WSCQT report
I haven't quit posting to LJ, no. I will one day, when things settle down, write a long post about my year so far and how I see my Scrabble "career" moving forward. A WSCQT report featuring bingo lists and three-sentence recaps (including meals), but first, my favorite random stat from the tourney:
Record in my first five games when I was .500 (0-0, 1-1, 5-5, 6-6, 8-8): 0-5, -669. That sums it up. Every time I had a chance to poke my head over .500, I got whacked back to where I belong in games where I never had a chance. And when I finally won at 9-9, it was only because my opponent botched the endgame.
Game 1 vs. aruspex (L, 432-543)
KM: ECARTES, 76
KM: LEPTONS, 80
KM: BARItON(E), 70 (bango)
KM: ANTLERs, 71
JI: ATRESIA, 67 (and out)
Chickened out on FLAVORE(R) 'cause FAVOR was 42 and FLAVORER was 68. ZINES for 77 in the bottom of the fifth kept it close. Then proceeded to watch Kelly play.
Game 2 vs. skin_it_mahatma (W, 404-400)
JI: pANSIES, 88 (Sam said Darrell Day would've called me a "lucky c***sucker" for that)
SK: INTONAT(E), 77
SK: TEETERs, 77
59-point MIRY (putting the Y on the DWS to make (JOWL)Y) and bingo had me up 86 after eight. Held off Sam's furious rally. Gave myself undue stress by not being 100% on VINS# and had to find another "guaranteed" win with two in the bag that would outrun his bingo with one in the bag. (If that's confusing, I can post the game on request.)
Game 3 vs. spherulitic (L, 335-531)
CL: BEADIER, 75 (opening rack)
CL: STOOGES, 81
CL: FANWOrT, 77 (bango)
JI: TARRIEST, 77
CL: SEAMIER, 83
Note to self: letting opponents outbingo you 4-1 probably not a good strategy. Nice to know my futility against Chris (now 0-6 against) transcends lexicons. This was the start of Chris' 14-2 run.
Game 4 vs. Prasanth Seetharam (L, 408-427)
PS: RETIEI(N)G, 68
JI: BASiNED, 82
PS: FOISTEr#, 74 (plus a nickel, challenged)
0-8-7 stretch turns 10-12 did me in. Better player probably would've won. Heck, maybe me having eaten more than a pudding cup, fortune cookie and granola bar in the previous 27ish hours would've won.
Dinner at Luigi's Pizza; not as good as Loui's, but close. Then we (me, pbzeigler, stmonday, aruspex, spherulitic) went to this bar where this random dude walked up to our table and just started trying to strike up conversations with us. Good times.
Game 5 vs. Mark Kenas (L, 425-510)
Scrabble is funny. It's amazing how one small mistake can sometimes cause a total unraveling, turning a sure win into an almost 100-point loss. Here's an example.
Game 6 vs. Bob Linn (W, 450-422)
BL: ARCANER*, 64
BL: IvORIES, 71
JI: RA(I)NOUTS, 77
BL: DUETTOS#, 67 (plus a nickel, challenged)
JI: BR(I)NIEST, 61
JI: AlCOVED, 88 (bango)
Left ARCANER* on because it gave me similarly low-scoring OED(E)MATA, then decided MADE for 48 keeping AOT was better; should've challenged. Knew TESTUDO had a #-only anagram from WSC; thought it was worth making sure it wasn't STOUTED*. Lucky Bob had seven consonants after AlCOVED and couldn't hit the hot spots it opened.
Game 7 vs. srockhop (W, 403-374)
SN: EGOTiST, 68 (no comments, Knappster)
SN: TANNERS, 63
Won despite not playing anything longer than five letters. Drew J? after (D)EUCE the turn before TANNERS, which set up JA(N)E for 57 leaving ?S for endgame. Lucky.
Game 8 vs. goldfishbw (L, 412-444)
BW: RETEnES, 74
BW: TRAWLED, 82 (bango)
JI: EMEN(D)ING, 62
JI: tIRADES, 82 (and out)
Bradley made his first three plays in like 45 seconds, causing Bradley to laugh hard when I said: "Dammit, Bradley, I'm supposed to be fast-playing you, not the other way around!" Half-step to a step behind the whole game. Fairly even draw; I probably played OK, Bradley probably played better than OK.
