Sad Scrabble Saga

Name	Club	Rating	Grade	Win Expectancy
Peter Sinton	DUN	1954	A	13.2
Lynn Wood	WEL	1717	A	8.8
Ian Patterson	DUN	1633	A	6.9
Olivia Godfrey	WEL	1604	A	6.2
Shirley Hol	CHC	1566	A	5.4
Peter Johnstone	CHC	1530	A	4.6

That was the (A-Grade) field for the Otago Lion Open, November 2009.
Triple round robin, so seeded in the middle my expectation was just under 7 wins from the 15 games.

Game #1 - v.Peter J
I got SOLATES on turn 3 - he challenged which gave me an extra 5 points, then he played EQAUTE. I kid you not! I waited with breath bated as he totted up the score, and was delighted to hear "30" then see him press his clock. Well, this was one challenge that DIDN'T need our Zyzzyva computer!
After 10 turns I was still about 100 ahead, and THEN played ERASION for 63. He played a good WOF to get back to 108 behind, then I played CLUCK for 26, and led 380-246.
I hadn't seen any blanks yet, so assumed he had one (or 2), so wasn't surprised OR CONCERNED when he came up with PULSATED for 80. He was still 54 behind, on my turn, and now no tiles left in bag.
A "P" sat invitingly between 2 TWS's - I could have blocked it (and left a lousy rack) but instead opted for JEDI for 20 - now 400-326.
Knowing only that he had the other blank (I don't seriously tile-track) I figured the chances of an 8-letter bonus with a P, a Blank, and 6 "random" tiles was small.
He disagreed! - playing REO(P)ENED for 80 and a last gasp 37-point win.  OUCH!
(Only later did I realise it SHOULD have been 140 as it was a tripletriple, but too late to amend our official scores. As Peter said, he was so delighted to grab the win he forgot to fully score it.)

Game #2 v. Olivia
Olivia is totally blind - but she still plays Scrabble competently, AND at a high level. I'd never played her before, and it was a delightful - if somewhat unnerving! - experience.
She got LOAMING on turn 7 for a solid lead, then my STEARIC a few turns later still kept me "in touch", but I could never fully make up the leeway.

Game #3 v. Shirley
Nip and tuck till turn 10, when my ARABISE drew a challenge and gave me a small lead. But soon after she called her blank an R and made OOZIER in a corner for 72, again putting me on the back foot.
She had the game virtually won, till she played MENS, which I stared at for some time then challenged - OFF!  But my tiles weren't good, and despite a clever going out plan (playing WREST on a tight board for 18.... I fell short by just ONE point.  :-(

Game #4 - v. Peter S (by far the best player there - he's been to World Champs 3 times!)
OUTDONE on turn 4 kept me level, then his turn 7 was SEAMANS. Now I know SEAMAN, I know SEAMEN, but I was puzzled by THIS concoction. (Strange after Shirley's MENS attempt last game!)
I challenged, OFF it came, them I took the chance to swap some bad tiles and still lead by 52. But next turn I played JAE for 40, ond off THAT came. (JAE's been a bogey 'nonword' for me - I hope after THIS I will not be tempted again).
He then made ENTRANTS from the remnants of his seamans, and falling behind now I couldn't resist JIN/MIN for 56. I was fairly sure I'd never seen MIN, but that didn't mean it WAS crook, and besides, no other turn scored near as much!
Ok, so - he made me take it off, and he nevel looked back - going out neatly with HEMATINE at the end.

Game #5 v. Lynn
Last time I played Lynn was about 16 years ago! This time my first rack made FOOTRACE for 90 (plus 5 for a challenge!) - but on turn 5 she responded with the unlikely (I thought) RUMPLIER. It survived my challenge.
She then scored 27,32,23,23 which kinda exceeded my turns of 8,8,13,6, and I was 100 down. But NITRATED on a tripletriple for 140 brought me back, and THEN I picked up my 2nd blank of the game. BRAVES was sitting one off a pink - I counted still one T out, so figured 34 ahead, no more time or space for bonuses, AND SHE might have that T already, so worth using blank for BRAVEST/JOT for 40. Despite trying hard she couldn't catch me in the last few turns.
Hooray. A WIN!

