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#player1 Paul_Epstein Paul Epstein
#player2 Jason Jason
>Paul_Epstein: AGILNW 8D WALING +28 28
#note Since Paul had said "May the best old, fat, straight guy win" before his 552-300 win in Petoskey, I said "may the best young, skinny, gay guy win" before this one. (Hey, it worked!) Paul had a rough go, from 4-1 to 6-8. Paul isn't exactly the portrait of optimism, but I'd never seen him this down, muttering "what a waste" as he was counting this play. He wasn't very happy with my responding play, either.
>Jason: AACPTUX 7E PAX +43 43
#note Wanted to go to Loui's for dinner Saturday, but went with the group to Outback. Went for lunch instead; a better idea, since it was basically empty. From what I understand, approval of the za and antipasto salad (woulda been better with tomatoes) was unanimous. Carol Jones asked about the name of the place again, for next year, and Bowman mentioned it in his LJ. Must do it again next year.
>Paul_Epstein: EG F6 G..E +9 37
#note Only annoyance was: There were about eight of us, so just as we had the pizza number/sizes and antipasto number/sizes figured out, in walked Grob, Bednarz and Peters. So we had to re-calculate, esp. since they wanted more options than cheese/pepperoni and cheese/pepperoni/mushrooms. Just as we'd gotten it figured out again, in walked Easter, Hoggatt, Mannella and Dutch, and I was really to kill all of them (OK, maybe only one...) :D until they got a separate table, fortunately for my (and the waitress') sanity.
>Jason: ACFTTUU -UUCFT +0 43
#note Missed the A back hook to GALE, making TUFA/(GALE)A the best play. And I'm already appreciating the ugliness of the board. P.S. Next day, I'm looking over Mom's shoulder while she's doing the Jumble and, like her, am stuck on ACEFTU. I even figure out from the main jumble that the last two are ET or TE and still can't make heads or tails of it, thinking of this rack and what I could've done with an open E, until she writes "FAUCET". Boy, my anagramming's mediocre.
>Paul_Epstein: DEY E7 ..YED +27 64
#note My opponents' opening plays: Five blank bingos, one exchange. My opening plays: No bingos/no blanks, five exchanges. No whining, just a fact; use it as you wish.
>Jason: AANOTTW D10 WAT +20 63
#note Even I can usually stay away from 70+ point errors, but missing a 95-point (N)ANOWATT is one.
>Paul_Epstein: ?EHIORT C9 HERIOTs +88 152
>Jason: AEINOTV 14A NO.ATIVE +76 139
#note Should've known this was phony, but played it anyway. Paul didn't peep. Maybe in another game, in a better mood, he challenges it off and I'm in deep soup.
>Paul_Epstein: IILP H11 PIL.I +24 176
#note Average score of 399-395, better than the 408-410 through 23 in Albany and the 413-437 in Chicago. However, I'm more inclined to chalk it up to power tiles settling in the bottom of the bag and coming out late than improved defense.
>Jason: EEGKNUZ A12 GU.K +33 172
#note KU(N)E is clearly better.
>Paul_Epstein: BDEM 12H .MBED +20 196
#note Somehow, going into July 4th weekend, my 1661 rating is good for 5th in Mich. And No. 4 (Bednarz) is moving in August. And I'm only a handful of points behind Paul, who fell into the 1670s. The state of Mich. Scrabble is like the state of the Mich. economy: A major state-wide slump. There better be some big gainers before Labor Day weekend!
>Jason: AEEHINZ J12 .IZE +35 207
#note The four-overlap (P)EAHEN at 11H is the only better play, and the only play that wins more than 1/2 the time.
>Paul_Epstein: EILNOSS M7 LIONESS +79 275
#note Now, Viebranz may try to call his MM mediocre. No dice. 1-0 to 1-6 to 6-6 is fun, exciting (well, maybe not during the 6-L streak). Like my 3-2 to 3-8 to 6-8 in '06; I hesitate to call that mediocre. But 1-1, -56 to 2-2, -91 to 3-3, -93 to 5-5, -48 to 6-6, -42 to (snore). THAT's mediocre.
>Jason: AEHNORS N1 SENHORA +76 283
#note Same deal last year; my 2-0, +200s start (beat Chuck, bagged Mannella) puts me in third after two rounds (still kicking myself for not saving the printout), but means I have a Berofsky-Greenspan (lost a winnable game)-Faria (ditto) stretch, knocking me to 2-3. Then 3-3 to 4-4 to 5-5 to 7-7, +65. Even my spreads always hover around 0. Past two MMs: +65, +48. Only three long tournaments are Dayton: +2. Reno Nat'ls in '05: -56. Albany: -187 (considering the field and 24 games, not bad). Also all within a game of .500. I'm starting to wonder if it's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy.
>Paul_Epstein: ALORV O7 VALOR +30 305
#note For anybody who has made it this far (doubtlessly by skimming the last two notes), trying to break the now-almost-visible black cloud over Paul's head, I make a joke Carol made once: "That's a brave play." Paul laughed.
>Jason: ?CEEIMR 1G bECRIME. +92 375
#note I'd just seen MERCIEs in that spot and was a little upset at it being blocked. My thought process: "Oh, this sucks. (shuffle) I know I have something through that top S. (shuffle) I guess I can play MERCIEs at B3, but it hits nothing and opens up a can of worms. (shuffle) This is where I suck, any 1700 would've bingoed through the S by now. (shuffle) Hey, I have bECRIMES. And it doubles the M! Yeah, I know what I'm doing. Maybe. Wait, look for trip-trips again. (takes about three seconds) Nah, this is best." Only higher-scoring play is the double-double REREMIC(E).
>Paul_Epstein: Q 8L Q. +21 326
#note Off the top of my head, playing it at F13 may be better; sacrifices 10 points but keeps the board open.
>Jason: DEFNRTU 2D UNFED +21 396
#note Could've had any variety of leaves from the last play, but best to assume the worst and block.
>Paul_Epstein: ACFR 3K FRA.C +20 346
>Jason: ADEOORT 3D TOAD +21 417
#note Scores well, blocks, leaves one in the bag. Although, after I hit the clock, I noticed it surrendered a potential huge J play (BANJO for 87 given the pool). I drew the J, but maybe next time I should think of things like that BEFORE I HIT MY CLOCK!
>Paul_Epstein: B D1 B.. +8 354
#note Six prop bets with hector, came out even. Of the three losses, two were stupid bets on my part. The one that steamed me, though, was Epstein -1/2 vs. Bednarz. I was ahead all the way, with Epstein a game up through 13; only way I lose is if Bednarz wins and I win. Because Bednarz won, this win is the difference between losing $10 and winning $10. THIS WIN COST ME $20!!! I'll always take 20 rating points to $20, but still!
>Jason: AEJORUY B6 JURA +32 449
#note Don't see a bingo, but this blocks and sets up OY for 30 next turn. YORE at 4A is better; blocks all his good plays.
>Paul_Epstein: INOSTTU 4A UNITS +27 381
#note TONUS at D4 is a cool play.
>Jason: EOY A8 OY +30 479
>Paul_Epstein: OT 6B .OT +10 391
#note He nearly played OT*, then said he saw six, upon which I said I saw 10. We each missed (M)O(R)T for 12.
>Paul_Epstein: (E) +2 393
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