12 games in one day - yes, masochism in Charlotte
Spouse went to bed at 6:30 tonight. As in, went to sleep for the night. He's been a zonkles for about six hours. Why? It took us twelve hours to get here last night from Baltimore. Yes, poor Spouse got up early Friday, worked a full day at the community hospital (which is super busy), then drove the entire way in horrific DC-area traffic and snow. I offered to take over the driving after 7 hours, but he said he would rather not perish. . .
So, on three hours' sleep, I played 12 rounds today. Not easy when Ian opens with a blank bingo, and Greg H opened with a baby bingo. My letting Greg get away with (A)GORIC for 33 costs me the game. I held him for a long time, but since I'd never played him before, I thought hoped he wouldn't phony me. Too much wasted time with analysis - I should have just slapped it off.
Joel Sherman missed his first three games 'cause he was stuck on the greyhound. So, of course, when I am due to play him in round 4, he manages to show up and not forfeit. He had almost 14 minutes left when he showed up. Had I insisted that the clock be started earlier, though (as I could have under the rules - since everyone else had begun their games), that might have made a difference, as I lost by only 4. I'll post that one later. . .it's an interesting one. I absolutely had the goods to win it earlier, but I refuse to play scared - even against him - so I left the board open. He made what I thought was a huge blunder, but I was too comatose to profit form his mistake.
Anyway, I only won 2 games out of 8, but I have a positive spread. Playing (E)XEQUIeS from the triple for 149 points in the final round helped my spread. Won that one 528 to 260 - and got 5 bucks for high word (and maybe another five for high game?). Yay! If I'm going to continue being a loo-loo, at least I can win five bucks here and there.
After 2 rounds in the late bird, I was - if I may be a boastles - tied for second place. Ian Weinstein and I actually had identical records:2-0, +352. Unfortunately, that meant I had to play lose again to Joel in Round 3, and then to Ian in Round 4. Ian once again drew both blanks, as well as JXZSS, so I didn't expect to win.
Ahead of us, all by himself in first place, was [TK adjusting spectacles] um, Winter. WTF? Winter???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I suspect he shamelessly slapped down phonies against uber ree-rees.
Speaking of ree-rees, I played someone who played PENDs for 25 points, spending the blank and blocking the only remaining lane when he was behind by 150. He also tried OXI, and - like me, who is a tad slow with arithmetic - took a full minute to count the play. (You know, pointing at each tile as he counted out loud). He triumphantly declared, "Twenty-two!" when he was finally done counting. I said, ""twenty-two? Okay. challenge. This same person let me play CIRI* and almost let me get away with LIBELISES for a 3x3.
In the late bird, even with 3 bingoes to his 2, I lost again to Joel 440 to 518. His opening play of QUEStER (a double-double, hooking on my WADI) for 119 didn't help. I was lucky enough to have AENPRSW, though, to bingo right back, followed by BRITTLe for 90. The key moment, though, was when, up only 27 points, he played ETHICIS(M). In fact, he somewhat obnoxiously did the rack dump; plopping all the tiles down in one go. Anyway, I didn't like it, and I held him for a long time, but I thought, this is Joel, why would he need to play a phoney? Plus, I thought: ETHICIST is good, so why not ? Well, fucker played a phony - and I, sucker, let him do it. Aaarghh.
Well, tomorrow is a new day - and 12 more games!
So, on three hours' sleep, I played 12 rounds today. Not easy when Ian opens with a blank bingo, and Greg H opened with a baby bingo. My letting Greg get away with (A)GORIC for 33 costs me the game. I held him for a long time, but since I'd never played him before, I thought hoped he wouldn't phony me. Too much wasted time with analysis - I should have just slapped it off.
Joel Sherman missed his first three games 'cause he was stuck on the greyhound. So, of course, when I am due to play him in round 4, he manages to show up and not forfeit. He had almost 14 minutes left when he showed up. Had I insisted that the clock be started earlier, though (as I could have under the rules - since everyone else had begun their games), that might have made a difference, as I lost by only 4. I'll post that one later. . .it's an interesting one. I absolutely had the goods to win it earlier, but I refuse to play scared - even against him - so I left the board open. He made what I thought was a huge blunder, but I was too comatose to profit form his mistake.
Anyway, I only won 2 games out of 8, but I have a positive spread. Playing (E)XEQUIeS from the triple for 149 points in the final round helped my spread. Won that one 528 to 260 - and got 5 bucks for high word (and maybe another five for high game?). Yay! If I'm going to continue being a loo-loo, at least I can win five bucks here and there.
After 2 rounds in the late bird, I was - if I may be a boastles - tied for second place. Ian Weinstein and I actually had identical records:2-0, +352. Unfortunately, that meant I had to play lose again to Joel in Round 3, and then to Ian in Round 4. Ian once again drew both blanks, as well as JXZSS, so I didn't expect to win.
Ahead of us, all by himself in first place, was [TK adjusting spectacles] um, Winter. WTF? Winter???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I suspect he shamelessly slapped down phonies against uber ree-rees.
Speaking of ree-rees, I played someone who played PENDs for 25 points, spending the blank and blocking the only remaining lane when he was behind by 150. He also tried OXI, and - like me, who is a tad slow with arithmetic - took a full minute to count the play. (You know, pointing at each tile as he counted out loud). He triumphantly declared, "Twenty-two!" when he was finally done counting. I said, ""twenty-two? Okay. challenge. This same person let me play CIRI* and almost let me get away with LIBELISES for a 3x3.
In the late bird, even with 3 bingoes to his 2, I lost again to Joel 440 to 518. His opening play of QUEStER (a double-double, hooking on my WADI) for 119 didn't help. I was lucky enough to have AENPRSW, though, to bingo right back, followed by BRITTLe for 90. The key moment, though, was when, up only 27 points, he played ETHICIS(M). In fact, he somewhat obnoxiously did the rack dump; plopping all the tiles down in one go. Anyway, I didn't like it, and I held him for a long time, but I thought, this is Joel, why would he need to play a phoney? Plus, I thought: ETHICIST is good, so why not ? Well, fucker played a phony - and I, sucker, let him do it. Aaarghh.
Well, tomorrow is a new day - and 12 more games!