Thursday, July 6, 2017

Knoxville June, 2017
What a treat to carpool with clubmates Steve Bush and Will Scott. Together, we comprised half of Division One.  The field is highlighted by David, the reigning national champion. I am seeded a distant third.

Rd. 1 vs. Winter
Winter got TOTTLEd* by me with TOILETTE and STILETTO available.  My ADILNORT (1) netted a challenge. I missed the playable seven in ACEEHRT (2), plus the eight to a D (3).  I also hickened out on one of the eights through an I and missed the other entirely (4).  Challenging off his R-hook to OBLIQUE wasn't nearly enough.
323 – 428       0-1     (105)                                                        my power tiles: SS

Rd. 2 vs. Steve Bush
EEILSST (5), though missed better through an E (6).  REINFUSE and OUTDONE were easily enough for him to outpace my attempts to plow through bad racks, like HOOVER (U leave), VODOUN and BOTCHER double-double non-bingo.  We both missed front extensions for FOILS.
320 – 467       0-2     (252)                                                        mine: SSSQ

Rd 3 vs. Cynthia Seales
One of the two in ?ELLNOP (7) to open for me, followed by AEGORTUU (8).  She landed MANAGERS, but I also for BDEIILRT (9).
443 – 401       1-2     (210)                                                        mine: ?SJXZ

Rd 4 vs. David Gibson
TURNIPS midgame, INSNARE and OVERPAST back to back late for David.  I can't complain about my blank being the last tile in the bag if I'm going to try phonies like CHIVED*.
318 – 438       1-3     (330)                                                        mine: ?SJQ

Rd 5 vs. Will Scott
EINNRSS (10) early,  AEELPRS (11) and ABCDEOR (12) for me late back-to-back.  Extending TINE with EEMNR (13) would've been fun.
430 – 300       2-3     (200)                                                        mine: ??SSSJQ

Rd 6 vs. Winter
Winter isn't afraid to phony or challenge, a refreshing style of play.  CHURNIER* seemed plausible to me and stood, plus he had ENTOILED and the double-blank DOORCASE.  This last move was interesting to sim individually (see the annotated game for notes).  I replied with DEOPRST (14) for 101.  The difference might've been his unsuccessful challenge of MAUD.
427 – 407       3-3     (180)                                                        mine: SJQXZ

Rd 7 vs. Steve Bush
REEVOLVE* for Steve, but I used it to get out of a bad rack, hooking ERUVS late.  I got ADENOOST (15) in a tight spot late.
370 – 361       4-3     (171)                                                        mine: ?SSSSQX

Rd. 8 vs. Cynthia Seales
Cynthia got PLATTEAU* past me, and scored Q(u)INO(L) for 68 later.  In between, I earned a challenge with AEELNRST (16) and landed AEEILNRT (17).

This game got nutty late.  Down what I thought was 22 and with six consonants and a blank in hand, I played T(ABO)R(I)C for 24.  We both laughed, knowing it wasn't good.  I was desperately hoping she might let it stand instead of even the slightest risk of a challenge, that I might get close enough for a recount.  And so it was.

Had she next blocked an S-hook spot with one of three plays available to her, she wins.  And this is despite her having overscored her bingo by 11 and I having underscored one by 3.  And so the 14 recount-points I netted ended up being enough to turn a seeming seven point loss around.
395 – 387       5-3     (163)                                                       mine: ?SSSZ

Rd. 9 vs. David Gibson
DEEMOST (18) merely caught me up, and he replied with ROARING.  I managed to fish for EINPRTTU (19) for an out-play to save a little face.
404 – 441       5-4     (203)                                                      mine: ?S

Rd. 10 vs. Will Scott
IMAGINED for him, CEEINRT (20) for me.  Maybe I win this one if early I'd gotten DEIILNXY (21).
335 – 361       5-5     (229)                                                      mine: ?Z

Rd 11 vs. Winter
ACEELNRP (22) midgame for me, but he went back-to-back with AIRIEST and GLORIOUS late while I couldn't get a vowel.
333 – 396       5-6     (292)                                                      mine: ?SSJX

Rd 12 vs. Steve Bush
ACEEIRSU (23) for me early, plus phony GOOPED*. AIRINGS and GRANDEST for Steve.  I also played IWAT*, accidentally grabbing an I instead of another of my three T's.
331 – 460       5-7     (421)                                                     mine: ?SZ

Rd. 13 Cynthia Seales
Cynthia opened with INEDITA. I got away with TOPPABLE* as a non-bingo, yet missed the double-double AABELLPY (24) through AY lane over.  I also missed CEELRSSU (25) before landing AELRSST (26).