Lunch at Metro Burger. stmonday probably shouldn't have asked srockhop, of all the people at the table, if BREASTAURANT(+?) was a CSW12 word.
Game 9 vs. Puneet Sharma (W, 428-413)
JI: IN(V)ERSES, 72
PS: CANALIS(E), 83
JI: BOREENS, 71
JI: TENTORIA, 62
Fortunate Puneet opened with EXUVIAS*. Drew both blanks after ZIT in the bottom of the eighth ... and lost 26 spread points the remainder of the game by playing quite poorly (not knowing (AVAIL)E# cost me a chance to play COWrITe, for example). I blame it on Puneet playing AUNE# midgame.
Game 10 vs. Eric Kinderman (W, 527-355)
JI: WRIGHTS, 86 (opening play; when SamK watched me put it down, I could see the wheels turning. He settled on "Oh, brother!")
EK: DORMINS, 74
JI: UNGIFTE(D), 78 (plus a nickel, challenged)
EK: BLISTER, 68
JI: TEENsIE(R), 59
JI: (E)PILaTED, 72
Lucky Eric chose DORMINS; NIMRODS scored more and would've left EFGINTU orphan. Outscored Eric 194-41 after the eighth. I finally won a game by more than 30!
Game 11 vs. Jim Kramer (L, 328-436)
JI: ETALONS, 76
JI: OA(T)MEALs, 68
JK: OVeRDYE, 97 (plus a nickel, challenged)
328 with two bingos is pretty pathetic, esp. in Collins. Fortunate Jim struggled the first half of the game or it could've gotten really ugly. As an aside, Jim might be the nicest human being alive and the least likely Scrabbler to ever violate the NASPA code of conduct.
Game 12 vs. Steve Polatnick (W, 501-436)
SP: ST(E)ADILY, 98
JI: UPSTAIR, 82
SP: NORITES, 69
How to score 500 with one bingo: Hit (A)ZINE for 69, JA(P)ER for 60 and (Z)ONAE for 51. Don't really feel like I played this well; fatigue definitely started to set in. Fortunately Steve couldn't and/or didn't make me pay for my questionable decisions enough to win.
Dinner was Barberton chicken; which I'd put right up there with Frankenmuth's (I should start a fried chicken blog a la bbstenniz, but then I probably wouldn't make it to 30). Games of Collins Burrito ensued, in which goldfishbw severely outplayed me (of the BURRITO letters, DE takes more than the -B back hook in Collins, dumbass). Good times.
Game 13 vs. Ben Withers (L, 338-414)
JI: SICKENS, 69
BW: RaC(I)NESS, 73
Power tiles: SS. First two plays AGEE and OGEE; drew all four U's. I'm still not sure how I kept this within 100.
Game 14 vs. Ben Withers (L, 383-477)
JI: S(H)OETREE, 72
BW: HA(R)RYING, 71
JI: WI(N)TERED, 63
BW: PReLIMS, 75
BW: COwBANE, 75
Power tiles: SS (sound familiar?). Post-WINTERED, missed CANTALS then CATTAI(L)S/STATICA(L) (which would have given him EX(P)IAtED as a 212-point trip-trip next turn) and CAST(R)ATI (which wouldn't have) two turns later. Ben's turns 6-11: J for 20, ?S for 75, X for 44, ? for 75, Z for 40, QS for 46.
Game 15 vs. Bob Linn (W, 476-334)
JI: LORRIEs, 75
JI: INCITE(R)S, 74
JI: EnABLER, 74
BL: VERDITES, 86 (and out; plus a nickel, challenged)
Yeah, I drew the bag. Now 3-1 against Bob, only loss coming when he bagged me at Worlds. Nice timing, Jason.
Game 16 vs. Puneet Sharma (W, 482-295)
JI: EROTICA, 70 (opening rack)
PS: SALT(E)RNS, 60
JI: NAIVETE(S), 66
Puneet played back-to-back phonies with ??BGNST (one a hook to make (OCELOID)S*). Then he played BaNGS for 27 and never bingoed with the other blank while I hit a natural and a 53-point PREY. Weird game.
Lunch at Mr. Zub's. Too bad spherulitic wasn't Gibsonized before lunch. goldfishbw and I had BLT's, natch.
