Saturday, August 27, 2016

Day Three

Game 15 vs. Cynthia Seales
Missed ?AGIIPT (1) right out of the gate. AEGINRS (2), VIZOR for 62, and a fun, rack-cleaning HEPCAT got me the lead. ADONSTU (3) and EEFGILNT (4) bookending her REVEALER salted it away. With a monster lead, I actually let LIQUOERS* go late for 104. I had an out-bingo in hand, and I did the math that if somehow that mess was valid on a challenge I would lose by 4. I was not letting that be the story of me. Screw the 140 pts extra spread I burned. Went out with ADEIRST (5).
516 – 412 9-6 +576 me: ?SSSZ

Game 16 vs. Vera Bigall
She landed the first bingo – CLEANERS – and the last with REGIONAL. In between, I got EEGINRTT (6), AEIRTUZ (7) for 104, and ADEINPRT (8).
518 – 361 10-6 +733 me: ?SSXZ

Game 17 vs. Joel Horn
Early, I saw the possible word in ABDELLS (9) and dismissed it. ADEGOST (10) followed a couple turns later. He laid a blank bingo down before picking it up and scoring 30 in order to save said blank. I missed EEEHNST (11) and then both in AEMNRSST (12) before finally getting AEENRSTU (13) down. He double-blanked with REASONS to essentially tie it before things went sideways.

I missed non-bingo WINGLET and took WELTING, which was inferior for opening a tls-tls QI spot. I blocked it the next turn, and just in time it turned out. Then I got FUSER* by, not realizing myself it was phony. That set up his REZ for 40 however. I'd tracked the right number of tiles unplayed, but somehow had the Z already marked off. This was balanced out on my tracking by what turned out to be a missing J. We found it under his foot after the game.
386 – 353 11-6 +766 me: SSSS

Game 18 vs. Nedd Kareiva
Five-tile overlap with NEAREST for for him early. I had SSS at one point and milked them enough to stay close. He got burned challenging SUS, and I took advantage by playing DERME* as an intentional phony a couple turns later, figuring he didn't want to risk another lost turn. It wasn't a game-breaking score, yet enough put me down less than a bingo again. The perfect tweener.

He exchanged one tile late, which I correctly figured to be the Q. So I opened a 30+-point QI spot that also dumped my V, drawing three tiles out of seven for the Q. The gambit paid off as I picked it up and he didn't block. Carrying the case blank a few turns inspired just enough confidence to try it. Did I bag him? Sure did. But I'd never beaten him before, so I took it with no apologies.
350 – 297 12-6 +819 me: ?SSSSJQXZ

Game 19 vs. Kevin Leeds
Why on earth did ZOEAS look bad to me? Passed it up to open thinking it only took -E back hook. EIMORSU (14) for me before he back-to-backed SWINDLE and TANGRAMS. His lead fluctuated throughout between about 25 and 50 was all, yet his board control was masterful; I never threatened.
360 – 381 12-7 +798 me: ?SSSXZ

Game 20 vs. David Turissini
His unknown-to-me PAKORA would've earned a challenge, but that it opened a spot for my EILNRST (15). RIDGILS for him, ACEILRT (16) for me to put it away late. He outplayed me and was a worthy division champion, I just had some serendipity on my side this round.
428 – 419 13-7 +807 me: ?SS

Game 21 vs. Mike Stafford
His TONELESS and my miss of DEENLRTY (17) set the pace. I caught him on MAIRY* midgame, but he followed up with a superior ARRAYS for nearly 40 anyway. Double-blank NEGRONI for him late sealed it on a lane I had to open.
303 – 404 13-8 +706 me: XZ

Stat me, baybee –

Blanks: 5/14
Esses: 18/28
JQXZ: 10/28

Bingos: 12-11 Avg. score: 408 - 375

Quiz
1) PIGTAIL
2) SERINGA (also ERASING, EARINGS, GAINERS, REAGINS, REGAINS, REGINAS,
SEARING)
3) ASTOUND
4) FLEETING
5) ARIDEST (also ASTRIDE, DIASTER, DISRATE, STAIDER, TARDIES, TIRADES)
6) RINGETTE – a team sport played on ice, mostly by teams comprised of woman, like hockey, but
involving a rubber ring
* All my now-four-year-old's former binge-watching of “Caillou” finally paid off. That and many other children' educational shows are produced in Canada and often specifically Quebec. This primarily Canadian sport is featured in one of the episodes and the only reason I knew the word.