One of the few things I got right was non-bingo AKIRTUZ (27) for 60+ points.  I only knew it because one of the Reinke's nearly playing it on me a tournament ago.  Cynthia outplayed me easily this game.
395 – 355       6-7     (381)                                                      mine: ?SSSJQXZ

Rd. 14 vs. David Gibson
Missed ACDEHIRV (28) while David landed INTAKES to open, plus PEARLING and LENITIES.
327 – 424       6-8     (478)                                                     mine: SX

Rd 15 vs. Will Scott
First two turns, missed BDEOORY (29) and ADEMORTW (30).  DEMNORT (31) and IIGLNTT (32) back-to-back later though.  I landed (33) AALNNOST with a blank and earned a challenge, though Quackle liked many non-bingos better.  I hadn't known CERSSUUX (34).
418 – 340       7-8     (400)                                                     mine: ??SSSX

Despite the losing record, I actually ended up in 3rd place and lost only five rating points.  I was a whopping -five- games out of first and second place.  Congrats to David on his division title and to Winter,who ended up being the only person in the division to actually gain in rating.  And thank you to directors Trish and Vicki on a fabulous event as always!

Stat me, baybeeee –
Blanks:     13/30
Esses:       29/60
JQXZ:      25/60
                       TOTAL:    67/150      44%

Avg. Score:  371 – 397

Games in which I had:
2 blanks:    2-0
1 blank:      4-5
0 blanks:    1-3

Quiz Answers
1)   TRINODAL
2)   RECHEAT – hunting call, made on valveless metal horn
                                                                          (also HECTARE, TEACHER, CHEATER, RETEACH)
3)   RACHTED                                                                              (also DETACHER)
4)   HETAERIC – concubine, esp. highly-cultured one in ancient Greece
                                                                          (also AETHERIC)
5)   TIELESS                                                                                  (also TELESIS, LISTEES)
6)   STEELIES – steel marble
7)   POLLENS                                                                                (also PLEONAL)
8)   OUTARGUE
9)   [skipped a number, whoops]
10)  SINNERS
11)  PLEASER                                                  (also RELAPSE, REPEALS, PRESALE)
12)  BROCADE
13)  NEMERTINE – from the phylum comprising ribbon worms
14)  SPORTED                                                                               (also DEPORTS, REDTOPS)
15)  ODONATES – order of predatory aquatic insects like damsel- and dragonflies
16)  ETERNALS                                                                            (also TELERANS)
17)  ELATERIN – a chemical used as a purgative                         (also ENTAILER, TREENAIL)
18)  DEMOTES
19)  INPUTTER
20)  ENTERIC – pertaining to the G.I. Tract                                 (also ENTICER)
21)  XYLIDINE – chemical used mainly in dye manufacture
22)  PRECLEAN
23)  CAUSERIE – an informal chat, conversation
24)  PLAYABLE
25)  RECLUSES                                                                             (also CURELESS)
26)  SALTERS                                                   (also ARTLESS, LASTERS, SLATERS)
27)  ZIKARUT – variant of ZIGGURAT, a pyramidal temple tower, prob. like Tower of Babel
28)  ARCHIVED
29)  OREBODY – mass of ore-bearing rock
30)  DAMEWORT – herbaceous plant of the mustard family
31) MORDENT – musical ornament indicating a note is to be played in rapid alternation with the one                                   next to it
32) TILTING                                                                                   (also TITLING)
33) SONANTAL – pertaining to a syllabic sound

34) EXCURSUS – detailed discussion of some point in a book, esp. in an appendix
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Thursday, June 15, 2017

Arden Cup 2017

Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, a special event for me.   My now wife and I started seeing each other there, and we got engaged there.  She and our daughter, Abby, came for the Marty Gabriel finely-directed annual event.  Wendy would not be playing this year, but took Abby to the Pier and spent lots of time in the hotel pool together.

