sumo Spiffy 544]

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

Day four looks like the first interesting one, unless they pull a rabbit with big sharp pointy teeth out of the hat.

[Jejima 1,346]

1 takayasu

2 meisei 

[Bunbukuchagama 701]

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

[Athenayama 999]

1. Ura

2. Meisei

[Hakuhonofan 334]

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

Edited November 9, 2023 by Hakuhonofan
Typo

[Jakusotsu 5,874]

1 minute ago, Hakuhonofan said:

1. Takayama

Who?

[Sumo Spiffy 544]

7 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Who?

I appreciate when moments like this are saved for posterity.

[rokudenashi 296]

1. Takayasu

2. Meisei

[Profomisakari 845]

I think the train is going in the wrong direction.

Day 1 Meisei
Day 2 Takayasu

Profomisakari

[Oshirokita 173]

I'll have to be kyujo this basho. My laptop has decided to die on me and needs some restoration work thus I will not have access to my spreadsheets for a while.

[Bunbukuchagama 701]

Asanoyama's kyujo broke everything.

 

[Reonito 1,384]

17 minutes ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Asanoyama's kyujo broke everything.

 

Darn, I was worried about that. Too late to change now, deadline passed a few minutes ago (have to remember that it's an hour earlier for me on standard time).

Should be the monkey on day 1 now, and Profo lucks out on day 2.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Reonito

[Bunbukuchagama 701]

2 minutes ago, Reonito said:

Darn, I was worried about that. Too late to change now, deadline passed a few minutes ago (have to remember that it's an hour earlier for me on standard time).

Torikumi was out the moment this news was out, so, we couldn't change it anyway.

[Reonito 1,384]

1 minute ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Torikumi was out the moment this news was out, so, we couldn't change it anyway.

Oh, I thought there usually was more of a gap between the deadline and when the torikumi drops. I didn't peek before my edits above 

[Seiyashi 4,072]

3 hours ago, Reonito said:

Oh, I thought there usually was more of a gap between the deadline and when the torikumi drops. I didn't peek before my edits above 

I think as in the torikumi was the first time anyone knew Asa was kyūjō. It wasn't a Terunofuji case where the news had been spread around. 

[Tetsuba 32]

Hello, sorry to be late, but I'll kyujo.
I don't konw if there is any kosho in the game, but if there is, I'll take it.
Thanks again and sorry for the trouble

[Jakusotsu 5,874]

3 hours ago, Reonito said:

Should be the monkey on day 1 now, and Profo lucks out on day 2.

Well put.

Profomisakari (S2w) 1-1
The Kyokai (M5w) 1-1
Reonito (Y1e) 0-2
Gurowake (YOe) 0-2
Sakura (YOw) 0-2
Sumo Spiffy (S1e) 0-2
Bunbukuchagama (S1w) 0-2
Hakuhonofan (M1e) 0-2
Jakusotsu (M1w) 0-2
Jejima (M2e) 0-2
shimodahito (M2w) 0-0-2
Fashiriteta (M3e) 0-2
WAKATAKE (M3w) 0-0-2
Ryoshishokunin (M4e) 0-0-2
Athenayama (M4w) 0-2
Seiyashi (M5e) 0-2
rokudenashi (M6e) 0-2
Tetsuba (K1e) kosho
Oshirokita (K1w) kosho

Kotonowaka's aites: 1. Tobizaru, 2. Takayasu

Edited November 10, 2023 by Jakusotsu