Haven't written one of these narcissistic rambles in a long while. Time to pollute the interwebs! This is a post-tournament summary. Helps me process. Please, tolerate the narrative form. Enjoy the bingo quizzing along the way (with answers and a few definitions and one cool historical fact at bottom). Link to the uploaded games for more notes if you're nerdy enough. Disco disco disco.
Ankeny (greater Des Moines), Iowa – June 2019
Rd. 1. vs. David Brown
David I've played against since he was a teen. Lexington, KY club. Des Moines club. Best of luck as you start up your mathy PhD program!
?ABDLNU (1) and EEIORRTV (2) for me early. PIROGUE for David. I miss a likely game-winner through his blank P holding AEFILNS (3), the only playable bingo. I also missed a spot for QADIS for 42 late, playing QI for just 21.
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32406#0# (these link to cross-tables annnotated games with notes which I uploaded)
My Power Tiles (MPT): ?SSQX
Score game cume record overall cume
389-391 (2) 0-1 (2)
Rd. 2 vs. Darin True
Oof dah. Bad to worse! In sequence early I miss AEGINOPT (4) right out of the gate, Darin finds excellent (P)EELaBLE, and then I miss ACCEINOT (5). Later, my AEILNRS (6) and EGINORTV (7) sandwiched his RAISONNE.
Late, he hits AIRDROPS, slotting the A in a tws-tws lane. But I miss the hammer – DDEERST using it (8) as well as one through an E (9). To cap it all off, instead of playing FOU for the win on what would be my last play, I think, “Why not tack on my S for an extra couple points?”. The answer is that FOUS* is invalid. I turn a one-point win into a loss.
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32407#0#
MPT: S(SS)X
396-441 (45) 0-2 (47)
Rd. 3 vs. Chuck Riordan
After knowing I likely could've won Game 1 and knowing I blew Game 2, watching Chuck go back-to-back with MERRILY and EBONITES and putting me behind 100+ had me feeling down. But never out!
My comeback began with an unintentional phony – the non-bingo GAVOTED*. This French dancing verb needs double T. Then I hit ?EEIRSZ for 129. Only one solution gets the Z slotted correctly in slot six (10).
I lucked out that Chuck couldn't get a DLS-DWS hooking the bingo and that he needed to get rid of Q elsewhere. I hit it for 50+ and held on.
MPT: ?SSSJXZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32410#0#
416-385 +31 1-2 (14)
Rd. 4 vs. Avery Mojica
Know what's a bad idea against North America's #3 player? Opening with DONZER*. I was certain it was good. But why not play ZONER for more anyway? Oy veh. CADUCEUS and AGELESS for the weekend's very worthy champion.
MPT: ?SQXZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32429#0#
295 – 445 (150) 1-3 (164)
Rd. 5 vs. Peter Schwartzman
Peter opened with PONCHOS and VIRTUOSI. By turn eight he had also landed ENSUITE and SORBATE. Only damage I did was SWInERY*. I think he knew it was invalid, but might've figured his only losing sequence would start with a lost challenge, however unlikely.
MPT: ??SJQ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32428#0#
316 – 520 (204) 1-4 (368)
Rd 6 vs. George Asaka
MANNITE to start for George. When he back-to-backed with OUTLIVES and PISCATOR shortly after, I had to challenge the latter. It looked right, but PISCADOR is valid and I had to hope it was the only valid spelling. When he hit LEISURE, I told my old friend I was unimpressed. It took him ten turns to reach four bingo. Pete only took eight the round prior.
I landed AEINORS (11) for me late in a very lost cause.
MPT: SJQXZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32431#0#
353 – 544 (201) 1-5 (569)
Rd 7 vs. Matt Dewaelsche
?AEEEGNS (12) early for me. EXSERTS double-double non-bingo put me up 90. Since he had to leave board open, gave me a spot for BEILRTT (13). Matt had INSTATE late to cut spread, but WHEEZE and FOILS for 100 between them gave me a palette-cleansing score after those last two rounds.
MPT: ?SSSSXZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32432#0#
516 – 321 +195 2-5 (374)
Rd 8 vs. George Asaka
Midgame, played ?AEEGIN to an open A It would have to end with the A and the third letter needing to hook to back of HI (14). A fairly high-prob word, but still my play of the weekend perhaps. Bango'ed with EFINRST (15). George got OLESTRA late. We both missed his out-play of ROUTE(W)Ay, though it wouldn't have quite scored enough for a comeback win.
MPT: ?SSSQZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32437#0#
419-315 +104 3-5 (270)
Rd. 9 vs. Matt Dewaelsche
After we each exchanged seven to start, NECROSE for Matt. Later, EEIORVZ through an S (16) for 71 pts. for me, but he got nearly all of them back with PREED, back hooking D to my bingo on a DWS. EGIOOST (17) with a blank for me and two more exchanges for him.
Still, I managed to let him get close by trying URBANIA*. Like with several plays this weekend, I would've sworn it was valid. Must've been thinking of just URBIA.