7) AZURITE – a blue mineral from which copper is obtained and is used in paint- and fabric-making
8) DIPTERAN – member of a family of insects that includes flies and mosquitoes
9) BALLSED – to have fouled something up badly
10) DOTAGES – a state of senility
11) ETHENES – a chemical used in improving color of citrus fruits, amongst wide variety if uses
12) SMARTENS, SARMENTS – a type of slender plant stem, also called a runner
13) SAUTERNE – a California-produced white wine, usu. sold as a jug wine
14) MOUSIER
15) LINTERS – a machine for removing fibers from cotton seeds
16) RECITAL (also ARTICLE)
17) TENDERLY





Saturday, August 20, 2016

Day Two

Rd. 8 vs. Judy Cole
Got away with MIBB* to open. It and MIG/G are playing marbles. Missed AEELNRTX (1) before hitting AEELNRS (2). Missed ADMRSTU (3) with a blank (not MUSTARD, it didn't fit) but found ADEORSTU (4). We traded my AEEGORV (5) to her NAPERIES late.
445 – 293 4-4 +307 me: ??SSSX

Rd. 9 vs. Elizabeth Davis
I transposed tiles trying to make AGEIMNS (6), but it stood. I chickened out on EERSTVV (7), but held on in a long, defensive game.
351 – 313 5-4 +345 me: ?SSJQZ

Rd. 10 vs. David Englehardt
I missed ADENOPST (8), but recovered with ABDEINOS (9), one of my fave finds of the week in AFIIMOS (10), and AEELRRN (11).
391 – 300 6-4 +436 me: ??SSS

Rd. 11 vs. Carol Tillson
I missed EEHMRST (12) and a sweet nine was also possible in EEHIMRSTT (13). But AEELRST (14) earned me a challenge, and I earned another free turn taking off her UNSTAIN* try before she hit double-blank SHINIER.
403 – 326 7-4 +513 me: SSSX

Rd. 12 vs. Joanne Cohen
She struck first with ROARERS, while I missed BEHINNOS (15). Got DEENNOY (16) the next turn, and then EEIILSTW (17). Jargony OUTCUE* from my radio days got me out of a 2-U mess. Joanne found EREPSINS late and I inexcusably missed EELNOSTT (18).
Blown game factor: 10.
405 – 407 7-5 +511 me: ??SJQXZ

Rd. 13 vs. Betty Conelison
Missed the only bingo in BDEFSS?? (19), but landed ACDEENS (20) the next turn. INSURES for her late closed the gap, but enabled me to get TOOTHY for 40 on a tws out of that rack plus a third T.
379 – 331 8-5 +551 me: ?SSZ

Rd. 14 vs. Ruchi Gupta
She's been due against me. ETERNAL early, than WAX to set up tws-dls Y-hook for 63-pointer. PITIERS for 91 put me away. Her lead was so big she was able to let go my bEZELING* for 118. I challenged a D-hook to OUGHT, got the turn back challenging her STARRIED*, but to no avail.
371 – 450 8-6 +472 me: ?SSJQZ

Stat me, baybeee –

Blanks: 9/16
Esses: 16/28
JQXZ: 13/28

Bingos: 11 – 7 Avg. score: 392 – 345

Quiz
1) EXTERNAL
2) LEANERS
3) DURMAST – a European oak, also called a sessile oak
4) READOUTS (also OUTDARES, OUTREADS)
5) OVERAGE
6) ENIGMAS (also GAMINES, SEAMING)
7) VERVETS – a kind of African monkey
8) NOTEPADS
9) BEDSONIA – variant word for chlamydia
10) MAFIOSI
11) RELEARN (also LEARNER)
12) THERMES – a unit of heat
13) HERMETIST – practitioner of a sort of pagan universalist monotheism
14) STEALER (also ELATERS, REALEST, RELATES, RESLATE)
15) SHINBONE
16) DOYENNE – woman who is the senior member in age or rank of a group, class, or profession
17) LEWISITE – a compound used as a blister gas in WWI
18) NOTELET – small sheet of paper for an informal letter
19) SOFABEDS