I came in seeded 6th of ten.  My good friend and clubmate Ken ended up playing up into Division One with me, even though he had been originally seed towards the bottom of Two.  Another good friend, Avery arrived seeded in 4th.  And one of North America's top ten ranked players, Mack Mellar, was also in.

Rd. 1 vs. Jonathan Lindh
TENDONS and LIGATES for him,  EFLNORTT (1) for me.
313 – 441        (128)       0-1                                      me: SSS

Rd. 2 vs. Charles Reinke
CREASES for Charles.  I nearly tried MUFFiNS/(GADJO)S* (plural is GADJE), but instead played MUFFS played for 50+.   I got one of the two in ?AABNNO (2) to an S, but that gave Charles DICTATE as an underlap.
Check out the annotated game for interesting late game decision on HUE.
354 – 396       (170)       0-2                                       me: ??SSJX

Rd. 3 vs. Ken Dutch
Early I missed ?AALLNOV (3).  My tws AEINNOTV (5) gave him a corner tws non-bingo reply of 60. Late FINORST (6) for me.  My AMA gave him an out-bingo lane, as I'd fallen asleep on G hook, but had he seen it his score would've been just short.
466 – 379         (83)       1-2                                       me: ?SX

Rd 4 vs. Avery Mojica
RETILED for Avery early, me right back with AEGLNORY (7).  He aggressively slotted an E in a  tws lane, on which I blocked trip-trip.  Avery still hit CRISPENED!  PASTILLE for Avery. My ADEIORS (8) gave him TIX on a tls-tls.
He let me get away with MINGE* at the end since he could only lose risking an unsuccessful challenge. I'll never chase that phony out of my head thanks to a certain South Park episode.
417 – 432        (98)        1-3                                       me: SJQZ

Rd. 5 vs. Mack Meller
ADEEILRT (9) midgame for me,  AEGIORSV (10) later.  My last play was AEIMRSTU (11), but he found TENOURS- one of only two winning out-bingos possible, which hooked five different places.
408 – 415       (105)       1-4                                       me: SS

Rd. 6 vs. Steve Hartsman
Steve was my first mentor in the game and I love seeing him.  Playing him hurts my brain though!
MALTEDS for him, me right back with ADEINRTU (12) and DEILFORU (13) for a double-double.  He took lead with TROPICAL and INCITING.  Not sure where I picked up AENNRSWY (14).
512 – 461        (54)        2-4                                       me: ?SSJQZ

Rd 7. vs. Thomas Reinke
AAEINORX (15) early for me with blank, but missed far better AAEIMOTX (16) and AAEIMNOX (17).  He landed INDULGE and then later blocked my EHILORPS (18).  I had the blinders on, missing AEILOPRS (18) to blow this one.  He went out with OUTLIER on the tws lane.
336 – 446       (164)       2-5                                      me: ??SSSJ

Rd. 8 vs. Nedd Kareiva
AEGILNR (19), DEELNORT (20), and ADEINOTV (21) for me.  We were both surprised to learn later his REDEVOTES* wasn't valid.
455 – 325       (34)        3-5                                       me: ?QJX

Rd. 9 vs. Doug Lundquist
NAPULII for his start, but I came back right DEEMORV (22) with a blank, though missing DEIMOPRV (23).
409 – 364      +11          4-5                                      me: ??XJ

Rd. 10 vs. Jonathan Lindh
CDEEITX (24) with a blank for me early, but missed DEEISTX (25) for dws-dws  He came right back with PENSILE for said dws-dws.  I countered on the other open dws-dws with AEILMORT (26).  I caught him on VIBER* and REVUEING*, hitting DDGILNOO (27) in between.
498 – 357    +152         5-5                                      me: ?SSSQXZ

Rd. 11 vs. Charles Reinke
I missed ?AIOSUY (28) to open, but managed AAEIRST (29) later.  He hit WISENTS late, but had exchanged three times.
398 – 296    +254         6-5                                     me: ??SSJXZ

