Dishes and what?

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No, I have put most of the remaining dishes in for a hot soak.  I am, sort of, planning a dinner.  I am considering a load of laundry.  Stumbling around as if I could remember my name, however, I usually find myself sitting somewhere.  My hands either end up on the keyboard or messing with sudoku.  Sodoku, you ask?  Perhaps you haven't heard of it?  No problem, there is much these days I have either not heard of or have heard but don't know a think about.  Gangnam style?  Dozens of others, and you probably could list of many dozens of viral videos and ideas of which I have neither heard nor have any interest in hearing about... so... please, no need to list.

Sudoku isn't really a game of geniuses.  It is, simply a game of numbers.  It can be complex, or simple.  It seems to draw a certain type to it.  I don't know that I know enough other players and non-players to be able to tell you the difference.  But I have known very bright men and women who don't play and not so bright people who do play.  Actually, I count myself, generally, functionally, as a tiny bit above average.  My peaks may be... genius, maybe.  But that isn't where I live.  Then again you will find mice who can truly be genius.  They just have to be hungry, and lucky.

In any case, up to this point, I have been avoiding a couple of things with the game.  With both paper, and usually electronic, versions of the game (now), you can write numbers in the boxes, in small print, in order to figure some things out.  I have figured out even the more complex puzzles without doing so.  I have also avoided... studying techniques.  Why?  Because it's a *u@(#$& game!  And yet, here I am, on the verge of... studying.  Why?  I don't know that!  I suppose I want to learn to solve more of the problems.

My averages?  The game I play tracks all players.  I hadn't been playing the more difficult levels for some time prior to this new game, so... I started out 30% faster than the average player.  I have hit as high as 95% faster than the average player.  The fastest I have completed a puzzle, on my phablet, is 40 seconds.  I am faster with paper ones.  Of course... who is playing is... always the question.  The game is self-selecting, as a general rule, to those interested in the game.  But that doesn't mean 10k 3rd graders can't be the competition on any give day, either.  Probably the days I run slower by average?  Bleh.  Kids!  :) 

Yea, I decided to dig in though.  Just looking over techniques.  And bothering to mess with filling in the numbers and further looking for patterns.  I am no sure if any are unsolvable.  I am sure there are some.  Not sure if those are put out though, but.... who knows.  Just sharing a bit as I tinker.

Some of my favorite tips first.  Then some other bit.