20) ENCASED (also DECANES)

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

2016 Nationals - Fort Wayne, IN

Day One

Rd. 1 vs. Marshall Resnick
WARDENS for 90 for him, AAEEPRST (1) for me. RADICEL for him,, late chicken-out on AEINNPR (2) which would've put me 44% chance to win late.
Blown game factor: 3
347 – 397 0-1 (50) me: SJXZ

Rd 2 vs. Trevor Sealy
PANDERS for him, ABDEIMOO (3) for me. But he oxymornon'ed me with FATTIER and LANKIER.
Blown game factor: 0
333 – 463 0-2 (180) me: SSJZ

Rd 3 vs. Bernard Gottlieb
I got the only first half bingo with DEILOPT (4), but he made a calculated, aggressive play with VOICE tws-dls opening for 51-pt. ADZ play I couldn't happen to block. Two many duplicate letters for me to make hay and he eventually landed ENRAGES. I tried (COOK)PANS* to no avail, and missed EEHSTUY (5) for an out to mitigate spread.
Blown game factor: 1
326 – 407 0-3 (261) me: ??SSSX

Rd 4 vs. Guy Ingram
EEINRTU (6), DEILNRTU (7), and AEINSTT (8) made my draws those a player in any division would love. He had fun play LAKING – a noun – and SANDInG. But the latter gave me QI for 63. He told me later he'd chickened out on the safer LADINGS.
463 – 433 1-3 (231) me: ?SJQ

Rd 5 vs. Elizabeth Ralston
EIOPRSTV (9) before I missed new-to-me ACHILMS (10). Her TURGITE allowed me ZIGS for 72. AABCILNO (11) just looked off to her this day and so earned me a challenge. ABEORRT (12) got one as well, and then (HOWE)S/SKEEN.
Late, I decided to not fish for a bingo and burn good tiles scoring well for tws RE(D)ONE saving UY. I ended up drawing to EFLNSUY (13), and she gave me a place for it with PEAsE/S(LYING)*. I was actually getting against PEASES being good, since all contexts I can find for PEASE show it as an archaic own-plural for PEA.
Elizabeth finished higher in final standings than I did. Some games just go wonky.
653 - 277 2-3 +145 me: ?SSSSJXZ

Rd 6 vs. Diana Grossman
She opened FABLING, but I got ACELNOTV (14). FLAMINGS* cost her a turn, but she landed ALUMINES and CHANTIES before I cut the spread late with ELIRRSTU (15).
Blown game factor: 3 (missed some good stuff like POOKA, GAWKY and GAVOTTE)
418 – 451 2-4 +112 me: ?SSQZ

Rd 7 vs. Janet Gray
ABEHIRS (16) and AENOSTU (17) early for me, but REGISTER and RIDGIEST back-to-back for her. She hit OUTLIER late, but I snaked it out somehow.
425 – 415 3-4 +155 me: ?SSJQZ

Stat me, baybeeee –
Blanks: 6/14
Esses: 15/28
JQXZ: 12/28

Quiz
1) SEPERATE (also ASPERATE)
2) PANNIER
3) AMOEBOID
4) PILOTED
5) SHUTEYE
6) REUNITE (also RETINUE, UTERINE)
7) UNDERLIT
8) SATINET (also INSTATE)
9) OVERTIPS (also SORPTIVE, SPORTIVE)
10) CHIMLAS – archaized word for chimley, chimney
11) ANABOLIC
12) TABORER (also ABORTER)
13) SYNFUEL
14) COVALENT
15) SULTRIER
16) BEARISH
17) SOUTANE


Bingos: 14 – 12 Avg score: 423 - 406