Game 17 vs. skin_it_mahatma (L, 328-508)
SK: UNTRA(C)ED, 76
SK: (T)AUNTING, 80 (I threw a flag on this bingo and assessed a 15-yard penalty)
JI: cREASES, 72
Sam played (I)ZzAT# for 69 the play before TAUNTING, prompting me to mock-whine: "What izzat?!" Made the spreadless-Scrabble play of SA(B)ERERS* after ERASERS got blocked, which was probably dumb. Slim hopes of qualifying officially dead.
Game 18 vs. Eric Kinderman (W, 473-371)
JI: SNARERS, 66 (opening play)
EK: SKEA(R)ING#, 65
JI: gLE(E)TIER, 68
JI: (T)ROIlITE, 71
This is one reason I don't drink at tournaments. A little Polish vodka before the game caused me to have to use the john midgame and also resulted in fuzzyheadedness (including chickening out on bingos because I was unsure of TEX#). Thanks to the bag for bailing me out and making the game fairly idiotproof.
Game 19 vs. Prashanth Seetharam (W, 413-313)
JI: SHUtEYE, 93 (hooking to make (RELOOK)S, heh)
PS: (O)VERBIDS, 82
Also played DIOR(A)MA/(VOTE)R as a dub-dub for 47 and NIQAB# for 40. Equally blown endgame: I made a poor block with one in the bag when I had plays that won 100%; Prashanth missed (E)dUCATES/S(E)CATEUr as out bingos to win. Makes up for the round 4 game.
Game 20 vs. skin_it_mahatma (W, 444-424)
JI: SERRANO, 64
SK: SITULAE#, 82
JI: eNEMATA, 82
JI: TWEEtED, 66
SK: CONDOMS, 81
Had OK plays with it, but exchanged LPRRUV (keeping E) with eight in the bag. Worked when I drew the X and Sam bingoed and pulled the drek I threw back. Then brain-farted and after winning Sam's desperation challenge, put down my out play forgetting Sam's penalty was not a lost turn (yeah, it was the last round).
So, like I said, I was thrilled with 11-9 and have zero regrets/complaints. Sure, I could've won another game or two (or maybe three) in the first 14 rounds, but then would I have gone 5-1 in the last six rounds? Doubtful. I finished fifth and was 0-4 against the four people who finished ahead of me, so I couldn't ask for more. I should have a decent (now non-provisional) WESPA rating and it was a total blast. So glad I went.
Jason
Record in my first five games when I was .500 (0-0, 1-1, 5-5, 6-6, 8-8): 0-5, -669. That sums it up. Every time I had a chance to poke my head over .500, I got whacked back to where I belong in games where I never had a chance. And when I finally won at 9-9, it was only because my opponent botched the endgame.
Game 1 vs. aruspex (L, 432-543)
KM: ECARTES, 76
KM: LEPTONS, 80
KM: BARItON(E), 70 (bango)
KM: ANTLERs, 71
JI: ATRESIA, 67 (and out)
Chickened out on FLAVORE(R) 'cause FAVOR was 42 and FLAVORER was 68. ZINES for 77 in the bottom of the fifth kept it close. Then proceeded to watch Kelly play.
Game 2 vs. skin_it_mahatma (W, 404-400)
JI: pANSIES, 88 (Sam said Darrell Day would've called me a "lucky c***sucker" for that)
SK: INTONAT(E), 77
SK: TEETERs, 77
59-point MIRY (putting the Y on the DWS to make (JOWL)Y) and bingo had me up 86 after eight. Held off Sam's furious rally. Gave myself undue stress by not being 100% on VINS# and had to find another "guaranteed" win with two in the bag that would outrun his bingo with one in the bag. (If that's confusing, I can post the game on request.)
Game 3 vs. spherulitic (L, 335-531)
CL: BEADIER, 75 (opening rack)
CL: STOOGES, 81
CL: FANWOrT, 77 (bango)
JI: TARRIEST, 77
CL: SEAMIER, 83
Note to self: letting opponents outbingo you 4-1 probably not a good strategy. Nice to know my futility against Chris (now 0-6 against) transcends lexicons. This was the start of Chris' 14-2 run.
Game 4 vs. Prasanth Seetharam (L, 408-427)
PS: RETIEI(N)G, 68
JI: BASiNED, 82
PS: FOISTEr#, 74 (plus a nickel, challenged)
0-8-7 stretch turns 10-12 did me in. Better player probably would've won. Heck, maybe me having eaten more than a pudding cup, fortune cookie and granola bar in the previous 27ish hours would've won.
