Scrabble Tournament in Bedford, Texas 6/2002

I didn't do that well; only winning 4 of 11.
I don't have a full analysis yet, but here is who I played:

1. Cree -- I went thru this one with Maven last night; I made
decent plays mostly; couple mistakes like playing FAULT (NN), instead
of FLAUNT (N). And trying indened* to lose a turn. (INDENES is
good, as I learned from DENNIS stem, but it's not a verb). I felt
I had to try it though; Chris had just bingoed for the second time
in a row with the second blank and I was down by 96, midway.
He follows with a 33-point TWS (which I wouldn't have blocked 
anyway), a 32-point ZEE, another 32-point TWS play (that I set up
with a 39-point play), a 29-point J play, and a 52-point X play.
Oh and he had a 36-point Q play on turn 2. Frustrating way to 
start a tourney; I lose 337-496. 

2. Caesar Jaramillo. I bingoed on turn 1.5 with ?EOCDLM after
he started with ATOM [1]. He gets a 93-point FeAZING, but I get
a no-brainer ANESTRI rack a couple turns later. I win 429-353.

3. Carl Davis. He wanted to play D2, but his rating was too high. 
This was the high loss. 458-472 (930 total!). I probably should
have won this. I mistracked near the end. I need to Maven this
game. 

4. Clay Daniel. Four games; four "C"'s. Clay is very underrated at
1488. I made two obvious mistakes in this game (trying to hook WILT and
SPOUT with a Y). He nixed 'em both. Another game I need to 
analyze carefully. He wins 386-430.

5. Maureen Delgado. I score the "high turn" in this game,
JOLLIER for 102. I doubt it was really the high turn, but no one
else posted anything higher. So I won $5 and a "Word Person" coffee
mug. My five knowledge needs work. I let her get away with pachy*.
She also scored a nice bingo in AIODNRS to a C. It was an end-game, 
and I won it 413-393.

6. Iffy Onyeonwu. I got away with intuned* (the only 7 is DUNNITE,
which I forgot), but he got away with latence# (which is OSW).
Another game I need to Maven, I lost 350-395 (losing 20 for time; 
time was a factor in a number of my games this tournament. I miss not 
having the Internet at home and being able to play fast games on Zone).

So after Day 1, I'm 2-4. MJ wasn't supposed to come to Dallas this
weekend, but she surprised me and came up while I was playing.
I got lost on the way home, and then we went out to eat at
Buca Di Beppo.

Sunday 
7. Clay Colwell goes first with WINE. I have AEOCGRS. Wilkie
does me a favor, although I spent a while debating between it and
CARGOES, and where to place them. I didn't even think of CORSAGE.
I finally play SOCAGER and SWINE, and draw the challenge. A couple
turns later I get the RELIANT rack, followed by ?AIOUGT, which
became AUTOING and ROQUET. I coast to victory, 485-278.

8. Sam Dick-Onuoha. This one was quickly over after he gets
DEBATES and ENDORSER and FUZEE. I get TEACHES, but then he
scores 95 with OVERMINE. I lose big time 248-516. Ugly game.

9. Cheryl Tyler. This game could have been mine, I think. I need
to go through this one. She wins 339-400; it could have been worse,
I netted 63 (-10 for time) on a Q-stick. Also, LIKE was on the
board at 15E. She tried vinelike*, I challenge it and play
SOULLIKE. 

10. Glenda Short. She bingoes with TOLIDINS, which I've never seen.
But my streak against her continues; I win 383-368. Also good
are: TOLIDIN, TOLIDINE, TOLIDINES, TOLUIDIN, TOLUIDINE, TOLUIDINES,
TOLUIDINS. The only ones with anagrams are TOLUIDIN(S) [2].

11. Maureen Delgado. I took a bathroom break and put a "reserved"
sign on my board. I come back and two people are
playing on my board with my clipboard and water cup right at the 
board. And one is using my personal long-wooden rack.
They already started and I decided to be the nice guy and not say
anything other than a surprised "excuse me" while I gathered my
stuff. My expectations of some people are low, and I don't let
things like that affect my frame of mind. Anyway I start with an
ETHANE rack (+B) [3] and get SATINET a few turns later. It's close
throughout tho, with her TROUBLES and STRAINED. My racks become ugly
in the end though and she wins 396-349 (-10 for me again).

4-7 Final. I don't let it bother me too much. I remember 2000,
when I was 4-11 in the June Milford CT tournament before Nationals.
I'll drop around 40 (+/- 5) to 1630ish, but have NSC to look 
forward to to get over the 1700 mark. Once again, I need to work
on playing faster and learning a shitload of fives. 



[1] MELODICA; although CLOMPED would probably score more, hooking
PED over ATO. There are others too: MELODIC, MONOCLED, CLAMORED. 

[2] DILUTION(S)

[3] BENEATH