In the previous tournament at Mountain View, I had played 11 out of 12 blanks in 6 games. This time, I played a blank early in game 1 and another blank late in game 4. That is it! 2 out of 12 for the round. Considering that, very happy with the 6-0 scoreline. And then, I was able to put down words like RAISONNE. :) Was good to put it down.
One thing for sure, no fear of losing, and no fear of unknown players. I just played my game, took one game at a time, did not play stupid phonies and relaxed.
Bingos played
HERNIAE, SPLASHER, ROULADES, CATENATE, ATOMISE, HOAGIES, ROULADE, ATINGLE, FAVORING, GIDDIEST, GRISTED*, SHAKENED*, RINSABLE, NEGATIVE, RAISONNE, MANACLE, CONGESTS
Words missed
PREMORAL, PREMOLAR, MONORAIL, MASTODON, STOMODEA, EUGENIAS, INCLOSE, CINEOLS, INFIDELS, INFIELDS, PINOLES, EPSILON, EUGENIAS, EXUVIA, REVUIST
Game 3 - Alan
Missed yet a few more bingos on my second turn - MASTODON (I know that word!) and STOMODEA (of course I had no idea that was a word). Alan took the lead with a bingo in his first turn, and I was playing catch up. He played a phony CHEMA* on his second turn and I let it go. Had a chance to play 10-letter word SCHEMATIZE but didn't spot it. :) Just when I seemed to catch up, Alan used his second blank to score a bingo and go up by 70 points again. While Alan was making small plays, I slowly caught up. There was one hot spot for X which I was hoping he didn't score off and I staved that off successfully. I got to within 14 points of Alan when I had GRISTED* on my rack. I wasn't sure if that was a word but it sounded good - it also opened up the triple for him, so, I thought maybe he would let it go. I played the phony GRISTED* and to my surprise, not even a hold on it! I got some nice bonus points. He used the G to play JAGG on the triple score for 63 points, but by that time I got a slender lead of 2 points. And then I drew the X and score some 35+ points off it. I just managed to come up tops in this game! GRISTED* was a gamble, but the comeback was good. Two come from behind victories in a row.
Game 4 - Bennett
Game with Bennett is mostly game of phonies. :) I started with MAUDE* and he played SHAKEnED* for 67 points. 67 points too little to challenge I thought and let it go. Also, it opened up the triple for me. If he had got another bingo on his next turn I would have really been down. I had FRISE and FRISES but wasn't sure about FRISES, so, played ORRISES instead on the triple. I barely managed to be within 20 odd points when he played LAVA to open a bingo row for me. I played RINSABLE, and also won a turn on his challenge. And I drew the blank on that play. I knew it would be smooth sailing from then on. Played off the P to score another bingo on my next turn. Bennett played yet another phony UNEDIT* and I let it go again. But I had enough lead to eke out a 56-point win.
Game 5 - Paula
My knack for not being able to spot bingos came to the fore again in this match. On my 3rd turn I had INCLOSE/CINEOLS on my rack. I was thinking about INCLOSE but wasn't sure. Next turn I had INFIDELS/INFIELDS -- didn't see them. And on a 3rd consecutive turn! I had PINOLES/EPSILON. I was thinking about PINOLES, but EPSILON didn't even occur! Three turns of missing bingos, and I surely deserved to lose after so many mistakes. But I got lucky two turns later, and was able to put down RAISONNE. Nice word -- like it. :) I had a slender lead at this point, after her Z play and triple word play that opened a bingo for me. But on my next turn I got lucky with the J draw for the hot spot, and took a 40-point lead. Knew it was going to be a scrap. She played MAnACLE for a 20+ point lead, putting the first blank down. I wasn't sure of the word, but I just used the triple word score to get close with her. The second blank was still out there, and I thought that she must have drawn it after her bingo play. After exchanging a few punches, I played EYER on the triple for a 2-point lead. She held the play for a long while. I though she was looking for the bingo, but she was trying to block my bingo. Actually, I hadn't even spotted my EUGENIAS! She played GROVEL to give me GROVELING on the triple for 42 points. She played her Q to get even with me, and by this time she had the blank as well. I was left with AEEEISU on my rack. Oh my God, how was I going to get through this? She had BROWH? on her rack. But I had the Q on a double word hotspot, so, I could use that. I tried to play off my E's and trying to maximize my points. So, I played EVE -- apparently I block a high play for her. I had no clue. I was just focused on the big points with the Q. She played HOWs for 22 points, and I had not seen that play and her out chance next turn. She had a 13-point lead by then and a chance to go out. So, she was going to get may be around 15 points. I needed a big play. I was going to play IS for 28 leaving EAU, but then saw AIS instead and played it for 30 points for a 17-point lead. She scored 10-points and got 4-points from my unplayed tiles for a 3-point loss! Phew!