Rd 12 vs. Ken Dutch
I missed AEKMNRSU (30).   DDEEHNRTU (31) for me, but he landed VARSITY.  I got away with NONNY* and then hit BEIRSTU (32).  At the end, I blocked the only of three open lanes he could -not- have bingo'ed on with the eight tiles unseen to me, and so was lucky to win.
420 – 357    +317         7-5                                      me: ??SSQX

Rd. 13 vs. Avery Mojica
AEENRSTU (33) for me with a blank, but missed ACENRTUY (34) from a tws.  We traded my BDEHIRT (35) to his CANFIELD.  ADEINSST (36) salted this one away, but he did get 60 for hooking XED/(WEAL)D.  I'd forgotten the five entirely.
450 – 364    +403        8-5                                      me: ?SSQ

Rd 14 vs. Mack Mellar
SACHETED for him for nearly 100 early, but I came right back with ADEIRTY (37).  He challenged my OORARIS* off.  Something like 14 variants of CURARE, but this is only similar to valid ones.   Then I missed AEIKNNRS (38).  I did manage AEGNNRSU (39).  I didn't see AGEFLSTU (40), but luckily landed a better-simming non-bingo.
Mack saw my winning outplay out-bingo from ?DEESTW through an AR (41) (SMARTWEED was possible, but didn't fit).  I even had a winning non-bingo of ADEEMSWY (42) through AY. Instead, I tried FEETWARDS*.
362 – 420    +345       8-6                                     me: ?SSSJX

Rd. 15 vs. Steve Hartsman
AACLPTTU (43) with a blank for my first move, but hadn't known AADPSTTU (44) for more.   PANDOURS and REZ for 51for him, AGEORRT (45) with the other blank for me.  In a messy end game, I'd lost track of an S and Steve hadn't marked off one of the blanks.  The game would've hinged on an interesting pickle he'd put me in with the world WEIGH midgame.
398 – 371    +372      9-6                                     me: ??SSJX

Rd. 16 vs. Thomas Reinke
Nothing like missing a bingo right out of the gate – EFISTTY (46).  He answered my ADIMNST (47) with STALLED, CREATES and PLATONIC.  My BDENORW (48) only served to save spread.
397 – 456     +313      9-7                                    me: ?SJZ

Game 17 vs. Nedd Kareiva
AEILMORT (49) for me early with a blank, though missed better BEEIMORT (50).  He came right back with DISHFUL.  I hit CDEEGIOS (51), but a magnificent ten was available through LO_A (52).  BEELINES for him, ACELORSS (53)for me, though ACELORS (54) would've served better had I known #51 took an S-hook. The other blank gave me AAELRNTT (55), but I missed AAEINRTT for a tws (56).
479 – 420      +372       10-7                               me: ??SSZ

Game 18 vs. Doug Lundquist
AEILNRTV (57) for me.  Quirky: the next three tiles I turned over were U's, and the last was the Q.
He replied with double-double LINEAGES.  After I chickened put on blocking play of FARCI, he got trip-trip PALINODE.  Even had I blocked, he'd seen PALINODES through AL elsewhere.
He slotted an X in another trip-trip lane with XENIA for 42 that was fateful.  I thought I'd mucked up  a little with an E over the X, but he landed the non-bingo trip-trip REEXPOSE!
It was his first ever game with two 3x3's.   Sometimes all one can do is sit back, admire and smile.
354 – 597      +129       10-8                              me: QZ

Game 19 vs. Thomas Reinke
I started with ADEINNOV (58), but he got INTERTIE and MOISTEN back to back.  I hope it was just fatigue when missing ACEEOST (59).  Feel less badly about not getting AESSTUY (60). Thomas had PANFIsH for an out-play for 116, but wasn't quite 100% sure, and FisH alone was easily enough for the win.
PANFISH is a verb. I want it to mean something akin to fly-fishing, standing in the river in waders with a frying pan whacking at jumping salmon or some such. But it does not.
323 – 413      +39        10-9                              me: SSSXZ

Round 20 – bye
A player had earlier left the tournament unexpectedly, and so my gaming was done.

