LJ Idol Week 3--Topic: "A Moment of Bliss"
"Solution"
I'm a huge fan of puzzles. Not necessarily jigsaw puzzles (they take up too much time and space for my apartment), but almost anything else, I'm game. Hand me a fresh copy of GAMES magazine and a sturdy pencil, and I'm set for hours. (Perfect time killer on airplane flights, by the way.)
Maybe that fascination is why I enjoy Scrabble so much. I've played in tournaments for about seven years now, and one of the primary things that keeps me coming back--aside from the great people I've met and the places the game takes me--is the fact that the same position never occurs twice. Mike Baron, one of the foremost players in the game for decades, has said that the goal should be to view every play as a new puzzle, where the solution lies in making the play that gives the best chance of winning the game.
Bliss, for a Scrabbler, is staring down a difficult puzzle, thinking through every possibility, and reaching that moment where you know what the solution is, where your decision-making is vindicated. What follows is an example, as seen through my eyes and thoughts.
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2008 National Scrabble Championship
Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, Florida
Sunday, July 26
Round 9, Division 1, Board 23
Mike Frentz v. David Weisberg
Player Score Rack Time Remaining
Mike 419 CEGIMNW 14:10
David 396 ENOPRST 01:42
Last play: David, NE for 2
Tiles in bag: 0
Mike's turn.
[14:09...14:08...]
"Three ninety-six to my four-nineteen?"
"That's correct."
Wow. Nice play on his part. What does that leave him?...POSTERN. Great. And it fits in both lines--either making REP on the right side, or NET down below. Guess I've gotta try and stop both of them. This oughta be fun.
[12:47...12:46...]
Do I have to stop them both? Can I outrun the bingo? Let's see, what about the line he just gave me?....MEWING is best there, I think. That's--let's see, nine, thirteen, fifteen, eighteen...thirty-six, thirty-nine. Plus 62, but he bingos up top for...68, plus six from me. Loses by twelve.
[10:51...10:50...]
Man, I fought so flippin' hard for this game, too. What was I trailing by? 105-247. Down 142, after his third bingo in the first four plays...I come all the way back to the lead, and I'm going to lose to an out bingo.
Don't give up so easily.
[8:47...8:46...]
You know what? Let me double-check my tile tracking, make sure he has what I think he does. It'd be pretty embarrasing to lose that way, and I've got the time....
[6:21...6:20...]
Yeah, it's right, alright. POSTERN it is.
Any way I can stop both lines? How about through that blank S? WISE? No, POSTERN still fits--NET, WISER. WISEN isn't good, is it? No.
[4:45...4:44...]
It's gotta be at least a five, starting with a consonant to kill the REP lane, S has to be third...
[3:51...3:50...]
MESIC
Say what? Is that any good?
Why would I have thought of it if it wasn't?
Okay, hold on. Does it actually work, first off? Goes up 39, threatens GNAW in two spots. He'd have to get 45+...does the bingo fit through the C? POSTERN + C...CENOPRST....nope, doesn't sound familiar. It wins if it's good...but is it good?
[2:36...2:35...]
You know what? I have no idea if it's good. But I don't think I would have thought of it if it wasn't good. Or maybe this is all wishful thinking.
Yeah, I lose by more if I'm wrong. But I've gotta play for the win.
And I don't think there's any other way.
"Sixteen."
[1:46.]
[1:41...1:40...]
"Hold."
No surprise there. If he doesn't know it, he's definitely challenging...yep, there he goes.
[1:30.]
"Challenge."
Alright, the game's riding on a little five-letter word that I don't think either of us has any clue about. Up to the computer we go.
"I think I have to play it, and you have to challenge it."
"Yep."
Here goes.
"C'mon, for once in my life...."
[TAB]
("YEAH, BABY!! WOO!")
Game over! What a comeback! This is what it's all about!
(Okay, the stage-whisper yell was a little loud. And the Tiger Woods fist-pump may have been a bit much. Might have to apologize to David on that one.)
Okay, sit down and breathe. Make sure you get the endplay right.
[1:45...1:44...]
"Eight, and out."
[1:31.]
"Plus eighteen. Four sixty-one, three ninety-six?"
"That's correct."
"Well done."
"Thank you."
Yeah, baby!
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This entry was written for Week 3 of LJ Idol. Vote now!