NASPA Scrabble mini, Sunday September 19, 2010

After last month’s WGPO tournament, I played in the NASPA tournament this past Sunday. Same location, same third Sunday of the month, just under a different banner. It appears that the tournaments will alternate between NASPA and WGPO for the rest of 2010. Mountain View may switch fully to a WGPO venue by next year as current NASPA memberships expire at the end of the year while Berkeley will remain a NASPA venue. My WGPO rating shot through 1200 finally, now at 1259. NASPA rating is at 1172.

Game 1 – Opponent: Gloriosa Ondoy Agdeppa, rated 936
A rather disappointing game and a little disappointed in myself. I picked up a blank tile on the opening rack and played DELeT(I)ON for a low scoring 59 points. Gloriosa bingoed with a better scoring QUIETER (+80 points) in two turns later. The game was fairly close and she was able to continue scoring well with small plays. I even played wrongly with EW at one point. And my biggest mistake was missing the bingo PUNIEST along the triple word line which would have kept me way ahead. Lost the game by a measly 4 points, 356-360.

Game 2 – Opponent: Sandy Parry, rated 1026
This game fared better. I bingoed with low scoring R(E)MINTED (+61) and IODATEs (+71). Sandy had TANSIES (+64). My end rack after IODATEs was one of the worst: EEEIOUU. Still, I won handily 415-345.

Game 3 – Opponent: Joan Mocine, rated 1061
This game went very well for me. My second rack was CNORSTU and I hoped for an E to come up. Joan nicely played TAENIA to expose the E for my bingo COUNT(E)RS for +70. She PARTIED immediately (+79) after that. I continued to play fairly high scoring plays while Joan had bad racks and had trade tiles twice. Meanwhile, I saw a nice play and wished for a E and a U, and I actually got it pulling two tiles! Played QUEEN for +48 with that. Had a bad rack myself with IIFNNVV. Traded it, got a blank, next turn got the second blank and played MotIvES (+66). Won 460-273.

Game 4 – Opponent: Phil, rated?
Phil is a new player, this being his second tournament. I bingoed with (C)RULLINg +61. Phil, on the other hand, played some phonies such as PO, YAD, ROY which I challenged off. He did play fairly well. I won 369-322.

Game 5 – Opponent: Pat Diener, rated 1313
This is a game I could have won if I had guts to challenge her words… She played VENTAL which I doubted and not challenged. More importantly, towards the end I did not challenge her MISWoRN (+89) on a triple word despite having serious doubts. I was worried that with a closed up board and if I lose my turn, I may not have been able to respond with my own bingo ERInGOS (+76). I could have challenged that word off and used that triple word score myself to build a lead. Lost 389-408.

Game 6 – Opponent: Pat Diener, rated 1313
Played Pat again as we were the top two. This time, I played really carefully. My opening rack was a natural bingo BRAVEST (+76) which she immediately responded with AdMIRE(R)S (+70) across the R in BRAVEST. Later on, I bingoed with RATTLER (+68) and then she had EQUATEd (+81). I then continued to play a tight game and slowly build the lead I had. Won 446-372.

Overall, came out second placed after Pat. Not too bad, although I wished I could have won the other two games with just a little better foresight and more guts to challenge the doubtful words…
My bingoes:
DELETION
REMINTED
IODATES
COUNTERS
CRULLING
ERINGOS
BRAVEST
RATTLER