Masters Scrabble Tournament in Kentucky, August 2001

Masters Report Part One

After not making Reno I wanted to do this tournament,
but then money became an issue so I essentially gave
it up.  Then about two weeks before it would start, 
AE mentions a special airfare deal for Delta; 
less than $200.  I think about it, and the next day the 
fare increases to about $600 (since it became less than
two weeks away).  But then I saw that Delta was having a 
15,000 FF mile deal from Austin to Cincinnati.  I took 
advantage, got my flight for "free", and found two roommates
from the local club to split the lodging.

At 1464, I'm playing "up" in division 2, but there are many
other sub-15s in the division.  My minimum goal is to win
enough games to top 1500.  My next goal is to have a winning
record.  Third, to get a new high peak rating (was 1511 set 
in January).  Fourth, to top 1550.

I arrive the day before with about six others from the local
club on the same flight.  At the Drawbridge in Ft Mitchell, 
Kentucky, it is hot and steamy.  I go for a leisurely run to 
explore the surrounding area, but the air feels dangerously 
toxic and the humidity is awful, so I cut it short and jump 
in the pool.  I had a salmon dinner at the Outback with
Sam Adams.  I needed a decent meal.

Game 1.  Mason Shambach 1465.  I go first with AODSSTV.  I 
exchanged 3.  I didn't write down my leave (I probably
kept ASST), altho my next rack became AIUSSTD.  Mason played 
HAM at 8G.  I find the only 8 and play it at i2 [1].  Mason 
blocks the TWS with AA for only 8.  I pick up ?IUDRXZ and 
play ZAX for 29.  I hoard the blank for six ugly sub-20 
turns, while Mason plays a couple 38-point turns, including 
TEPOYS, which was new to me.  Finally I pick up another 
blank and after turn 9 I have ??AINRT.  Mason plays gelted* 
away from the action.  I was unsure of it, but for only 16 
points, it stayed on the board; which is now:

   a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o     -> JD         ??AINRT  172
   -----------------------------        Mason      -------  186
 1|=     '       A       '     =|     
 2|  -       "   A S "   V   -  |
 3|    -   G   '   T O R I I    |
 4|'     - E     Z A X   M     '|
 5|        L     O D   -        |
 6|  "     T "   A I N       "  |
 7|  F ' B E D U   U       '    |
 8|H I R E D   H A M     '     =|
 9|  Q '       '   S       '    |
10|  U       V       "       "  |
11|W E E N I E         -        |
12|'     -   R   '       -     '|
13|  C -     B '   '       -    |
14|T E P O Y S       "       -  |
15|O L E '       =       '     =|
   -----------------------------     

I have a zillion choices here, but I decide to take the TWS 
spot at 1a making the blanks, D and O [2].  Mason challenges
and I obtain a 243-186 point lead.  Nothing exciting happens
throughout the remainder; I go out, get 16 for a J-stick, 
and win 363-260.

Game 2.  Mary Capalbi.  Mary exchanges five to start and 
with IUUMNRT I play MUNI.  Mary then plays a natural "taurians*" 
at j4 thru the I for 62.  I gave her too much credit and let it 
stay.  I play BUTTER for 22 thru her T and then she plays CREEK 
for 32 thru my R.  With AAEIOON I play ANOA under the B for 12.
With ?ECMNRT, Mary makes a good find with TRACkMEN at e3 for
61.  I don't like it and lose my turn with a challenge.
Mary plays HOURI at d9 for 23 and I think she regretted not
playing it at d8 for 39.  I have ?EIIONR and play a 7 at c3 [3], 
making the blank an S, front-hooking HE.  If HOURI is played
at d9, I saw NOISIER at 9K, but could have even played 
RIPIENO at c2 if I knew it.  But the d9 placing did give her
OX for 38 on the next play.  It gave her a lead I could never
overcome and I ended up eating a Z and S to lose 285-406.

Game 3.  Ray Smith.  One of the better players I've played
at this tournament.  After his DELFT at 8d, I stare at
AEODRQY.  Exchange OYQ or play QAT at h6?  I take the 12
points and play QAT.  Ray follows with an 8 at e2 thru the E
with the rack ?AAMNST [4].  I play a double-triple LOAMY at
2b for 36.  Ray plays RITZ for 33 at 6c setting up a TLS hook.
With AEDNPRJ, I play RAJ in the corner for 41.  Sure enough
Ray plays a nice FOOTY at 6b for 52!  Even after a 35-point
response, I'm still down by 51.  After some strong mid-game
plays by Ray, the lead is doubled by turn 9.  I hold
?EIONSX with the following board:

   a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o     -> JD        ?EIONSX  216
   -----------------------------        Ray       -------  318
 1|R A J '       W       '     =|
 2|  L O A M Y   A   "       -  |
 3|O P E   A   ' D '       -    |
 4|'     E N N U I       -     '|
 5|        A           -        |
 6|  F R I T Z   Q U A I L   "  |
 7|  O '   e   ' A '       '    |
 8|D O   D E L F T       '     C|
 9|U T ' E S   '   '       '   H|
10|B Y   I   "       "       " E|
11|      C R O T O N   P E R K S|
12|'     I       M O V E S     T|
13|    - N     '   '       -    |
14|  -   G   "       "       -  |
15|=     '       =       '     =|
   ----------------------------- 

