Similar games to PT72.S4.G4?

Harmmanb-1

Does anyone know of any other Logic Games that are similar to this one? These parrern like games always ruin my LG score.
http://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-72-section-4-game-4/

BinghamtonDave

I'm actually unaware of a previous game that would adequately prepare us for that game. Instead, what I would recommend is isolating precisely where this game gave you trouble. I've done this game probably 30+ times. Where the issue is probably located is in not making the game's key inference. Allow me for a minute to give a strategic breakdown of this difficult game that has helped me to maximize my points in many tough sections. I believe this section is a prime example of how a tested strategy can really help us.

1.There are 5 questions on this game. That means there are 18 other questions situated in really straight forward games. In all actuality, we should be going into this game either -0 or-1 for those previous 18 questions. 7Sage is replete with lessons to maximize our efforts on games 1,2 and 3 of this section.

2.When faced with a really tough game they are often (but not always) 5 question games. Our strategy for the toughness of these games should be to get 3 questions correct. When a game is this tough, try skipping around the questions: try to get the 3 lowest hanging fruits we have available to us. Pretend for a moment that this is a three question game. Anything you get in addition to the three points you need, is icing on the cake. This is essentially damage control. We're doing this to keep a tough section at a -2, maybe even a -1 rather than a -6 or -7 from a confidence carryover like PT 77.

3.The above are some general approaches I follow. For this specific game, where I would like you to focus in your review is this central inference. There is 1 key inference on this game that allows us to finish the game in 8 or 9 minutes and believe it or not, it is right in front of us. Careful reading of the rules and a refusal to panic, should go a long way to showing us this inference.

If I tell you these three things and you put them together, what must be true?

-The individuals must come to work each of the days of the week (no absentees!)
-Every day someone gets a widget from someone else (meaning a person cannot give the widget to themselves.)
Given our 3 rules of who cannot pass to who and the fact that a person cannot pass the widget to themselves, who must pass the widget to J? In fact, who is the only person that can give the widget to J?

Once you have figured that out, from the rules given, try doing this game again, this time with that inference in mind. The game becomes tremendously easier to deal with. Several of the questions are predicated on that inference alone! Question 20 is asking us explicitly: ok, tell us the inference if you know it, we are rewarding your hard work!

So the lesson here is not historical precursors to this game that might lend a bit of insight, but rather good old fashion reading of the rules, taking a second, not letting panic set in, pushing together a few things and deriving an inference that is the cornerstone of the game. Do this game 25 more times, each time reading the rules specifically making the above inference. Sometimes we get a game that is superficially difficult, but hinges on us finding something out upfront that we can use as a tool to answer the questions.

I hope this breakdown helps
David

Harmmanb-1

Great explanation. Framing this game from the POV of; "When faced with a really tough game they are often (but not always) 5 question games. Our strategy for the toughness of these games should be to get 3 questions correct, " really puts things into perspective for me.

I think the psychological effects of this game is what makes it truly difficult, not just the inferences. Isolating this game from the rest of the section, and looking at it as -2 points vs. how I was looking at it before helps me stick to a timing and score strategy rather than being taken over by a Pavlovian emotional response the LSAT has conditioned in me.

Thank You.