Winning!

[teacher1]

Is there anyone like me ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have done every competition in Chat, That's Life, Take a Break, Pick me up, Real people, What's on Tv, Bella and Best since they first started back God knows when and have never had a win. I dread to think what I have spent in buying them and the postage - am I the only one ?!!!!!!!!!!!

[Quizmonkey]

You have quoted all magazines with HUGE circulations - and with Sun-reader-level puzzles/competitions. You're therefore entering contests with the most entrants and the smallest choice of winning. You're virtually entering a lottery every time, and can never seriously 'expect' to win.

This may sound obvious but to increase your chances of winning something enter only difficult competitions - and those in low-circulation publications.

[teacher1]

Just to let you know I do enter much more difficult comps, but I just wondered if other people have had the same luck / bad luck as me. Thanks.

[jan1956]

hi, teacher1 I also enter these "easy" comps I did win �25 at the beginning of the year on the e bay question in pick me up, I also enter the weekend one out of the newspapers, and like you have spent loads on stamps etc but I enjoy keeping the brain active, and yes quizmonkey i know there is not alot to tax it in the chats etc but somtime its fun to sit and fiddle with the puzzles with a nice glass of somthing cold, so an easy puzzle is what I want then.

keep trying teacher, it is a lottery as quizmonkey says but you've got to be in these things to win them

cheers jan

[teacher1]

Thanks Jan1956. I'll keep on trying.

[Quizmonkey]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with doing non-taxing puzzles - just explaining why that means they have higher entries and therefore lower odds.

[kayakamina]

Teacher1 I hope my experience is untypical but I have been doing crosswords for over 60 years, mostly of the harder cryptic form, and have won less than a dozen times!

I still try to do my quota to keep my brain functioning but I stopped submitting them some time ago.

Good luck K

[teacher1]

I have won a number of cash prizes in crossword and other comps in the last 30 years, but I just wondered aout the " Women's " magazines. Is there anyone out there who has done them all but never won.

[allotment10]

there is just the same chance in winning the "woman's mags" as any other comps or crosswords,i've had quite a few wins with chat,best, & recently real people & full house,also had wins with the sunday mags & local comps, like jan says you've got to be in it to win it, hard ones or easy ones someones got to win so keep going you might be next, good luck.

[nattab]

i started doing chat, that's life! and teak a break so that i could give my mum the answers to the puzzles that she couldn't do over the phone instead of trapsing down there every week, no i'm hooked and also get pick me up and full house. I spend loads on stamps and have only won once in the 7 years i have been puzzling. But i seem to be lucky as my mum has been doing the puzzles for 26years and has not won a thing.

[swinton1]

Please forgive me for blowing my own trumpet! . I have won the Bella crossword this week, received letter on Monday & cheque will follow within 28 days (�200), maybe I'll just buy stamps and envelopes.

I've won quite regularly with the above mags (not won yet with Real People). I've only won small items toys, vouchers and grooming products. This is the first time I have actually won cash, fingers crossed for the next post. Good Luck

[jan1956]

congratulations swinton1 nice to hear a goodluck story, the drinks are on you!

jan

[allotment10]

well done swinton, mines a pint!

[teacher1]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will keep on trying and perhaps one day ......................! Hope you all have good luck as well. Thanks again.

[macpark]

Like you teacher 1 I despaired of ever winning anything....... but then.....

About a month ago I won the Herald cryptic crossword and yesterday I found tha I had won the Independent Food quiz and so now my husband is going to spend an all-expenses paid day at Le Manoir de Quatre saison with Raymond Blanc learning how to cook me a loelymeal! He laughed when I poured over the 50 or so questions for a week but he's lauging on he other side of his face now and is keeping his eyes open for more tha I ca enter. I think that he moral of this story is definitely DON'T GIVE UP Like Jan says You've got to be in it to win it. Good luck

[sidley]

To Teacher 1. My wife has completed evry puzzle in Take Break since it first came out and never won a sausage!! Sometimes wonder if the list of winners they publish is fictitious?? Never mind, as somebofy has already stated , you have to be in it to win it.