I saw OXAZINES, I saw SAXONIES; neither fit.  I think I
even saw SILOXANE thru the L, which didn't fit, but I didn't
even extrapolate this to the J column!  What's worse is
that I saw DIOXANES, but for some reason doubted that it
was good (I should know AEIO bingos!).  There's even a bingo 
through the W, but I didn't even look there; nor did I know 
it [5].  After wasting too much time I finally end up playing 
the timid fish XI at k5.  I draw a V.  Ray plays GILD for 21, 
getting face value from the X, and blocking any bingo that 
might hook QUAIL.  Fortunately row 2 is still available and 
I find the 8 beginning with A [6].  But by now Ray is able 
to respond with HUT at 10f and I'm down by 65 with 1 in the 
bag.  Unseen is EEEIBGLW.  With the rack AAEINRR, I'm pretty
sure I need to bingo to win, but there's not much hope.
I could play CHESTIER for 36, but with the TWS open at o1 
I'd still be down by over 50, with an outplay unlikely.
I play PER at k11, ridding an R and hoping to hook my I
on it (and picking up the likely E).  In retrospect, 
playing PEA, un-duping the A's is probably better.  But 
anyway, Ray knows the four and is able to block nicely and 
score big with BILGE at 14j.  It even blocked CHESTIER.  Ray 
wins 439-319 after using the o1 spot and my going one second 
overtime.  I'm 1-2 now.

Game 4.  Karrie Bowe.  The only person I actually played 
before prior to this tournament (at Providence Nationals).
Karrie bingos early with EIKNRTT [7] and then four turns later
with AAIMNTS thru an E [8].  I bounce back with AUDIbLES which 
was challenged, and then FLAX to make it tied at 203.  After
"audibles" I had four consecutive all-consonant racks;
meanwhile Karrie bingos again with EINRSST [9].  After the
fourth such rack I exchange and I'm down by 100.  The game
ends even more pitifully, 287-413.

Lunch break.  I join Steve and Scott and we decide to drive 
away from the scene and have lunch at a Pizza Hut that Scott 
had scouted out earlier.  It was a nice diversion and we shared 
our war stories of the morning.  Veggie pizza and pepsi.

Game 5.  Bill Menor.  I get down AEULRRT through an I [10] and 
INLAYeR early.  Not much else happens and I win 449-275.

Game 6.  Rosemarie Geci.  My opening rack is EEEDNTT and I find
the 7 [11], playing it at 8e.  After her DERAIL, using the D, I 
have EEIKPDV and play KIBEI for 32.  She follows with JAPE at
k5 for 26; I with VOIDS b10 for 34; she with SCREWING at i2
for 70.  I'm up 132-108.  I play FORE at L4 for 29 and she 
plays UNOPEN at f4 for 12.  Hold.  UNOPENED I know.  What is 
this?  It can't be a verb.  I don't like it.  Challenge.
It's good; oh well.  She finally uses the K spot with KEEN for
29, but I further milk the J with TRAY at m2 for 32.
After exchanging and playing off the Q for 14, Rosemarie then
bingos with AVOIdInG for 70 to take a 6-point lead.  By turn 11,
I have the TISANE+U rack and play SINUATE for 76, milking the
J one more time.  This put the U next to the TWS at o8, and
set up the o15 TWS as well.  Rosemarie avoids both with FA
at 9m for 20.  I have AAEDGHZ and seal the game with HAZED
at o11 for 62.  I end up winning 401-367, despite losing 10
on the clock for going one second over.  I'm now 3-3.

Game 7.  Cheryl Cadieux.  Early on we trade bingos; my
SATIRE+I at j3, her DONaTINg through the I at 4e.  At the
time I saw the front hook to my bingo, but when I eventually
got the H, I forgot about it.  I follow with READY, forming HAD 
and OXY for 51.  The next turn I hook HAD with a C, getting away 
with metic* for 37.  I was confusing this with something, 
and after a hold, it was allowed to stay as Cheryl rebounded 
with LOPE for 32.  Note: ETIC has no hooks.   At turn 7,
I get the H, and even though I forgot about the hook at j2, I 
wouldn't have been able to reach the DWS on this turn anyways,
with the rack OBFHLST.  Instead I played FOH for 31, and Cheryl
reminded me of the hook.  A few turns later, Cheryl has some 
terrible racks, and at one point exchanged five tiles, 
showing me AEEIU.  After 10 turns, the board looks like:

   a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o        JD        EIIDGST  298
   -----------------------------     -> CC        -------  233
 1|O Y   ' A L P S       '     =|
 2|F O H   Z "       "       -  |
 3|  M A L I N E   ' A     -    |
 4|'     - D O N a T I N g     '|
 5|L       O         R -        |
 6|O M       "       I       "  |
 7|P E '   R   ' T ' E     '    |
 8|E T   ' E   B O G S   '     =|
 9|  I ' W A K E N ' T     '    |
10|  C H A D "       "       "  |
11|    O X Y           -        |
12|'   R E       '       -     '|
13|  J A R     '   '       -    |
14|  E       "       "       -  |
15|= T   '       =       '     =|
   -----------------------------     

Cheryl comments that this spot has been open too long,
and plays NU at a14 for 14 points.  I play off GI as
GIBE for 11, and then bingo the next turn with "SAD TIE"+E
at k9 [12].  That gave me a 100+ point lead and enough for
the eventual win, 414-364.

Answers:

[1] STADIUMS
[2] ANTIDORA
[3] IRONIES
[4] MANATEES
[5] SWINEPOX
[6] AVERSION
[7] TRINKET 
[8] ANIMATES
[9] SINTERS 
[10] RURALITE
[11] DETENTE
[12] IDEATES