home/team results
Team Tournament 1999 Color
The Team Tournament is solidly under way with three games completed tonight at the Harley Hotel in Enfield, CT. The hotel is in the middle of changing over to a Radisson, so there is construction equipment, dust clothes, and plasterboard everywhere. Despite the cosmetic distractions, the playing room is pretty comfortable and quiet. A total of 10 teams (40 players) were divided into two divisions of five teams each. Since simple team against team wasn't going to work (with 5-team divisions), Joel Horn devised a plan where not all team members are playing members of the same team at the same time, but they are all playing the "right" people over the course of the 12 rounds. Each player plays a double round robin against the other similar numbered boards in their division and a single round robin with the board either below or above them (1 will play 2, 3 will play 4).

Here is some slapped together stuff I saw while playing word judge/director. I won't take the time to vouch for whether words are good or not (since that would take more time than I really have to dedicate to this). So, I warn any purists to my "good plays seen" with a HUGE grain of salt! :)

Round 1
In a game between Richard Buck and Jack Eichenbaum, Richard bingoed out with the lovely triple-triple STEADIER (through the first E) for 149. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, Jack won the game with his three bingos: AIRWaVE, DePOSITS, and PREFITS, 482-456.

In a game between David Slauenwhite and Mark Fidler, David played two eights: NoNGLARe and PERILING (through the L). David won this game.

Round 2
some nice division 2 plays: OUTLOVED, OUTCRIES, PEYoTES, ARTERIAL, REINTERS, AIRIER, TeNTIER, CoINERS, TRESSeD, SATIReS, DiSTAIN.

nice division 1 plays: NERoLIS, INFESTS, YESSING, HAILeRS, DREAMERS (through the first R), FLOODERS, MAFIOSO, DEJEcTS, CREATION (through the T), DArKLES, PEPEROnI.

Richard Buck had a great game against Dave Carlson. Richard played: NIELLOED (to the triple through the second E)(77), TIMEWIsE (78), aEROBIUM (62), and FACTURE (76). Dave got down DECLINES. 460-359.

John Vendetti started off round 2 with a bang! Three bingos: TIREDLY, BEDEVILS, and AIRDAteS. His opponent, Jeremy Frank, got down PANIERS and lost the game.

Jack Eichenbaum is on a roll. He played ENTRAIN, HIATUSES (through the H for a triple), and sPANKER. His opponent, Elaine Patterson, played STAGgERs (to the S in SPANKER) and DELETION. Jack won his second game of the evening.

Round 3
Div 2's Keith Hagel had a big win over Amy Fowler, 505-240. Among his better plays were TARRIeR and RECOVeRS.

Other nice plays spotted on division 2 boards: COLlIES, STEERING, DOZINGS, HUSTLED, MOURNED, WRINKLES, DIStAnT, MORTARS, SEnARII, HaBANERO, LIKEnED, DERIVATE (through the D), SENSOrS, BOUNcERS, and TUNDRAS.

In Division 1, Jack Eichenbaum fell to Ed Neugroschl, 401-418. Ed played STEROID, TUNDRAS, and RADIOeRS (which Jack was still kicking himself for accepting long after the game was over--it isn't good) and Jack got down PEIGNOiRS.

Richard Buck fell to Mark Fidler this round, 302-366. Mark got down DELtAIC and Richard played WEEDIEST (through an open E) and REpULSER.

Gregg Foster lost to Mark DiBattista 334-425. Mark opened with ZEALS for 48 and it was mostly good after that. He tried FEELIEST, which Gregg challenged off. Then Gregg tried CHET, which Mark challenged off. Mark failed to challenge off Gregg's phoney ZOOMER and ZOOMERS/SUQ plays. Mark played PASEO for 31 and the gorgeous BAlLETIC (through the L) and Gregg hooked an S on NOG and played SNOG/SETTInG.

Other nice Division 1 plays: FlOOSIE, ANNOYED, HALIBUT, AMBONES, WARTIEsT (through an I), READIESt, CHEATING, ATOMISE, GAZETTE, DISABLE, OUtSIDER, LANTeRN.

