Variable-value bonus - Revision history

Matt Weiner at 16:45, 7 May 2025

2025-05-07T16:45:49Z

Ophir Lifshitz: lede

2021-05-02T18:45:06Z

lede

Ophir Lifshitz: fnopqrs t

2021-05-02T08:10:38Z

fnopqrs t

Gregory Gauthier: clarify bonus conversion as applied to VVB

2017-12-22T16:43:44Z

clarify bonus conversion as applied to VVB

Jonah Greenthal: Jonah Greenthal moved page Variable value bonus to Variable-value bonus

2017-12-20T21:20:09Z

Jonah Greenthal moved page Variable value bonus to Variable-value bonus

Jeff Hoppes at 02:02, 5 March 2011

2011-03-05T02:02:27Z

fix>QBWikiBot at 01:32, 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T01:32:15Z

New page

A popular format in the 1990s, the variable value bonus (VVB) assigned each bonus question an arbitrary point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and having a higher bonus conversion, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "Colvin Unfair Result," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's fairness as a format. In response to Colvin and other critics, the variable value bonus has been abandoned in legitimate [[circuit]] quizbowl; its last appearance was at [[Penn Bowl VIII]] in 1999. The last refuge of the variable value bonus is [[College Bowl]], which retains this unfair format for unknown reasons.

[[Category:Bad quizbowl]]
[[Category:Original QBWiki Page]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{confuse|bonuses that have variable part values, but still have a consistent total value (see [[FTSNOP]] or [[Bonuses#Defunct styles of bonuses|Defunct styles of bonuses]])}}
-In a format with '''variable-value bonuses (VVBs)''', each bonus question would be assigned an arbitrary total point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. VVBs were popular in the 1990s.
+In a format with '''variable-value bonuses (VVBs)''', each bonus question would be assigned a total point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. VVBs were universally used in tossup/bonus formats until the 1990s. How many bonus points were available after answering a given tossup was random and unpredictable. By the mid-90s, [[College Bowl]] eventually settled on each round having about the same number of 20, 25, and 30 point bonuses and eliminated bonuses with any other values, though with no guarantees of which bonus questions would be paired with which tossups.
-In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and converting a higher percentage of the bonus points available, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "[[Colvin Unfair Result]]," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's [[fair]]ness as a format. In response to Colvin and other critics, the variable value bonus has been abandoned in legitimate [[circuit]] quizbowl; its last appearance was at [[Penn Bowl VIII]] in 1999.  The last refuge of the variable value bonus was [[College Bowl]], which retained this unfair format for unknown reasons.
+In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and converting a higher percentage of the bonus points available, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "[[Colvin Unfair Result]]," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's [[fair]]ness as a format.
 [[Category:Bad quizbowl]]
 [[Category:Original QBWiki Page]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{confuse|bonuses that have variable part values, but still have a consistent total value (see [[FTSNOP]] or [[Bonuses#Defunct styles of bonuses|Defunct styles of bonuses]])}}
-A popular format in the 1990s, the variable value bonus (VVB) assigned each bonus question an arbitrary point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and converting a higher percentage of the bonus points available, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "Colvin Unfair Result," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's fairness as a format. In response to Colvin and other critics, the variable value bonus has been abandoned in legitimate [[circuit]] quizbowl; its last appearance was at [[Penn Bowl VIII]] in 1999.  The last refuge of the variable value bonus was [[College Bowl]], which retained this unfair format for unknown reasons.
+In a format with '''variable-value bonuses (VVBs)''', each bonus question would be assigned an arbitrary total point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. VVBs were popular in the 1990s.
 [[Category:Bad quizbowl]]
 [[Category:Original QBWiki Page]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A popular format in the 1990s, the variable value bonus (VVB) assigned each bonus question an arbitrary point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and having a higher bonus conversion, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "Colvin Unfair Result," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's fairness as a format. In response to Colvin and other critics, the variable value bonus has been abandoned in legitimate [[circuit]] quizbowl; its last appearance was at [[Penn Bowl VIII]] in 1999.  The last refuge of the variable value bonus was [[College Bowl]], which retained this unfair format for unknown reasons.
+A popular format in the 1990s, the variable value bonus (VVB) assigned each bonus question an arbitrary point value of 20, 25, 30, or 35 points. In a format with VVBs, it was mathematically possible for a team to lose despite answering more tossups and converting a higher percentage of the bonus points available, if a disproportionate number of the higher or lower valued bonuses went to one or the other side. Such a game was known as the "Colvin Unfair Result," after [[Matt Colvin]], who was noted for his criticism of the VVB's fairness as a format. In response to Colvin and other critics, the variable value bonus has been abandoned in legitimate [[circuit]] quizbowl; its last appearance was at [[Penn Bowl VIII]] in 1999.  The last refuge of the variable value bonus was [[College Bowl]], which retained this unfair format for unknown reasons.
 [[Category:Bad quizbowl]]
 [[Category:Original QBWiki Page]]

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