Game 6 - KC
PREMORAL, PREMOLAR, MONORAIL, MASTODON, STOMODEA, EUGENIAS, INCLOSE, CINEOLS, INFIDELS, INFIELDS, PINOLES, EPSILON, EUGENIAS, EXUVIA, REVUIST
Game 1 - KC
On my first turn, had PREMOLAR/PREMORAL -- missed it. I drew well after missing that, and just took off. Did not make too many mistakes after missing the bingo in the first move. The game lasted 12 moves!! and had 6 bingos! I almost hit 500 points! Almost. So close yet so far -- did not even touch 400 in the rest of the games. I wonder how long before I get another 500-point game. The wait is killing me.
bingos played - HERNIAE, SPLASHER, ROULADES, CATENATE, ATOMISE, HOAGIES
Game 2 - Andrea
Again, missed a bingo on my first turn - MONORAIL. Was thinking about MOONLIER* and MOORLINE* but did not play any of them. When she got MASQUE down, I was pretty much out trailing by 40 points. My only chance was to gamble on an N. I played off an A and picked up the N! I could get my bingo down on the penultimate turn but she couldn't and I won the game.
On my first turn, had PREMOLAR/PREMORAL -- missed it. I drew well after missing that, and just took off. Did not make too many mistakes after missing the bingo in the first move. The game lasted 12 moves!! and had 6 bingos! I almost hit 500 points! Almost. So close yet so far -- did not even touch 400 in the rest of the games. I wonder how long before I get another 500-point game. The wait is killing me.
bingos played - HERNIAE, SPLASHER, ROULADES, CATENATE, ATOMISE, HOAGIES
Game 2 - Andrea
Again, missed a bingo on my first turn - MONORAIL. Was thinking about MOONLIER* and MOORLINE* but did not play any of them. When she got MASQUE down, I was pretty much out trailing by 40 points. My only chance was to gamble on an N. I played off an A and picked up the N! I could get my bingo down on the penultimate turn but she couldn't and I won the game.
bingos played - ROULADE, ATINGLE
Game 3 - Alan
Missed yet a few more bingos on my second turn - MASTODON (I know that word!) and STOMODEA (of course I had no idea that was a word). Alan took the lead with a bingo in his first turn, and I was playing catch up. He played a phony CHEMA* on his second turn and I let it go. Had a chance to play 10-letter word SCHEMATIZE but didn't spot it. :) Just when I seemed to catch up, Alan used his second blank to score a bingo and go up by 70 points again. While Alan was making small plays, I slowly caught up. There was one hot spot for X which I was hoping he didn't score off and I staved that off successfully. I got to within 14 points of Alan when I had GRISTED* on my rack. I wasn't sure if that was a word but it sounded good - it also opened up the triple for him, so, I thought maybe he would let it go. I played the phony GRISTED* and to my surprise, not even a hold on it! I got some nice bonus points. He used the G to play JAGG on the triple score for 63 points, but by that time I got a slender lead of 2 points. And then I drew the X and score some 35+ points off it. I just managed to come up tops in this game! GRISTED* was a gamble, but the comeback was good. Two come from behind victories in a row.