And so I finished where I was seeded - 6th – with a small gain in rating.  Getting to spend time with my former clubmates from Des Moines, Dan Heck and Rich Banker, was pure joy.   May we forever be weirded out by the sports bar and restaurant at which we all dined that was so clearly a former gentleman's club...

Stat me, baybeee –

Blanks:     15/38
Esses:       34/76
Heavies:   34/76
                    TOTAL:     83/190     43%

Avg. score: 408 - 406

Games in which I had –
2 blanks:     5-2
1 blank:      5-2
0 blanks:     0-5

QUIZ ANSWERS
1)   FRONTLET – a decorative band worn across the forehead
2)   ABANDONS, BONANZAS
3)   FLAVANOL – organic compound in red wine, said to protect against heart disease
4)   Whoops. Skipped a number.
5)   INNOVATE                                                                 (also VENATION)
6)   FORINTS – Hungarian standard unit of currency; conversion to the euro not likely 'til 2020's
7)   YEARLONG
8)   ROADIES                                                                   (also RADIOES)
9)   RETAILED                                                                 (also DETAILER, ELATERIN)
10)  VIRAGOES – noisy, domineering woman; archaic: manlike maiden, amazon, brave and strong
11)  MURIATES – any chloride used as a fertilizer
12)  INDURATE – to harden, as stone
13)  FLUORIDE
14)  SWANNERY – place where swans are raised
15)  ANOREXIA
16)  TOXAEMIA – condition of having toxins in the blood
17)  ANOXEMIA – lack of oxygen in the arterial blood
18)  REPOLISH
aaaand used the same number twice
18)  POLARISE                                                                (also PELORIAS)
19)  REGINAL                                                    (also ALIGNER, REALIGN, NARGILE, ENGRAIL)
20)  RONDELET – rondeau (poem) of five or seven lines            (also REDOLENT)
21)  DONATIVE – a donation
22)  REMOVED
23)  IMPROVED
24)  EXCITED
25)  EXISTED
26)  AMITROLE – non-cropland herbicide                       (also ROLAMITE)
27)  DOODLING
28)  OUGIYAS – currency of Mauritania, one of just two in world not decimally based
29)  ARISTAE – bristle-like appendage or structure          (also ATRESIA, ASTERIA)
30)  UNMASKER
31)  THUNDERED
32)  RUBIEST                                                                     (also BUSTIER)
33)  SAUTERNE – a French sweet wine, using grapes raisined by noble rot fungus (botyrized)
34)  CENTAURY – a medicinal herb
35)  BIRTHED
36)  DESTAINS                                                                  (also SANDIEST)
37)  DIETARY
38)  SNARKIER
39)  GUNNERAS – a plant with enormous leaves, up to just over 6.5 feet long
40)  STAGEFUL – as much or many as a stage can hold
41)  STEWARDED
42)  MAYWEEDS – stinky plant
43)  CATAPULT
44)  DUPATTAS – a shawl-like scarf of south Asia
45)  GARROTE – among related def.s, a method of capital punishment of Spanish origin with which an iron collar is tightened around someone's neck until he is strangulated or killed by injury to the spinal column at the base of the brain.  You're welcome.
46)  TESTIFY
47)  MANTIDS – mantis
48)  BROWNED
49)  ROLAMITE – ball bearing mechanism with incredibly low friction                 (also AMITROLE)
50)  BIOMETER – device for measuring CO2 given off by living matter
51)  GEODESIC – pertaining to curved plane-geometry
52)  LOGAOEDICS – poetry composed of a variety of feet so as to suggest a prosaic rhythm
53)  ESCOLARS – a food fish, from Spanish for “scholar” due to spectacle-like rings around the eyes
                                                                                           (also LACROSSE, SOLACERS)
54)  CLAROES, COALERS, ORACLES, RECOALS     (also ESCOLAR, SOLACER)
55)  TARLETAN – an open-weaved cotton fabric used for stiffening garments
                                                                                           (also ALTERANT)
56)  REATTAIN                                                                 (also ATTAINER)
57)  INTERVAL
58)  DEVONIAN – the part of the paleozoic era in which amphibians appeared
59)  ACETOSE – tasting like vinegar

60)  EUSTASY – a worldwide change in sea level
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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Des Moines Scrabble Tournament February 2017
I came in as the #1 seed, ranked about 100 in NASPA.   But there sat Avery Mojica, somehow just below me in rating when we know he's light years more skilled.  Still, can't fear anyone when you sit down.
This is my favorite tournament of the year.   Wendy and I lived in the Des Moines area for a few years not long back.  Any excuse to visit them all is taken, and Scrabble the most fun of all.