Round 4:
Some plays spotted on boards in Division 2: iNJECTEd, DERISING*, TINNIeR, BUsINESS (through a B), STERILE, PURINaS*, REtURNS, AtONIES, UnSmOKED (triple-triple), dUNGeON (triple), OUtSHIP*, KIlLERS.

Division 1's first game today had the undefeated Mark DiBattista playing Pam Grazette. He played HEAVENLY (through the first E). She played TERMITeS, the non-bingo FOLIAGE (to the E). But, what won her the game, she says, was after Mark played WIZ and she responded with WIZARD for a bunch of points. Final score 357-304.

In a hard-fought game between Diane Firstman and Avalon Newell, Avalon played FOLIATES (through an E), and GRAFTEd. Diane got down the phoney EXACTURE* (through the first E to the triple) and CHEWABlE. Diane won 422-416 (or thereabouts). Diane, sorely wanting to dump a UN toward the game's end, tried UNGRAFTED*, but Avalon called it off. On the next turn, Diane did get down UNTRULY.

In the game between Jeremy Frank and Steve Tier, Steve played the lovely GLITTER/DORE/BAR and then played BAKE/AGLITTER. He also played OUTRATED. Jeremy won the game in the endgame. He got down the lovely AUdiENT, by hooking the A atop DORE for ADORE and by hooking the i at the bottom of JINN.

Dave Carlson won his game against Elaine Patterson. She got down

AMnIOTE and he played FLEERINg. 450-307.

Rose Kreiswirth played PUTtEE in her game with Richard Buck, and he played ROOKIES (a non-bingo double-double!), DJINnY (for 48), and QUINOA (for 50). He won this one.

Gregg Foster won his game against Roz Grossman, 456-326. He played WHITENS, PUTTIeS/DORYS*. She got down QUITE for 48. I also spotted PEARLIER on their board (Roz played PEARL and then extended it later).

I also saw: SINUATE, VENTURI, fUNEREAL (through the second E), LEeRIEST, SCAlING, cLaSSIER (to the triple), HERDSMAN, LOOTERS.

Round 5:
In a Division 2 game between Charlie Merlis and Ellen Miller, he came from behind to win the game 393-367. Ellen had played RESIDUAL, and UNrEELS. Charlie had played LEONINES*. He won by making an outbingo: RETCHING for 105 to the triple.

Division 1's highlights diminish due to a midadjudication I made. In an endgame between Mark DiBattista and Roz Goldman, he thought he'd drawn all of the remaining tiles in the bag and had an incomplete rack. She then played and discovered one tile in the bag. I was called over. In the middle of hearing the story, I noticed Mark's clock on, so I paused it. Then I took the rulebook out to the hall and discussed the adjudication with Judy Horn. We scrambled around the rule book, looking for this exact situation. We found it on page 24-25, #13, End of Game Underdrawing.

We did not read down FAR enough and decided that that single tile had to go to Mark. It was an S. Roz gave it to him willingly. Shortly after this adjudication, Ed Neugroschl pointed out that he thought we were wrong, that she could choose which tile to give him, which clearly wouldn't have been the S. Well, Ed was right, as the end of #13 explains CLEAR AS GLASS. Why I didn't take the time to read to the end......

Anyway, as it turns out, this misadjudication had no affect on the game's ultimate winner (Mark). I apologized for my gaff and we carried on with no fistfights or name calling . . . at least to my face!

Round 6:
Division 2's Keith Hagel is still undefeated. In this round he won 519-236. He played UNFuRLED (through the R) and EMaNATES (with the help of the first E).

At the next table, Charlie Merlis defeated Anna Picozzi, 417-306. Charlie got down BARONNEs (with the B on the board) to the triple and EXeRTING for 98 points (off the first E). Their board was covered in the "old-fashioned" blonde wooden tiles. Charlie lost only one game so far; his first game of the tournament.

In Division 1, even Elaine Patterson's beautiful TRiFECTA to the triple for 89 wasn't enough to hold off Rose Kreiswirth's GLAIRIER, HUSTlED, and SOLVING. Rose won, 422-382.

Roz Grossman isn't having the best early Team Tournament experience. She lost her game this round to Steve Tier, 399-325. Rox played ETeRNITY and Steve got down PROMISeD (to the D on the board).