Dinner at Luigi's Pizza; not as good as Loui's, but close. Then we (me, pbzeigler, stmonday, aruspex, spherulitic) went to this bar where this random dude walked up to our table and just started trying to strike up conversations with us. Good times.
Game 5 vs. Mark Kenas (L, 425-510)
Scrabble is funny. It's amazing how one small mistake can sometimes cause a total unraveling, turning a sure win into an almost 100-point loss. Here's an example.
Game 6 vs. Bob Linn (W, 450-422)
BL: ARCANER*, 64
BL: IvORIES, 71
JI: RA(I)NOUTS, 77
BL: DUETTOS#, 67 (plus a nickel, challenged)
JI: BR(I)NIEST, 61
JI: AlCOVED, 88 (bango)
Left ARCANER* on because it gave me similarly low-scoring OED(E)MATA, then decided MADE for 48 keeping AOT was better; should've challenged. Knew TESTUDO had a #-only anagram from WSC; thought it was worth making sure it wasn't STOUTED*. Lucky Bob had seven consonants after AlCOVED and couldn't hit the hot spots it opened.
Game 7 vs. srockhop (W, 403-374)
SN: EGOTiST, 68 (no comments, Knappster)
SN: TANNERS, 63
Won despite not playing anything longer than five letters. Drew J? after (D)EUCE the turn before TANNERS, which set up JA(N)E for 57 leaving ?S for endgame. Lucky.
Game 8 vs. goldfishbw (L, 412-444)
BW: RETEnES, 74
BW: TRAWLED, 82 (bango)
JI: EMEN(D)ING, 62
JI: tIRADES, 82 (and out)
Bradley made his first three plays in like 45 seconds, causing Bradley to laugh hard when I said: "Dammit, Bradley, I'm supposed to be fast-playing you, not the other way around!" Half-step to a step behind the whole game. Fairly even draw; I probably played OK, Bradley probably played better than OK.
Lunch at Metro Burger. stmonday probably shouldn't have asked srockhop, of all the people at the table, if BREASTAURANT(+?) was a CSW12 word.
Game 9 vs. Puneet Sharma (W, 428-413)
JI: IN(V)ERSES, 72
PS: CANALIS(E), 83
JI: BOREENS, 71
JI: TENTORIA, 62
Fortunate Puneet opened with EXUVIAS*. Drew both blanks after ZIT in the bottom of the eighth ... and lost 26 spread points the remainder of the game by playing quite poorly (not knowing (AVAIL)E# cost me a chance to play COWrITe, for example). I blame it on Puneet playing AUNE# midgame.
Game 10 vs. Eric Kinderman (W, 527-355)
JI: WRIGHTS, 86 (opening play; when SamK watched me put it down, I could see the wheels turning. He settled on "Oh, brother!")
EK: DORMINS, 74
JI: UNGIFTE(D), 78 (plus a nickel, challenged)
EK: BLISTER, 68
JI: TEENsIE(R), 59
JI: (E)PILaTED, 72
Lucky Eric chose DORMINS; NIMRODS scored more and would've left EFGINTU orphan. Outscored Eric 194-41 after the eighth. I finally won a game by more than 30!
Game 11 vs. Jim Kramer (L, 328-436)
JI: ETALONS, 76
JI: OA(T)MEALs, 68
JK: OVeRDYE, 97 (plus a nickel, challenged)
328 with two bingos is pretty pathetic, esp. in Collins. Fortunate Jim struggled the first half of the game or it could've gotten really ugly. As an aside, Jim might be the nicest human being alive and the least likely Scrabbler to ever violate the NASPA code of conduct.
Game 12 vs. Steve Polatnick (W, 501-436)
SP: ST(E)ADILY, 98
JI: UPSTAIR, 82
SP: NORITES, 69
How to score 500 with one bingo: Hit (A)ZINE for 69, JA(P)ER for 60 and (Z)ONAE for 51. Don't really feel like I played this well; fatigue definitely started to set in. Fortunately Steve couldn't and/or didn't make me pay for my questionable decisions enough to win.
Dinner was Barberton chicken; which I'd put right up there with Frankenmuth's (I should start a fried chicken blog a la bbstenniz, but then I probably wouldn't make it to 30). Games of Collins Burrito ensued, in which goldfishbw severely outplayed me (of the BURRITO letters, DE takes more than the -B back hook in Collins, dumbass). Good times.