Answers to the numbered alphagrams are at very end.

Rd. 1 vs. Dan Heck
EINNOORT (1), AEELNSSV (2) and DEEIMSS (3) for me by turn five.  The last one made a phony -S hook on the first bingo.  Dan held, but like me he wasn't sure about it.  Dan hit ARENITE during my barrage, and then I think tricked me into opening the board while thinking I was blocking the case S he didn't have after all and landed super-sweet INTUI(T)ED.
 
We've sparred online and at club for years, but this was the first time we'd play in a tournament.  I was never so happy to lose, it was quite a comeback.
351 – 416 0-1 (64) me:  ??SSSQ opp:  SJXZ

Rd 2 vs. Nick Purifoy
Nick opened with INUTILE, double-doubled with DOWNRATE for 98 son after, and took an opening I desperately made for his own SCOUTING late.  Just AEIIRST (4) for me.
327 – 485     0-2 (158) (222) me:  SSSJQ opp:  ??SXZ

Rd 3 vs. Kevin Gauthier
?CEILLOZ (5) and ADEGIINT (6) for me early, GEILNRT (7) and AAECHRT (8) with blank for the C late.  Finding one of the two that started with J would've netted me more points, but I once I found something necessarily ending with A I quit looking.  I believe Kevin mentioned having quickly picked up esses to have three at once.  Not lucky.
516 – 273 1-2 +243 (+21) me:  ??XZ opp:  SSSSJQ

Rd 4 vs. George Asaka
SCORIAE and ACTIVATE early for George, plus he challenged off my SALUTORY* in between (it's SALUTARY).  I managed AEELMNS (9) with a blank, but missed the bingo that starts with A from ?AEELMNS (10).  His SPIRAEA was salt in the wound.  At some point this weekend George hit five consecutive bingos against someone.  He was en fuego.
339 – 457 1-3 (118) (97) me:  ?SSQXZ opp:  ?SSJ

Rd 5 vs. Chuck Riordan
Mid-game we got rolling – tws IGNITES for him, AEIIPRR (11) with a blank for me.  I missed ADEIIMPR (12) though.  He came right back with tws REDCOAT.  Desperate for a second lane, I threw a B out into trip-trip space, hoping maybe to catch a -BLE play or something.  He played the odds and mucked up the bingo-prone area elsewhere.  I trip-trip the out-bingo with ?EGINOR with the only play with the B in the sixth spot. (13).  More luck, he's caught with a full rack that includes JWZ.
game link
464 – 355 2-3 +109 +12 me:  ??S opp:  SSSJQXZ

Game 6 vs. Need Kareiva
AWAITERS for him, but ABEMORT (14) and OX for 55 for me.  game link
427 – 345 3-3 +82 +100 me:  ?SSJXZ opp:  ?SSQ

Game 7 vs. Avery Mojica
ASCARED for him, ADELOSTV (15) and AEEIRST (16) for me.  DREAMIER regained him the lead and I think we figured the endgame was unwinnable for me.
386 – 392 3-4 (6) +94 me:  SSSJQXZ opp:  ??S

Game 8 vs.  Dan Heck
Had all the letters for ACIPSTT (17), but could only get down 44-point non-bingo double-double version of it.  AEEGNRT (18), AEHIOPRU (19), and AEEIRSTW (20) had me in fine fetters.  REGAINED and having to eat a blank late for Dan-o.
490 – 323 4-4 +167 +261 me:  SSSXZ opp:  ??SJQ