Diane Firstman fell to Pam Grazette, 373-347. Diane got down AUNTIES and Pam played FORTIEs, hooking on and creating REANOINTs (ANOINT, then REANOINT, then the plural). Diane says the game turned when she didn't play HONDLES. She misremembered that it had been taken out of the book and she feared Pam would challenge it off. Turns out it *is* good and Pam wouldn't have challenged!

Gregg Foster defeated John Venditti, 363-361, with 29 seconds left on his clock! Gregg got down TEqUILA and John played OVERMANS (which Gregg lost a challenge on, it is good!). John was sure thought I'd rule it unacceptable, so he started taking the tiles off before I'd finished the ruling!

Joel Horn beat Jack Eichenbaum, 392-363. Jack played the lovely TERBIUM and OUTsLeEP (to the P) on the triple. Joel got down GUANINES (through the second N) and BEAKERS.

Richard Buck lost a good game to David Slauenwhite as he storms through the tournament! Richard played SALARIES (from the S) and David played sTANDUP (to the P). Richard wondered why David didn't play UPSTAND and David claimed to not know it. According to Richard, the play that won David the game was his extension of FIZ to FIZGIgS to a double word for 38. Richard played UREDO and got away with LYARTS and FINA. He claims that he had both an O and an A and couldn't remember which one was good! Either could David! :) Final score: 379-363.

Round 7:
Just as the round began, Mark and Leland Fidler ran into the room panting. Turns out that Leland's hockey team had a game in Enfield today exactly during the tournament's lunch hour. So, Mark drove Leland over to the arena where the game took place (Leland's team won!) and they zoomed back and we didn't even have time to start their clocks! :)

Early on in their Division 1 game, Diane Firstman played TOBAGGON* and Jeremy Frank accepted it. Turns out it was TOBOGGAN! She also got down FROLICS and he played REVIEWed down the triple lane. She won 447-352.

In his game against Elaine Patterson, Steve Oliger played ANVILING (from the A) down the triple lane. She challenged. The word is good.

John Venditti outbingoed with STERNER/OHS in his win over Pam Grazette, 389-368. John also played LEGATION (through the E).

Gregg Foster defeated Mark DiBattista 381-278, which Gregg says belies how close the game really was. Gregg got down wEEdIEST and admits to getting the better half of the tiles. Last I saw, Mark was still shaking his head. :)

Mike Cudak had a slugfest with Steve Tier, but lost, 464-330. Mike played "the normal bingos," he says, of RATIONED and SATIRES. Steve played ARCADEs and PROFILE.

Division 2 had an interesting game between Mary Ellen Bergeron and Hilda Siegel. Mary Ellen played the gorgeous TROMBONE (from the T) to a triple. She also played TAXI for 41 then later added CABS, making TAXICABS for 32. Hilda got down bITTERS, but Mary Ellen won, 376-332.

Round 8:
Division 2's Fred Gula battled out a win against Jane Clark. She says she mistracked and failed to block a bingo lane. Sure enough, Fred outbingoed with oUTSAIL and won the game, 423-325.

Amy Fowler had a good game against Leland Fidler this round. She got down MARRIed and DINGLES (which was challenged) and won, 393-293.

Division 1's David Slauenwhite defeated Joel Horn 530-304. Joel played mORALIST, but then David played two bingos after that: OUTEArN and then MISEATS/OUTEArNS. Joel noted that David found NATTERED and XENIC, through an E for 40 points.

Rose Kreiswirth lost this round to Steve Oliger, 359-405. Rose played MALARIA and then Steve added an L to make MALARIAL. He also played MIDSTAGE* and PENnATE.

On Ed Neugroschl's board, I saw the play bARITONE.

In her game against Richard Buck, Elaine Patterson played BEDPaNs. I also saw PREVAIL ands ACCESSED.

Mark Fidler won his game against Jack Eichenbaum,. 413-372. Jack got down ARTSIER and Mark played PANDERS, DEViOUS, and DaCOITS (which they inform me can also be spelled DAKOITS).

Round 9:
As hard as it is actually playing in a SCRABBLE tournament, word judging has got to be the hardest job! At least my feet think so. :)

Division 1's Roz Grossman thinks she has the Thanksgiving word all sewn up. Just after Diane Firstman's BELTLINE went down, Roz played HOsANNa/BELTLINEs for 86 points. I also spotted COPTERS on their board.

