Daily Hand 38: Stagflation Purgatory, Oct 1975 to Oct 1977

On August 18, 2026 everyone who opened the game got the same secret two years: October 20, 1975 to October 17, 1977, stagflation purgatory. The couch bought on day one, never sold, and turned $10,000 into $11,467 (+14.7%). 71% of the players who tried beat it.

THE COUCH'S $10,000, DAY BY DAY, REAL DAILY DATA

What the couch did

ENDED WITH$11,467 (+14.7%)

WORST DRAWDOWN-10% by Oct 13, 1977

WORST SINGLE DAY-1.9% Dec 3, 1975

BEST SINGLE DAY+1.9% Jan 5, 1976

CASH INSTEAD (T-BILLS)+10.6%

The era

Stagflation purgatory. Inflation that would not die, gas lines, and stocks that went up on paper and nowhere after prices. Six years of a market that rewarded nobody for anything.

What the players did

BEAT THE COUCH71.4%

WITH CERTIFIED SKILL21.4%

BY LUCK50.0%

COUCH WINS21.4%

DEAD HEAT0.0%

ENLIGHTENED (TOUCHED NOTHING)7.1%

MEDIAN RESULT vs THE COUCH+1.3%

MEDIAN TRADES3

MEDIAN TIME IN MARKET70%

The read

A rare one: the market went up and the humans still won 71% of the time. The scares inside the window were deep enough that stepping aside paid. Only 21.4% did it well enough to pass the monkey audit.

Player figures count every official and replayed attempt at this exact hand filed on the day it was dealt, from the run export of October 31, 2026. A win counts as SKILL only if it beats 90% of 1,000 monkeys replaying the same window with the same trade count and the same time in the market. Across the whole ledger the couch wins 62% of 120,800 games.

Frequently asked

What was the Beat the Couch daily hand on August 18, 2026?

Day 38 dealt the two years from October 20, 1975 to October 17, 1977, stagflation purgatory. A couch that bought on day one and never sold turned $10,000 into $11,467 (+14.7%).

How often did players beat the couch on day 38?

71.4% of the players who filed the hand beat the couch. 21.4% passed the 1,000-monkey skill audit; the rest of the winners were stamped LUCKY.

Can I still play the day 38 hand?

Yes. The past hand button deals the exact same window. It is filed as a replay: it does not touch your streak, the daily standings or the public ledger.

Day 38 · Stagflation Purgatory