Middletown Dreams (Durham 1/15/2011)
A decidedly mediocre tournament. 7-7, -114, 378 scoring average, 16 point gain to a new peak rating of 1611. But life's not so unpleasant in this little neighborhood of Middletown. Let's do the rundown.
Game 1 vs. lotting : L 387-405. MIGNONs/LANCERS, SPLINTs. My big mistake here was immediately hooking LANCERS in Row 1 with GELTS for 32, keeping BH on turn 3. As one G had already been played and she's just drawn 7 randomly, I should just dump 3 consonants (BAHT for 18), keeping GELS and hope for either a bingo or better scoring play next turn. MIGNONs was one of my better bingoes of the tournament, followed by a 4 tile overlap (TWAIN to the right of LATHI) for 35 to get back in the game, but she blocks my huge J play and plays the pre-endgame very well to block any bingo lanes and my D hook created by playing OAR/ROVER.
Game 2 vs. Clay Daniel : W 410-390. sEEKING, ESTREAT(S), SNAILED/PARIT(I)eS. Holy hell did I play this game badly. I talked myself out of ROU(G)HERS after sEEKING, then I miss a 2x2 spot for SNAILED that was in the same row as where I played. I challenge BOU(S)Y unsuccessfully, then make a bunch of awful plays in the pre-endgame, I just get lucky he doesn't have a bingo at the end. A win's a win, but this should have been by a much more convincing margin.
Game 3 vs. John Luebkemann: W 407-391. EOSInES/WEARING, (D)EFLATER. The most fun game of the tournament by far, play it here:
www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php
Game 4 vs. Vince Castellano: W 375-356. BEESwAX (for 96), DE(L)ATION/MI(S)ROUTE, INSTARS. This is another game I don't play particularly well but outdraw my opponent. My opening rack was DDLSTX?, and i keep SX?, drawing ABEE. It's probably not the right exchange, but I wanted to at least score with the X if I didn't draw a bingo next turn. Got very lucky that he exchanged as well. After he bingoes with INSTARS, I empty the bag unknowingly with FUG(I)O, with the blank in hand. I draw the Z out of the bag, giving me a rack of AERZ? and he has a junk rack, so I escape with another win. At this point I'm 3-1, sweeping the top 3 seeds. My luck is about to change.
Between sessions I get my first taste of Anagrams, this one a 7 letter min. version. I didn't steal any words, but found lots of power-tile bingoes like AKVAVIT, EXORDIUM, SEJEANT, and COJOINED. Rahn steals IRONIZES and makes REALIZATIONS, which was pretty awesome.
Game 5 vs. badqoph : L 381-411. (E)NDOWERS/DIsEUSE, URALI(T)ES, RATIONS. You can play the game over on his blog. Not much to say, but at least I played the Q-stick correctly. Also I wanted that NITRID(E)D play so badly, since that's such an awful rack.
Game 6 vs. Sandeep Bala: W 431-379. IRkSOME (for 97), GE(L)ATINE/CARBOnS. I purposefully play GELATINE over GALENITE because I'm afraid of Z plays in column H for 60+ points (RITZ, DITZ, YUTZ etc.), and he hits me with LY(N)X instead for 66 and I draw the Z. I'm able to outdraw him in the end game to pull out the win. I'm also thankful for my first >30 spread of the tournament.
Game 7 vs. Rahn McKeown: L 348-449. NAIADES/E(MO)TIONAL, RESILES, CAPLETs. Got to give it up for finding the 9; he was originally going to play MOTIONAL to the triple, then realized he had an E left over before he punched the clock. I drown in consonants, but threaten a miracle comeback as the blank is the last tile in the bag and the Q is unseen, making Rahn spend 6 minutes determining if he wants to bingo. I get fortunate that he gives me a place for QATS 42 to save some spread.