bingos played - FAVORING, GIDDIEST, GRISTED*
phonies - CHEMA*, GRISTED*
Game 4 - Bennett
Game with Bennett is mostly game of phonies. :) I started with MAUDE* and he played SHAKEnED* for 67 points. 67 points too little to challenge I thought and let it go. Also, it opened up the triple for me. If he had got another bingo on his next turn I would have really been down. I had FRISE and FRISES but wasn't sure about FRISES, so, played ORRISES instead on the triple. I barely managed to be within 20 odd points when he played LAVA to open a bingo row for me. I played RINSABLE, and also won a turn on his challenge. And I drew the blank on that play. I knew it would be smooth sailing from then on. Played off the P to score another bingo on my next turn. Bennett played yet another phony UNEDIT* and I let it go again. But I had enough lead to eke out a 56-point win.
bingos played - SHAKENED*, RINSABLE, NEGATIVE
phonies - MAUDE*, UNEDIT*, SHAKENED*
Game 5 - Paula
My knack for not being able to spot bingos came to the fore again in this match. On my 3rd turn I had INCLOSE/CINEOLS on my rack. I was thinking about INCLOSE but wasn't sure. Next turn I had INFIDELS/INFIELDS -- didn't see them. And on a 3rd consecutive turn! I had PINOLES/EPSILON. I was thinking about PINOLES, but EPSILON didn't even occur! Three turns of missing bingos, and I surely deserved to lose after so many mistakes. But I got lucky two turns later, and was able to put down RAISONNE. Nice word -- like it. :) I had a slender lead at this point, after her Z play and triple word play that opened a bingo for me. But on my next turn I got lucky with the J draw for the hot spot, and took a 40-point lead. Knew it was going to be a scrap. She played MAnACLE for a 20+ point lead, putting the first blank down. I wasn't sure of the word, but I just used the triple word score to get close with her. The second blank was still out there, and I thought that she must have drawn it after her bingo play. After exchanging a few punches, I played EYER on the triple for a 2-point lead. She held the play for a long while. I though she was looking for the bingo, but she was trying to block my bingo. Actually, I hadn't even spotted my EUGENIAS! She played GROVEL to give me GROVELING on the triple for 42 points. She played her Q to get even with me, and by this time she had the blank as well. I was left with AEEEISU on my rack. Oh my God, how was I going to get through this? She had BROWH? on her rack. But I had the Q on a double word hotspot, so, I could use that. I tried to play off my E's and trying to maximize my points. So, I played EVE -- apparently I block a high play for her. I had no clue. I was just focused on the big points with the Q. She played HOWs for 22 points, and I had not seen that play and her out chance next turn. She had a 13-point lead by then and a chance to go out. So, she was going to get may be around 15 points. I needed a big play. I was going to play IS for 28 leaving EAU, but then saw AIS instead and played it for 30 points for a 17-point lead. She scored 10-points and got 4-points from my unplayed tiles for a 3-point loss! Phew!
bingos played - RAISONNE, MANACLE
Game 6 - KC
Yet another close game, but I would say she gifted it to me with two phony plays of DAMA* and RAMA*. It was ironic that after challenging them off, I myself played KAMA* and that stayed! The game had the prospects of a closed board right from the beginning. My MOWN and her UNZIPS played a part in it. I had TINNERS if she hadn't played the S on UNZIPS. Missed nice plays -- EXUVIA for 48 and REVUIST for 46 points. Her bingo and HILI took her to a 50-point lead. I thought hard about GAIETY but eventually didn't play it. It would have been a good play instead what I played, leaving a bad rack. I scored good points on the double word scores to gain slight lead of 7-points. This was where the match turned I think. She played REPOSED and DEPOSER for DAMA* and RAMA* hooks on two consecutive turns, and probably gave me a slight advantage with those freebies. I challenged them off the board duly and sat on a 50-point lead. But she had good tiles as well as a blank. So, she caught up soon. Her CHEW was great play, but I was lucky to have SOJA on triple for come back. My tile tracking was perfect, and I managed to edge her out with an 8-point win.
Looking back at the game, if not for the TREK play, I would most likely have lost!
bingos played - CONGESTS
phonies - KAMA*
My end game was pretty good in the last two games (3-point and 8-point wins).
No comments:
Post a Comment