Walleye Open - Port Clinton, OH 2016

**NOTE* * I got partially through entries for both the 2015 Asheville and 2016 Des Moines tournaments, but for losing sheets did not complete them or post. Thank you to directors Bill Snoddy, Rich Banker, and to all those who made both tournaments to be fine ones.

Thank you to Michael Basset for once again running a terrific event, and to all those who assisted.. Port Clinton is a fabulous location, which just enough non-chain food options in the tourist off-season to be good and the prices on the venue and area hotel rooms are super.

Also, thank you to Ken Dutch and Will Scott, my local club mates, traveling companions and hotel roommates. Try as I may have to warn you off about my grenade fire-like snoring, you boldly took the risk. And probably paid a terrible price. Your sleep deficits are not unnoted.

Rd 1 v Cheryl Melvin

EGINSTU (1) , QI for 44 and the unsuccessfully-challenged AEGNORRY (2) for me, HOTLINES and ROOSTING for her, all consecutively. She also hit REPANELS and OLEASTER, but not catching me on WURTZ* proved fatal.

455 – 409 1-0 +46 me: SJQXZ

Rd 2 v Steve Grob

The new AEILRRTT (3) and EFIOPRT (4) back to back got me an early lead, but the latter gave him QI for 68. POMADES and then three straight 40+-pointers proved too much, despite my fun phony P-hook to the first bingo.

380 – 413 1-1 +13 me: SS

Rd 3 v Carolyn Easter

She hit UNTURNED early, but leaked me an S-hook late for AEGLLST (5) to eke it out.

406 – 376 2-1 +43 me: ?SSQXZ

Rd 4 v Ken Dutch

BALBOA was a fun six. Almost drew a challenge on DECENTER, despite it being two parts of speech. I turned down TEXTING with a blank to take TIX for 40+ before the bingo. Quackle indicated that was a wash. I missed EFIINORT (6) and EIIFNORR (7) with a blank.

356 – 280 3-1 +119 me: ??SQX

Rd 5 v Flossie Swint

Hit ACEEMRST (8) and CEEINOS (9), missed neat EIKLRTT (10) – it being a verb and adjective. I Q-stuck her, but could not play off my I's without giving her a spot.

410 – 331 4-1 +198 me: ?SSSZ

Rd 6 v. Paul Epstein

Missed double-double non-bingo DEGILRR (11). I bingo'ed first with a blank for EEGKINR (12), but EEGKORN was better (13). Missed playable bingo from AEIILNQU (14) with a blank, as well as five-vowel eight AEGIILLU (15). That allowed him INTORTED. I finally bingo'ed with that blank – AILNOPRU (16) - but missed the better ADLNOPRU (17).

The point not being to berate or belittle myself. I made some optimal moves, too. But my consistency has to be much higher if I'm ever going to compete with capital-E Experts like Paul.

312 – 380 4-2 +130 me: ??SX

Rd 7 v Maureen Kennerk

She struck first with SLOPPIER. I set up ICK in the open, hoping she did not recall that it newly takes an S back hook, and then did get the challenge when I made SALTIER there. I missed AEMNOTT (18) late, but with the blank. She couldn't afford to block the only bingo lane and I got AADENNT (19).

Also, there was a contest for the best anti-Donald Trump word. I thought I'd win it with my outplay of (HER)O for the irony of it only being seven points, but no.

414 – 323 5-2 +221 me: ?SSSZ

Rd 8 v Kristi Zurbrick

Her OVERTLY and VINIEST early put me in a hole from which I'd never recover. Missed AEEMNST (20). REUNITE gave me a puncher's chance at the end, but I couldn't draw the magic-eight combo.

313 – 380 5-3 +154 me: SS

Rd 9 v. Josh Kopczak

He smacked me with CONOIDS right out of the gate. It's in the 10.000's prob-range, and so not in my studies. Challenge. I missed AAEEMNST (20) again! before later the finding the simpler OUTSIDE. But Josh was able to otherwise lock down the board and was never in danger of losing.

316 – 365 5-4 +105 me: SSZ

Rd 10 v Jonathan Lindh

TRAINEES early for me. Non-bingo TRITIUM from him opened a dangerous spot I could do nothing about, but his draw forced him to defend it . I didn't know EINNSWY (21) and missed EINNSPY (22) with the blank. I hadn't known EGNNOSU (23). A noisy room may have kept him from seeing game-winning INTRAD(O)S. I play practice games at home while my a three-year old causes chaos, so advantage me.

373 – 291 6-4 +187 me: ?SSJXZ

Rd 11 v Dan Stock

AREOLES and TASTIER for him, DDEENRU (24) and EINOPTU (25) for me. Difference was I made a second-best X-play missing OXLIP and that would've blocked his JET for 61.