Game 8 vs. John Luebkemann: L 363-380. (T)RANCHES/In(D)URATE. This game ends up a lot differently if I find INARCHES for 78 instead of TRANCHES for 80. He doesn't get WAIF back for 42 and maybe things go differently. I also ignore a nice place for VUG hooking onto LEEK for 24 with less than 7 in the bag, instead going with (L)UV for 8 setting up my blank along the triple. I draw the other G and the C, he bingoes and I can't come back. After the game John commented that my word knowledge was unusually good for a ~1600 player, which is probably how I'd describe my Scrabble abilities right now :), but the comment was appreciated. I've now squandered a great start and sit at 4-4, but at least the 4(!) leaders are at 5-3.
Game 9 vs. Rahn McKeown: W 403-362. UTI(L)ISER/CRInGER. Getting ZESTY hooking HOOF on row 15 for 92 was pretty much the game. The pre-endgame was interesting. Rahn holds ORALISE# with the J, H and lots of good stuff left in the pool, and one bingoable S hook available. He plays OI atop the S hook with the case L, blocking my UPRATES/UPTEARS from going down. I see the only bingo rack he can have is the LATHERS set, none of which have LS consecutively, so I play off PEAR for 29, hoping to draw the J or H for JUTS or TUSH elsewhere. I do draw the H, he plays JARLS for 32 and I go out with TUSH for 26.
Game 10 vs. Clay Daniel: W 325-315. none/H(A)LOGeNs (2x2 103). Yeah, this game was so ugly, Clay started by playing PFUI for 18 points on consecutive turns. He originally tried HALLutZ* for 129, but I challenged it off mostly because I had to. He was probably cross-pollenating HALLUX and HALUTZ. After he gets down his 2x2 bingo 3 turns later, he goes into bingo lane blocking mode, allowing me to score 30 points a turn to his 8 to catch up quickly. Miraculously, in order to block a final lane I set up for bingoing, he gives me a slot for RAJAS 47. He has the X but no good place to cash it, and I sneak by with a win. I'm back in contention at 6-4, but then things really go down the tubes.
Game 11 vs. badqoph : L 363-383. RE(A)ROUSE, CIT(E)ABLE/MUStAnG, ANTEROO(M). Ryan should have this and the following game up soon on his journal. I probably played this game incorrectly in the middle when I drew a bunch of ugly vowels, and probably should have exchanged instead of playing UNAU for 4. I also goofed the tracking and allowed him to go out with SIGHED, when it was blockable. I probably still lose though. Finding CITEABLE hooking the Q Ryan just played was fun at least, and I did challenge off his MUCRON*.
Game 12 vs. badqoph : L 355-388. InNO(V)ATE (2x2 90)/DENTALI(A), A(N)EROIDS. Well at least I saw a blank this game, but other than AEINOT? I had a bunch of nasty racks to play through. I goofed the pre-endgame pretty badly, but it was not very likely I was getting the bingo I needed to come back for the win.
Game 13 vs. lotting : L 295-418. None/ATONIES, Fi(N)AgLED. Yeah, I'm not Quackling this atrocity. My best rack was a homeless MANTIDS. I drew 3 S's but had to burn them to score with the Z and X. I'd draw 3 R's, throw them away and draw them back in the next 2 turns anyway. And this was the 3rd time today somebody double-blank bingoed on me. It was this point that I had to remind myself this was for charity, and I should not be so sour.
Game 14 vs. Sandeep Bala: W 392-324. DAIMiOS, (N)UTcASES (bingo-bango)/(B)ERATING. I felt so bad that I bagged Sandeep. He only played up so that we could have an even 8, and he ended up losing the last 10 games of the tourney. I would've much rather bagged somebody else earlier in the day when I was still in contention. Drawing AESSTU? out of the bag after it took me 6 turns to bingo with the first blank didn't seem right at all.
So only 18 bingoes in 14 games was very disappointing, considering that I scored a lot better in Alpharetta. I think I'm just taking for granted how ridiculously well I drew there; this is probably a bit more normal for a tough D1 field. As you can see from the scores, the vast majority of these games were nailbiters, and it really felt like a very evenly matched division, even with the disparity in ratings that were present. It was great practice at attempting endgames. Success varied, but the practice is what matters for now.
Next up on the agenda is Collins in Charlotte in a month. I'll probably post some of my thoughts on why I'm flipping to the Dark Side shortly, but I think my situation is really unique compared to most other Scrabble players out there and leaves me more disposed to switching (or switch-hitting). May your blanks be bountiful, and cheers!