Game 6 v. Peter J
His first turn was TAINT, which he followed up with TOILETTE across to a TWS for 77. (It survived my challenge).
Then on turn 6 he played YOMPS/GOADERS(A was a blank).  I'd forgotten that DOGEARS is all that that makes, but I still didn't like goaders, and furthermore I had a vague feeling that yomp didn't take an S, so I challenged BOTH - and "both" came off. (We were probably both still wondering WHICH was wrong!)
Taking advantage of knowing his rack I figured he still had easy bonuses, but hopefully none with the S near the front, so I boldly played COOP one from the edge (keeping MY S safely at the ready ;-))
He the found a free I and played GEORDIES for a cheap 60. I SHOULD have known, and besides one should challenge every 'bonus' play unless one's 95% sure it's ok, but I was so relieved to see his good rack gone, for only 60, I allowed it. BAD MOVE!
Well, I almost caught up to him later when he delightedly played MILLENER, which I comfortably challenge off, much to his surprise - but I still ended losing by 10.

Game #7 v. Olivia
Her early GREMLINS cancelled out my early STARVES, but I couldn't match her TERSION on turn 8, and was then playing catchup. I reached 400, then she went out and made 399, but the little A and I left on my rack gave her a win - by 3 points.

Game #8 v. Shirley
Fairly confident with my FERALLY first up! She also thought it looked "probably ok", but wisely ("challenge ANY bonus u r not 99% sure of"!) she challenged, and off it came. But next turn transposed it into REGALLY (which I saw before, but was not playable - lesson: if u know your opponent's rack, DON'T open anything up for them to get a big score) .
Turn 6 she got the classy FENESTRA, but I countered straightaway with SIGMATE. Still even, then my EROSION would go only onto VIVID. Well, we uses "vivids" at work (I think!?) - and again, like ferally, we both agreed it was PROBABLY ok... as we walked to the challenge table!
It wasn't !
After a couple of little 'rack enhancing' moves I then got SEARING for a small lead, then near the end was ahead by 357-312 when she punished my DOC! I'd plyed it near the edge, but first ensured she had no K or S. But hey, she didn't NEED those!  Down went OYEZ (to the TWS) and DOCO for 59 - and a 14 point lead.
But happily I still had a blank, and was able to grab a desperate QURSH for 52 and reagain the lead, till the end.

Game #9 v. Peter S
He began with CRANIAL and never looked back. My turn 6 was REHEATED but still about 70 adrift - then I goofed with ZETA/VAWT for 49 - you can have VAW, and VAWTE, but NOT that thing in the middle.
Soon after in desperation I tried AZONITE which WOULD have brought me within 26. Well, it 'scared' him a little, but only till the challenge result came back.My last chance - gone. :-(

Game #10 v. Lynn
Her opening CLERGIES was a bit sad for me, but 6 turns in a row all between 33-38 got me the lead, then she played WES/STEANED. I wasn't sure of STEANED (it's fine, also makes STANDEE - which she SHOULD have played!) but I KNEW WES was crook - I suspect she must have too, but hoped *I* might not. LOL
So that came off, as did my next play LUNGY - which was strange as Lynn and I had been talking about LUNGIER, LUNGIES, etc (YOU go look 'em up!) the day before. But apparent the base word is LUNGI, not LUNGY.
Anyway, she then tried adding an S to RAXING and THAT came off, then very near the end, on a tight board, she dared play DASHI/UNSNIB for 18 which would put us level. I had something like IINTOOblank at this point, AND hardly any time left.... and I'd never heard of DASHI, but UNSNIB sounded fairly probable - so I challenged both, and off they came. Phew.
Still unsure which had been the crookie, I played some junk for 3 elsewhere, then she tried just SNIB/DASHI. I could believe that UNSNIB was crook, but of courde just SNIB HAD to be ok. Why was she persevering with DASHI though - perhaps it was just one she "knew" ?
So at this point I played IT for 12 somewhere, then almost as an afterthought threw my blank in front of it as a Z to block another wee spot for her, then went out with ZO/OO next turn, winning by 19