MPT: ??SSJZ [no link, didn't record well enough to re-create game]
415-397 +18 4-5 (252)
Rd 10 vs. Chuck Riordan
Holding ?ILNOPR, I had five playable eights through the open E. Me, I made ROP(E)LINe*. That exact one even has a valid anagram (18). Can you find any of the other four through the open eights (19-22)? I also landed AEINNSS (23). Chuck drew letters one doesn't want to draw all game.
MPT: ?SSSSJXZ
https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32470#0#
416-268 +148 5-5 (104)
Rd. 11 vs. Peter Schwartzman
AnDROID and ISLANDER right out of the gate for Peter. No redemption for me.
He let FISHGuT* slide midgame, since his reply would put him back up 80+. A character from the Wheel of Time high fantasy fiction series commonly exclaimed “Fishguts!” I was more afraid it was a sticky-S word than it being invalid both ways. I saw but chickened out on a bingo through an O (24), didn't see two plays through an open I (25-6) or one through an E (27).
One will find in Peter's own notes uploaded to cross-tables that he didn't understand why I'd close the only bingo lane (which I'd just opened playing (E)RG ).
Well, it was late (turn 12)
I was down almost 100
My draw from ERG was utter crap
From the shrinking pool of tiles unseen, I figured (correctly) there were many ways he could perhaps bingo there himself (Zyzzyva indicated seven playable in that lane, all high-prob or common knowledge).
Quackle assessed my odds of winning at 0.9%, so I think my instinct to play the un-hookable TORN and close it down to try and keep the spread from getting insane was defensible.
Me: ?SX https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32453#0#
Here are the notes from Pete's upload: https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32443#0#
337-463 (127) 5-6 (231)
Rd 12 vs. George Asaka
Took a minute trying to decide between JINKY* (thanks, Shaggy) and JANKY* (it's slangy, not valid -yet-). George let it go after a long hold to bingo to TWS with YEARENDS. I nearly challenged, thought the S might make it naughty, might only be adjective.
AABEHNOR (28) and ELNOOPST (29) with a blank back to back sandwiched George's AUNTLIER. He wouldn't seem to draw particularly well for the remainder, though he still scored consistently. I landed EEIILNS (30) late to salt things away.
Me: ?SSSJZ https://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=32461#0#
495-385 +110 6-6 (121)
So much review to do, so much rust to get rid of. A .500 record and middle-of-the-pack finish was on the high end of what I thought I might accomplish on the weekend. 4th place left me just out of the money, but I did get high word prize for RESEIZE.
Congratulations to Avery on his 1st place finish. I know it was probably a little sad to see a 48-match win streak (*boggle*) end, but he's still rated #3 in all North America. Peter and my longtime friend Darin True finished in the other money spots. Can't believe it'd been so long since I'd seen Darin that my child (age 7) may not have yet been born last we faced off. Kudos to all the winners and palce-finishers. Especially pleased to see my long time amigo Dan Heck finish 3rd, in a three-way tie for 1st on wins in the second division.
Thank you to Rich Banker and Pat Boddy for directing such a fine event once again this year. I am certain many Des Moines folks and others also played huge roles, too. Thanks to you all!
To anyone who might stumble across this ramble that wasn't there: There may be events with as consistently wonderful of people over the years attending. But I'm confident there isn't one out there with more. Suburban Des Moines may not carry loads of cache as a travel destination compared to some locales, but it's as fine a Scrabble-time as one can find.
Avg. score: 397-407
Bingos me/opp: 16-23
Blanks: 12/24
Esses: 29/48
JQXZ: 27/48
TOTAL: 68/120 56%
Two blanks: 1-1
One blank: 5-3
No blanks: 0-2
BINGO QUIZ ANSWERS
1) UNBALED
2) OVERTIRE
3) LIFESPAN
4) PINOTAGE – variety of red wine grape
5) ACETONIC
6) ALINERS (also NAILERS, RENAILS)
7) REVOTING
8) DREADEST
9) DESERTED
10) RESEIZE
11) ERASION
12) AGENESES – absence of imperfect development of a body part (pl.)
13) BRITTLE
14) AGENSIA – same definition as agenesis!
15) SNIFTER
16) OVERSIZE
17) GOOIEST
18) LEPORINE – resembling a rabbit or hare
19-22) PANBROIL
PELORIAN – abnormal regularity of a flower form (adj.)
REPLICON – a section of nucleic* acid that replicates as a unit
TERPINOL – a fragrant alcohol, used in perfumes, cosmetics, flavors
23) SIENNAS
24) GOATFISH
In ancient Rome, these were highly sought. They weren't super delish. But they change
colors sometimes, and especially when they would die. So it was served live so it would
die in front of the dining guests and be reeeeely preeeteee.
25-6) INFIGHTS, SHIFTING
27) REFIGHTS
28) HABANERO
29) PELOTON – the main body of riders in a cycling race (pl.)
30) ENISLES – to isolate (also ENSILES – to store in a silo)