383 – 435 6-5 +135 me: ?SSSQX

Rd 12 v Mike Stafford

SWIFTER - which I had not known was a noun – REMAINS, INERTIAE and WHITTLE. I turned down bingos to make HEADY for 40 before the last one and Quackle approved. But I would've taken AEHILTY (26) had I seen it. RESTING late for Mike.

534 – 327 7-5 +343 me: ??SSSJQ

Rd 13 v Marlene Boyda

Opened back-to-back with EULOGIA and ADEFIILN (27). Missed EIMNRRU (28) and AIMNRRU (29) and then DEEOORRV (30) with a blank. We traded her SACHETS to my AEEOPRST (31).

425 – 341 8-5 +427 me: ?SJXZ

Rd 14 v Jeff Fiszbein

Got lucky not having to trade out of my opening full house when Jeff gave me an A for ZENANA. I missed ?BEEEON with an open H (32), but got down AEEGNOP (33) soon after. He landed EDITORS before I landed ENTRIES, which takes dangerous hooks. In between, He'd scored THWACK on a tws line for 50+. I chickened out on the valid -ERS extension, but fished for and got the -ING for 66. I missed EEFGLOS (34) late, but went out on EGILRSU (35).

500 – 347 9-5 +580 me: ?SSJXZ

Rd 15 v Mike Stafford

Apparently 14.5 games is all I can handle in a weekend. Then it became to switch gears and crap the bed.

I got a two free turns between Mike's exchange and then catching him on SUEDY*. He countered my REVOTING with his own ERASION midgame. Soon after, I missed DILORRTY (36) and chickened out on (37) DEHIORTY.

Then the hilarity ensued. Had I noticed (V)UG/(JAG)G/U(T) in a tight spot – which would've given me a 99% chance to win despite only about a 30-point lead – I might've restrained myself from trying to salt the game away with... TiGER(HAWK)* for a tws.

In my defense, I am a native son of Iowa and was compelled by the power of Herky the Hawk to make the attempt. I now know the Tiger Hawk (which I now also know is usually presented as two words) logo on football helmets, et al., is not named for an actual animal, but rather for the stripey part of the design.

Since that was challenged off, and he used the VUG spot for something similar himself, I was forced to exchange. After that, he simply blocked bingo lanes with his C's. This was the third-fourth place matchup. Guess I don't like money haha.

332 – 367 9-6 +545 me: ??JQZ

Mike made the plays he needed to of course, but I think I at least equally blew that game. Would've finished in 3^rd place instead of 6^th, come away with a a little cash. Congrats to Will and Ken for their 9 and 8.5 wins, respectively, and to Lloyd Mills for winning.

Regarding Lloyd, in a previous entry I noted that I hadn't cared for certain behavior at a 2014 event. In talking with him this weekend, I leaned that I may have misconstrued some of the nature of what transpired. Apologies have been made both ways, and that portion of that entry will be redacted.

Stat me, baby –

Avg, score: 394 – 359

Blanks: 15/30

Esses: 28/60

JQXZ: 29/60

TOTAL: 72/150 power tiles

28-17 bingo advantage 17 seven, 11 eights.

2-blank games: 2-2

0-blank games: 1-3

Split-blank games: 6-1

QUIZ ANSWERS

1) GUNITES – mixture of cement, sand and water

2) ORANGERY – place where orange trees are cultivated

3) RATTLIER

4) PROFITER

5) GALLETS – to fill in mortar joints with stone chips

6) NOTIFIER

7) INFERIOR

8) CREMATES

9) SENECIO - flowering plant, ie: ragwort

10) KITTLER - ticklish (comp.)

11) GIRDLER

12) REEKING

13) KEROGEN - bituminous matter in shale

14) AQUILINE - curving like an eagle's beak (also QUINIELA)

15) AIGUILLE - a sharp, pointed mountain peak

16) UNIPOLAR

17) PAULDRON - a piece of armor for the shoulder

18) TOMENTA - network of small blood vessels (pl.)

19) ANDANTE - a moderately slow music passage

20) EMANATES

21) SWINNEY - atrophy of horse's shoulder muscles

22) SPINNEY - a thicket

23) GUENONS - long-tailed African monkey with grizzled coat

24) ENDURED

25) POUTINE - french fries and cheese curds topped with gravy

26) HYALITE - a colorless opal

27) FINIALED - a crowning ornament (adj.)

28) MURRINE - pertaining to murra, a substance used in ancient Rome to make vases

29) MURRAIN - any of various cattle diseases, like foot-and-mouth

30) OVERRODE

31) PROTEASE - enzyme that breaks down polypeptides

32) HONEYBEE

33) PEONAGE

34) SOLFEGE - doh, re, mi, fa...

35) LIGURES - a precious stone, mentioned in Exodus, probably jacinth

36) TORRIDLY

37) THYREOID - pertaining to the thyroid