Game #11 - v. Peter J
Fireworks! The first 5 turns each saw REGALES, INTERIOR from him, and COVENANT/GARDENERS from me. About 210 each, and an open board!
Well, that was all the REAL excitement - I guess my final 10 turns were slightly better than his, and I won reasonably comfortably.

Game #12 v. Olivia
A memorable fun game - but I couln't match her GOSSIPER (turn 4), TUNIEST (turn 6), then glorious FATALITY (turn 8). Getting desperate I threw down a LOANABLE, and I think we were both surprised when it turned out ok, but all in a lost cause for me.

Game #13 v. Shirley
She challenged my MERSING off, so next turn I played GERMINS. Shortly after she drew almost level with FEARING.
Near the end I led 389-369, challenged her next play off, then my JEELS put me at 403-369.
But . . .
SOME idiot had gone and forgotten about (then GOT) the filthy stinking Q - and no I or AT etc anywhere. So she played a 17, I passed. She played 10, I passed (fuming, of course!). She then ended the misery with a 5, just 2 points behind me, but then we added 20 to her.
HOW COULD I HAVE FORGETTED ??

Game #14 v. Peter S
Gee, when I get both blanks and most of the S's I can mix it with Peter. This time HE got them. I was lucky to limp to 300 - my sole highlight being BINARIES.

Game #15 v. Lynn
Swap 7, swap 3, TANGLED, HEMLINES, GAJOS, swap 2, NITRATES. Those first 7 turns yielded 232, to her 182. After turn 11 I led 324-282 but then - very short of TIME again, tut tut, I threw my blank away into a not great 27. She then scored 20-25-19 while I finished with 15-8, to lose by 8.  :-(

SUMMARY:

Opponent		(Round)	_	My Score	Opponent Score	Spread	My Bonuses	Opponent Bonuses
P E T E R  J.		1		400	437	-37	Solates Erasion	Pulsated Reopened
O L I V I A		1		390	437	-47	Stearic	Loaming
S H I R L E Y		1		343	344	-1	Arabise	-
P E T E R  S.		1		315	437	-122	Outdone	Entrants Hematine
L Y N N		1		480	440	+40	Footrace Nitrated	Rumplier
Peter J		2		368	378	-10	-	Toilette Geordies(bogus!)
Olivia		2		400	403	-3	Starves	Gremlins Tersion
Shirley		2		419	395	+24	Regally Sigmate Searing	Fenestra
Peter S.		2		290	447	-157	Reheated	Cranial
Lynn		2		353	334	+19	-	Clergies
Peter J.		3		450	417	+33	Covenant Gardeners	Regales Interior
Olivia		3		355	453	-98	Loanable	Gossiper Tuniest Fatality
Shirley		3		403	421	-18	Germins	Fearing
Peter S.		3		309	439	-130	Binaries	Ugliest
Lynn		3		374	382	-8	Tangled Hemlines Nitrates	-

Seeding#	N A M E	NZ Rating Before_After	EXPECTED Wins	ACTUAL Wins	Spread	Bonuses	Ave Score
1	Peter S.	1954__1991	13.2	15	+1551	26	446
2	Lynn	1717__1697	8.8	8	+273	13	395
4	Olivia	1604__1654	6.2	8	+127	21	389
5	Shirley	1566__1556	5.4	5	-648	17	370
6	Peter J.	1530__1542	4.6	5	-788	20	369
3	I a n	1633__1555	6.9	4	-515	20	377

 So, a whopping 78 NZ Rating points down the tubes. :-(

(Mebbe I'll just stick to playing other games on my favoritest website !?)