Game 1 vs. lotting : L 387-405. MIGNONs/LANCERS, SPLINTs. My big mistake here was immediately hooking LANCERS in Row 1 with GELTS for 32, keeping BH on turn 3. As one G had already been played and she's just drawn 7 randomly, I should just dump 3 consonants (BAHT for 18), keeping GELS and hope for either a bingo or better scoring play next turn. MIGNONs was one of my better bingoes of the tournament, followed by a 4 tile overlap (TWAIN to the right of LATHI) for 35 to get back in the game, but she blocks my huge J play and plays the pre-endgame very well to block any bingo lanes and my D hook created by playing OAR/ROVER.
Game 2 vs. Clay Daniel : W 410-390. sEEKING, ESTREAT(S), SNAILED/PARIT(I)eS. Holy hell did I play this game badly. I talked myself out of ROU(G)HERS after sEEKING, then I miss a 2x2 spot for SNAILED that was in the same row as where I played. I challenge BOU(S)Y unsuccessfully, then make a bunch of awful plays in the pre-endgame, I just get lucky he doesn't have a bingo at the end. A win's a win, but this should have been by a much more convincing margin.
Game 3 vs. John Luebkemann: W 407-391. EOSInES/WEARING, (D)EFLATER. The most fun game of the tournament by far, play it here:
www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php
Game 4 vs. Vince Castellano: W 375-356. BEESwAX (for 96), DE(L)ATION/MI(S)ROUTE, INSTARS. This is another game I don't play particularly well but outdraw my opponent. My opening rack was DDLSTX?, and i keep SX?, drawing ABEE. It's probably not the right exchange, but I wanted to at least score with the X if I didn't draw a bingo next turn. Got very lucky that he exchanged as well. After he bingoes with INSTARS, I empty the bag unknowingly with FUG(I)O, with the blank in hand. I draw the Z out of the bag, giving me a rack of AERZ? and he has a junk rack, so I escape with another win. At this point I'm 3-1, sweeping the top 3 seeds. My luck is about to change.
Between sessions I get my first taste of Anagrams, this one a 7 letter min. version. I didn't steal any words, but found lots of power-tile bingoes like AKVAVIT, EXORDIUM, SEJEANT, and COJOINED. Rahn steals IRONIZES and makes REALIZATIONS, which was pretty awesome.
Game 5 vs. badqoph : L 381-411. (E)NDOWERS/DIsEUSE, URALI(T)ES, RATIONS. You can play the game over on his blog. Not much to say, but at least I played the Q-stick correctly. Also I wanted that NITRID(E)D play so badly, since that's such an awful rack.
Game 6 vs. Sandeep Bala: W 431-379. IRkSOME (for 97), GE(L)ATINE/CARBOnS. I purposefully play GELATINE over GALENITE because I'm afraid of Z plays in column H for 60+ points (RITZ, DITZ, YUTZ etc.), and he hits me with LY(N)X instead for 66 and I draw the Z. I'm able to outdraw him in the end game to pull out the win. I'm also thankful for my first >30 spread of the tournament.
Game 7 vs. Rahn McKeown: L 348-449. NAIADES/E(MO)TIONAL, RESILES, CAPLETs. Got to give it up for finding the 9; he was originally going to play MOTIONAL to the triple, then realized he had an E left over before he punched the clock. I drown in consonants, but threaten a miracle comeback as the blank is the last tile in the bag and the Q is unseen, making Rahn spend 6 minutes determining if he wants to bingo. I get fortunate that he gives me a place for QATS 42 to save some spread.
Game 8 vs. John Luebkemann: L 363-380. (T)RANCHES/In(D)URATE. This game ends up a lot differently if I find INARCHES for 78 instead of TRANCHES for 80. He doesn't get WAIF back for 42 and maybe things go differently. I also ignore a nice place for VUG hooking onto LEEK for 24 with less than 7 in the bag, instead going with (L)UV for 8 setting up my blank along the triple. I draw the other G and the C, he bingoes and I can't come back. After the game John commented that my word knowledge was unusually good for a ~1600 player, which is probably how I'd describe my Scrabble abilities right now :), but the comment was appreciated. I've now squandered a great start and sit at 4-4, but at least the 4(!) leaders are at 5-3.
