I bought a cheap connect 4 set for the programming department on Monday and it has gone down a storm. What started out as a friendly game to spend playing during lunch hours has turned into a extreme battle of wits and mathematics.

Desperately searching online for connect 4 strategies, I found that it has been mathematically proven that it is possible to win every time if you start first and put your first chip in the middle column. Trying to understand the logic and patterns involved in the game was starting to hurt my head.

My love for programming has rarely come up against such stiff competition as the last couple of day’s connect 4 antics.

So, now is the time to decide, which is better?

Programming
Relatively difficult to start out
Takes years to become a master
Many languages to consider
Requires a computer

Connect 4
Very easy to learn the basics
Takes maybe months to become an expert (especially if you read strategy guides etc)
erm…people from Thailand are good at this game!? I don’t know where I’m going with this.
Does not require a computer

Considering all the points above, I feel that there is nothing between the two. If for some reason I should give up programming, I may take up a career as a professional connect 4 player!

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