2010 Eastern Championship

Tournament Coverage

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Round 5

Just as round 4 was breaking up, division C player, Mandy Hollman, walked by the Kang Rau/Sherman game. She saw a word on the board and commented. Joel turned around to her and said in his best Bronx "Of course it is good!" She about fell over. I wasn't sure if it was fright or surprise or what, but then she said, "Oh my! You're GI Joel, right?" We all started laughing. The allure of celebrity! She ran over to her side of the room and returned with a folding flat SCRABBLE board that she had both GI Joel and David Gibson sign. Last I saw, ol' charming David was smiling ear to ear with her.

Mandy is here with her husband, David Holloman, who has all the hallmarks of an expert player on the way. He bends over his boards and studies and recounts and really experiences every angle fully of this game.

Quick lunch with Terry & Stefan & Flora and Ryan had to start the afternoon session.

Joanne Cohen vs. Stefan Rau. I see Joanne's YEASTING for 89 and Stefan's SNOOTED/PONCHOS for 78, STROBIL? for 86, and tEARGAS for 85. While I was standing there, he had TBIKAGU on his rack and he played KAGU/US. Not a terrible leave, but he drew EIOU.

On a Judy Cole vs. Mark Schmidt board I seee BICOrnES.

Katya Lezin is always in such a good mood. She and Chuck Riordan are laughing over their completed game. I point at GROUSIER* and zero in on the mirth inducement. She did it as a hail mary play and he said, "good play," which about had her falling over her chair. For all we know, he wanted to play through it, right? His win, 384-318.

I get called over to a 700 game. It is between Peter Allena and Joe Verga. I'm excited and Ryan, who has reached the board before me, is all excited. I even take a bad picture of the three of them bent intently over the board.As I reach it, Ryan does his politic, "Hey Sherrie, can I talk to you over here for a second?" And I smile and follow. Well, what a pickle! It appears that these two sweet, new to SCRABBLE C players, misscored the awesome play of RESETTLED (which was a 131-point play, no slouch there!) to be 293. Eagle-eyed Ryan saw it instantly. Their paperwork was signed on the table, but not handed in. I sent Ryan back to his computer and asked the players if they had completed their paperwork. They assured me they had, had checked the scores, and handed me their results slip. I dropped it into Ryan's pile and went back to talk to them. Peter had played SQUIBS for 79 in addition to the triple-triple. Joe played MALICES for 83 and INFARES for 85. They had agreed to a 714-322 game. Their neighbor at the next board, overhearing all this said, sensibly, "293? Are you certain?" They began to think aobut it, recounted, and saw the error of their way. Ryan and I were contemplating what to do when I conferred with John. They are new to SCRABBLE and it was a shared honest mistake in math, but we can't let them change that score since they both agreed on it and handed it in. The rules are pretty clear about this. So, the players understood and we all stood content on the fact that it was a 533 win, still for Peter, so nothing was taken from his great victory. Now they know to CHECK THE MATH MORE CAREFULLY!

Danny Kidd is beaming and proud. He's just played a monster poo word and he wants me to take a photo. In a game he lost to Mary Ellen Weisskopf, 333-415, he got down hUNKIES for 80. She played OVERWIND and THENARS down the triple that hooked to make OVERWINDS.

Joey Mallick is rolling over them all, having just taken down Barry Keith at table 1, 457-407. I can see the newspaper headlines in Southern Maine now:Local Man Undefeated in Charlotte. Hey, they need news up there!!

Sam Rosin is in disbelief. He just won his game, 463-387 against Ian Weinstein, but what matters is what didnt' happen. Holding AEILLGN, Ian saw that he could play LILANGENI through a separated I and N on the board. BUT, the darn N was one square too far away. He may have lost the game, but there was some schooling there when he showed Sam that play.

Bradley Whitmarsh, beginning to deflate every so slightly on his Mountain Dew diet with no sleep, waves me over. He's just played David Gibson. David's outplay was HONOREE through the N, hooking to make NO/OXO in a beautifully nestled 32-point jewel of a find. Oh, and this jewel won him the game BY TWO POINTS! A 410-408 win for David. I honestly think Bradley was just in shock.

Terry Kang Rau is wrestling defeat out of the jaws of well.... defeat. She played Jeremy Jeffers this round and she was down by 140 points with two plays to go. She played UNITERS and then holding BOOM? found TOMBOy from the T to the triple for 36 points. She caught him with 6 points on his rack, but still lost by 9 points. She so almost was there!

A distinct lack of "DIRECTOR" calls at this tournament. Everyone down here is just so laid back and polite and kind. I'm absolutely covered in a shimmering blanket of "yes ma'am"s.

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