Game 9 vs. Rahn McKeown: W 403-362. UTI(L)ISER/CRInGER. Getting ZESTY hooking HOOF on row 15 for 92 was pretty much the game. The pre-endgame was interesting. Rahn holds ORALISE# with the J, H and lots of good stuff left in the pool, and one bingoable S hook available. He plays OI atop the S hook with the case L, blocking my UPRATES/UPTEARS from going down. I see the only bingo rack he can have is the LATHERS set, none of which have LS consecutively, so I play off PEAR for 29, hoping to draw the J or H for JUTS or TUSH elsewhere. I do draw the H, he plays JARLS for 32 and I go out with TUSH for 26.
Game 10 vs. Clay Daniel: W 325-315. none/H(A)LOGeNs (2x2 103). Yeah, this game was so ugly, Clay started by playing PFUI for 18 points on consecutive turns. He originally tried HALLutZ* for 129, but I challenged it off mostly because I had to. He was probably cross-pollenating HALLUX and HALUTZ. After he gets down his 2x2 bingo 3 turns later, he goes into bingo lane blocking mode, allowing me to score 30 points a turn to his 8 to catch up quickly. Miraculously, in order to block a final lane I set up for bingoing, he gives me a slot for RAJAS 47. He has the X but no good place to cash it, and I sneak by with a win. I'm back in contention at 6-4, but then things really go down the tubes.
Game 11 vs. badqoph : L 363-383. RE(A)ROUSE, CIT(E)ABLE/MUStAnG, ANTEROO(M). Ryan should have this and the following game up soon on his journal. I probably played this game incorrectly in the middle when I drew a bunch of ugly vowels, and probably should have exchanged instead of playing UNAU for 4. I also goofed the tracking and allowed him to go out with SIGHED, when it was blockable. I probably still lose though. Finding CITEABLE hooking the Q Ryan just played was fun at least, and I did challenge off his MUCRON*.
Game 12 vs. badqoph : L 355-388. InNO(V)ATE (2x2 90)/DENTALI(A), A(N)EROIDS. Well at least I saw a blank this game, but other than AEINOT? I had a bunch of nasty racks to play through. I goofed the pre-endgame pretty badly, but it was not very likely I was getting the bingo I needed to come back for the win.
Game 13 vs. lotting : L 295-418. None/ATONIES, Fi(N)AgLED. Yeah, I'm not Quackling this atrocity. My best rack was a homeless MANTIDS. I drew 3 S's but had to burn them to score with the Z and X. I'd draw 3 R's, throw them away and draw them back in the next 2 turns anyway. And this was the 3rd time today somebody double-blank bingoed on me. It was this point that I had to remind myself this was for charity, and I should not be so sour.
Game 14 vs. Sandeep Bala: W 392-324. DAIMiOS, (N)UTcASES (bingo-bango)/(B)ERATING. I felt so bad that I bagged Sandeep. He only played up so that we could have an even 8, and he ended up losing the last 10 games of the tourney. I would've much rather bagged somebody else earlier in the day when I was still in contention. Drawing AESSTU? out of the bag after it took me 6 turns to bingo with the first blank didn't seem right at all.
So only 18 bingoes in 14 games was very disappointing, considering that I scored a lot better in Alpharetta. I think I'm just taking for granted how ridiculously well I drew there; this is probably a bit more normal for a tough D1 field. As you can see from the scores, the vast majority of these games were nailbiters, and it really felt like a very evenly matched division, even with the disparity in ratings that were present. It was great practice at attempting endgames. Success varied, but the practice is what matters for now.
Next up on the agenda is Collins in Charlotte in a month. I'll probably post some of my thoughts on why I'm flipping to the Dark Side shortly, but I think my situation is really unique compared to most other Scrabble players out there and leaves me more disposed to switching (or switch-hitting). May your blanks be bountiful, and cheers!