Game 13 vs. Ben Withers (L, 338-414)
JI: SICKENS, 69
BW: RaC(I)NESS, 73
Power tiles: SS. First two plays AGEE and OGEE; drew all four U's. I'm still not sure how I kept this within 100.
Game 14 vs. Ben Withers (L, 383-477)
JI: S(H)OETREE, 72
BW: HA(R)RYING, 71
JI: WI(N)TERED, 63
BW: PReLIMS, 75
BW: COwBANE, 75
Power tiles: SS (sound familiar?). Post-WINTERED, missed CANTALS then CATTAI(L)S/STATICA(L) (which would have given him EX(P)IAtED as a 212-point trip-trip next turn) and CAST(R)ATI (which wouldn't have) two turns later. Ben's turns 6-11: J for 20, ?S for 75, X for 44, ? for 75, Z for 40, QS for 46.
Game 15 vs. Bob Linn (W, 476-334)
JI: LORRIEs, 75
JI: INCITE(R)S, 74
JI: EnABLER, 74
BL: VERDITES, 86 (and out; plus a nickel, challenged)
Yeah, I drew the bag. Now 3-1 against Bob, only loss coming when he bagged me at Worlds. Nice timing, Jason.
Game 16 vs. Puneet Sharma (W, 482-295)
JI: EROTICA, 70 (opening rack)
PS: SALT(E)RNS, 60
JI: NAIVETE(S), 66
Puneet played back-to-back phonies with ??BGNST (one a hook to make (OCELOID)S*). Then he played BaNGS for 27 and never bingoed with the other blank while I hit a natural and a 53-point PREY. Weird game.
Lunch at Mr. Zub's. Too bad spherulitic wasn't Gibsonized before lunch. goldfishbw and I had BLT's, natch.
Game 17 vs. skin_it_mahatma (L, 328-508)
SK: UNTRA(C)ED, 76
SK: (T)AUNTING, 80 (I threw a flag on this bingo and assessed a 15-yard penalty)
JI: cREASES, 72
Sam played (I)ZzAT# for 69 the play before TAUNTING, prompting me to mock-whine: "What izzat?!" Made the spreadless-Scrabble play of SA(B)ERERS* after ERASERS got blocked, which was probably dumb. Slim hopes of qualifying officially dead.
Game 18 vs. Eric Kinderman (W, 473-371)
JI: SNARERS, 66 (opening play)
EK: SKEA(R)ING#, 65
JI: gLE(E)TIER, 68
JI: (T)ROIlITE, 71
This is one reason I don't drink at tournaments. A little Polish vodka before the game caused me to have to use the john midgame and also resulted in fuzzyheadedness (including chickening out on bingos because I was unsure of TEX#). Thanks to the bag for bailing me out and making the game fairly idiotproof.
Game 19 vs. Prashanth Seetharam (W, 413-313)
JI: SHUtEYE, 93 (hooking to make (RELOOK)S, heh)
PS: (O)VERBIDS, 82
Also played DIOR(A)MA/(VOTE)R as a dub-dub for 47 and NIQAB# for 40. Equally blown endgame: I made a poor block with one in the bag when I had plays that won 100%; Prashanth missed (E)dUCATES/S(E)CATEUr as out bingos to win. Makes up for the round 4 game.
Game 20 vs. skin_it_mahatma (W, 444-424)
JI: SERRANO, 64
SK: SITULAE#, 82
JI: eNEMATA, 82
JI: TWEEtED, 66
SK: CONDOMS, 81
Had OK plays with it, but exchanged LPRRUV (keeping E) with eight in the bag. Worked when I drew the X and Sam bingoed and pulled the drek I threw back. Then brain-farted and after winning Sam's desperation challenge, put down my out play forgetting Sam's penalty was not a lost turn (yeah, it was the last round).
So, like I said, I was thrilled with 11-9 and have zero regrets/complaints. Sure, I could've won another game or two (or maybe three) in the first 14 rounds, but then would I have gone 5-1 in the last six rounds? Doubtful. I finished fifth and was 0-4 against the four people who finished ahead of me, so I couldn't ask for more. I should have a decent (now non-provisional) WESPA rating and it was a total blast. So glad I went.
Jason