Game 9 vs.  Nick Purifoy
AEILLRS (21) and AMORRTUY (22) for me, TERTIAN for Nick.
394 – 361 5-4 +33 +294 me:  ?SJXZ opp:  ?SSSJQ

Game 10 v. Kevin Gauthier
DDEEILST (23) and DEIRSSTU (24) back-to-back midgame for me.   I defended as best I could, but Kevin just could land THINNEST with a blank where T had to be first letter.  Worse for me, I knew he was emptying the bag to a full rack and picking up the case blank.  Quackle seems to indicate I had no winning sequence against perfect play.  All I could do was set up a high-scoring out-in-two and hope for a mistake.  He happened to miss the four playable out-bingo sevens from
?AENNOR and tried ANEURON*.   I think he was combining NEURON and ANEURIN.
399 – 338     6-4 +61 +94 me:  SSQ opp:  ??SSJXZ

Round 11 vs. Nedd Kareiva
Struggled for workable draws, but can't complain since I missed ACEEPRS (25).  I didn't think there was a lane on the board anyway since I always get confused over between YAUDS and YAULDS*.  I extended to QUAD with -RECEP to a tws, which only ended up having three problems:  it's phony because the middle vowel is I, it needs an S on the end to be valid anyway, and I underscored it by 18 points.  MORALES for him, an eaten blank for me.
290 – 404 6-5 (114)      (20) me:  ?S opp:  ?SSSJQXZ

I had a shot at money given where I was in the standings, but it was deemed that pairings which avoided repeats as best possible would be used.   No problemo!  I love playing Avery.   Sometimes it's a gritted-teeth love though, as you are about to read... :)

Round 12 vs. Avery Mojica
Avery:  Turn 1)  BEAGLES;  2)  AVULSEs;  6) NITRATE; 7) RAX – 42;  8)  BRE(A)DNUT through the A I'd just given him from AEFINORS (26) because he'd blocked better AEFNORST (27);  9)  EUrIPUS;  10)  CLOAK – 60 which I could only have blocked with a one-tile three-pointer.   One can't complain, just play one's best and admire the not-so-subtle art of a good friend creating a masterpiece of pain.
game link
352 - 602     6-6 (251) (271) me:  SQZ opp:  ??SSSJX

And so I finished in 4th place, one slot out of the prize money.  I also lost about 50 ratings points.  Can't spend those anywhere though!   We had an amazing time catching up with everyone from around the Midwest.  Thank you to Rich Banker and Pat Boddy for their directorial work and to all who made the tournament such a great success.  Congratulations to Division One champion Avery “DJ ChocoLuv” Mojica, to my wife Wendy on her 3rd place DIII finish, and to all who laid waste to those who dared go before them.  Or something like that.

Stat me, baybeeee –

Blanks: 10/24
Esses: 22/48
JQXZ: 23/48
TOTAL:       55/120      45%

Avg score:   395 - 396

Bingo count:  22 - 20

Games in which I had--
both blanks: 2-1
one blank: 2-2
no blanks: 2-3

Bingo Quiz
1)   TENORINO – a high tenor
2)   ENSLAVES
3)   DEMISES – to bequeath
4)   AIRIEST
5)   LOCALIZE
6)   IDEATING
7)   TINGLER (also RINGLET)
8)   TRACHEA
9)   MELENAS – a nasty medical condition I won't describe
10)  AMYLENES – chemical used in some gasoline-blending components
11)  PRAIRIE
12)  IMPAIRED
13)  NEIGHBOR
14)  BROMATE – to combine with bromine (also a chemical used in gasoline compounds)
15)  SOLVATED – to convert into a type of ion
16)  AERIEST (also SERIATE)
17)  TIPCATS – old European baseball-ish game
18)  NEGATER (also GRANTEE, GREATEN, REAGENT)
19)  EUPHORIA
20)  WEARIEST (also SWEATIER, WASTERIE)
21)  RALLIES (also SALLIER)
22)  MORTUARY
23)  DELISTED
24)  STUDIERS (also DIESTRUS and STURDIES)
25)  RESPACE (also CAPRESE and ESCAPER)
26)  FARINOSE – resembling farina (a cereal grain)
27)  SEAFRONT
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