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No idea why my dad dragged me into this place. Some guy is performing on the stage. He's reading numbers out loud. I think it's some kind of a sequence puzzle.

1... 8... 9... 16... 17... 24... 25...

This is boring. Where is this place, anyway? Yorkshire or something? Everyone else is quiet. I bet they're concentrating on figuring out the pattern.

32... 33... 40... 41... 48... 49... 56...

I'm pretty sure I have this solved already. I won't spoil it for anyone just yet, though. I think somebody else will figure it out soon as well.

57... 64... 65... 72... 73... 80... 81...

This is so simple. How is nobody telling him the answer already?

88... 89... 96... 97... 104...

Everyone's clapping now. Is it over? He's gotten to 100 and nobody guessed it? I better clap as well.

105... 112...

Wait, it's continuing? Okay, he's giving us another chance. I see where this is going. The next number is 113.

113...

And then 120...

120...

This is a nice opportunity to impress my dad. I lean in and whisper to him that the next number will be 121.

(...)

I was wrong?!

What is the next correct number in the sequence? Why do you think I'm not able to enjoy the performance like everyone else?

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7 Answers 7

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I think that the next number will be

122

Because you are watching

A snooker match (potentially at The Crucible in Sheffield)

The numbers are called out by

The referee, when declaring the size of the break (the score accumulated so far without missing a shot). The sequence of numbers suggests that the current player has potted 15 red balls and 15 blacks without missing and it's still possible to achieve the maximum 147 (very rare in snooker). The next ball will be the yellow ball which is worth 2, taking the score up to 122.

NB In professional snooker matches, it is normal for the audience to applaud when a player reaches a century (surpasses 100) so this would certainly happen in your case.

Addendum

As pointed out by celtschk, the author may not be able to enjoy the performance due to blindness or some other visual impairment.

To clarify about the rules of snooker, when a player comes to the table the aim is to pot a red ball, worth 1 point, followed by a ball of any other colour (yellow=2, green=3, brown=4, blue=5, pink=6, black=7) and proceed alternately in that fashion. Red balls are not replaced when potted, while the others are. Once all 15 reds have been potted, the aim is to pot all the other colours in increasing order of value. On this occasion, they are not replaced once potted. Thanks to zakinster and bornfromanegg for addressing this.

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    $\begingroup$ Could you clarify the link between the 1 and 7 alternate increments observed and the content of your answer for someone not familiar with the field? I think I get it but it but I'm not sure and I'm too lazy to check Wikipedia. $\endgroup$
    – zakinster
    Jan 9, 2019 at 15:29
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    $\begingroup$ The rules of snooker are such that you must pot alternately red balls and balls of another colour, starting with a red. Coloured balls are replaced on the table when they are potted, red balls are not. The player potted red, black, red, black, red, black, and so on, until all the reds were potted. The red is worth 1 point, and the coloured balls potted in this case were all blacks, worth 7 points each, hence the number sequence (the current score). Having potted the final red, and one more black, the rules state that the next ball you pot must be the yellow, which is worth 2 points. $\endgroup$
    – bornfromanegg
    Jan 9, 2019 at 15:48
  • $\begingroup$ Yup, this is correct. Nice work! $\endgroup$
    – Jafe
    Jan 10, 2019 at 13:00
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    $\begingroup$ As for the impairement, I would suggest that if you're there with "Dad", then you might be one of the youngest -- and potentially shortest -- people there. $\endgroup$
    – Admiral Jota
    Jan 10, 2019 at 14:28
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    $\begingroup$ @AdmiralJota, this could be, but the crucible has some pretty steep seating, at least compared to a lot of venues, so shortness might not impair their ability to see, there is also lots of screens above the table to watch, and we all know kids hate watching stuff on a TV... $\endgroup$
    – Blade Wraith
    Jan 10, 2019 at 15:01
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To address the one part that hexomino didn't already answer:

Why do you think I'm not able to enjoy the performance like everyone else?

My answer would be:

You're blind.

This is hinted at by the fact that

while acoustic observations (like everyone being quiet) are given, no optical impressions are, which is atypical for someone able to see. The fact that you are unsure about the location may also be a hint. And finally, it explains why you didn't see the table.

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    $\begingroup$ (dang, I should have googled before fixing. The word untypical really bothered me.... until i just googled to learn it is actually a word. Sorry.) $\endgroup$
    – kaine
    Jan 9, 2019 at 16:47
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    $\begingroup$ Or alternatively, since there is mention of a dad in the story, the child could be too small to see what's happening. $\endgroup$
    – rybo111
    Jan 9, 2019 at 17:03
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe he couldn't see the table because a big guy sat in front of him? Just that part would have other explanations. $\endgroup$
    – findusl
    Jan 9, 2019 at 18:45
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    $\begingroup$ What kind of a cruel father takes his blind son to watch a snooker match, and doesn't even explain what's happening? =/ $\endgroup$
    – Adrian Petrescu
    Jan 11, 2019 at 13:54
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    $\begingroup$ How does a blind person know that "Some guy is performing on the stage" when they cannot see the stage? $\endgroup$
    – hkBst
    Jan 13, 2019 at 11:24
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You are not able to enjoy the performance because

you are blind, all of the descriptions are of sounds, not sights

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Just a small nuance / addendum to the already good solutions posted so far.

You're potentially

Watch... errr... hearing a perfect snooker frame. So far the player has been potting, alternately, a red ball (worth 1 point) and the black ball (worth 7). Instead of black, the player could have potted a ball worth less points, but then she would not be going for the perfect game.

If all goes well,

the player, after cleaning the red balls off the table, will be potting the other balls in order, from lowest value (yellow) to highest (black).

Therefore, the full sequence is:

122, 125, 129, 134, 140, 147

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In addition to everything else...

There is a clue in the line "Where is this place, anyway? Yorkshire or something?" As the most famous place to play snooker is The Crucible which is in Sheffield, Yorkshire.

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As Mentioned previously:

You are at a snooker match and hear the commentator call out a perfect snooker frame.

Possible answer to why you were unable to enjoy the performance like everyone else was because:

At the crucible they sometimes have two matches played on stage at the same time, separated by a screen. If you are sat on one side of the stage and nothing was being played on your half, but a game was being played on the other half, you would only here the commentary for that game. The referee would be sometimes visible from some seats on the side that the child is sat as the screen does not go the full length of the stage. Hence why you could not see what was going on.

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The equation is:

floor(n ÷ 2) x 8 + n % 2

So the next six numbers will be:

121, 128, 129, 136, 137 and 144

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    $\begingroup$ but it wasn't.... $\endgroup$
    – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen
    Jan 10, 2019 at 3:06
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    $\begingroup$ Nice to have an explanation for the whispered 121 though. $\endgroup$
    – Justin
    Jan 10, 2019 at 19:40

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