John Venditti played TETANIZE for 70 in his game against Mark DiBattista. Mark held, but accepted it. Good thing: it is good, so is TETANISE. I also spotted HYbRIDS on their board.

In the game between David Slauenwhite and Steve Oliger, David played RATHOLeS and SEROTINE. Steve played REsEEING and COLTERS and won the game, 420-383.

Division 2's Keith Hagel remains the only undefeated player in the tournament. He is leading the board 4s by a lot with his 9-0 1283 record.

Time for Indian food at Sitar! :)

round 10:
One game of note this round: Jack Eichenbaum 580, Elaine Patterson 310. Elaine got down UnEAtEN. She mistakenly created OT* in a parallel play and Jack let it stay because it gave him JOYED for mega points. Jack also played REGALIA, STRAFING, and AXIOM parallel to UNEATEN, which created 6 parallel words. They both played a phoney: Elaine's ZLOTES* and Jack's NEPHROUS*.

round 11:
Division 2 kept me very busy with challenges this round. Two tables had a total of 10 challenges! Lois Cappellano and Charlie Merlis had 5. He challenged her plays: RELOAN, IXORA, and RESTERS. She challenged his CRESTERS* and TUBAE. Leland Filder had a late-game rack of EIUSTT? against Fred Gula. Leland tried: nUTTIES*/ELE*, SUITTEd*, dUTIEST*, and TUbIEST*. Last I saw, he was sitting on the floor with a dictionary open, figuring out what he could have played! Keith Hagel tried CUTESEY*, which Neva Slater challenged off. As I walked away he said, "Guess that play was just too cutesy!"

Another "director" incident arose when Mary Ellen Bergeron and Ellen Leonard called me over. Ellen had just passed for the third time and Mary Ellen was wanting to pass back for the third time and they wanted to know how I would rule if a six pass situation arose. Initially I said the game would be over, but conferred with the rule book which correctly pointed out that the "six pass/game over" situation only factored in if a play had been made. In this case, neither player had made a play (one had exchanged tiles and the other just passed) onto the board yet, so the game continued from there. I didn't hang around long enough to see who finally made the first play, but their game was played to the end with no six-pass ruling. I did warn them that if they began to pass again (a series of 6 passes in a row, not just one!) once any word were on the table that the game would be declared over.

Ellen Miller and Dorothy Luckey had an interesting blank designation form: KK. Turns out that Ellen played kINDLIER to the R for a triple and Dorothy played kOOKIER.

In division 2, Mark DiBattista eked out a win over Pam Grazette, 440-390. Pam played SQuEAKER through the K and Mark got down RETINTED, CALDERA, PORTENTs (to the triple), and SLUTTY (he made me say that!). Pam explained that whoever got the last S was going to win. Mark got it and played GOOSE down the triple lane, creating SQuEAKERS, which gave him the win.

In a win over Jack Eichenbaum (383-296), Ed Neugroschl played SIRENIAN (challenged!) and ArSENiTE.

Other plays (not sure who made the plays, but they were on the boards of the players mentioned):
Mrk Fidler/David Slauenwhite: SEISURE
Elaine Patterson/Dave Carlson: ORYXES
Richard Buck/Rose Kreiswirth: IXORAS, PlEBEIAN (to the N)
Roz Grossman/Jeremy Frank: TUATErA

round 12:
In division 1, Richard Buck defeated David Slauenwhite, 380-359. Richard opened the game with KAPUT and played two bingos for 64 points each: MOVIEOlA (from the M) and BOTONEE. Dave played AGISTED for 64 and REGIMENS for 66. In what was to be Dave's game-winning last bingo, he played ANNULErS, which got challenged off (maybe ANNULEtS got cross-wired). Richard was fortunate enough to not get stuck with the Q when he played QUIT, which probably won him the game.

Avalon Newell won her last five games of the tournament with a 423-354 game against Pam Grazette. Pam played LIVELIER and Avalon triple-tripled through the L, making CLOTTINg for 140 points. They both end the tournament with 7-5 records.

round 1:
acc: FlOURED, ERE/RETAX, HOMINES
not acc: WALINE, TABOULEY, UNJINXED, UNGRATED, DELANOS, SEASONY/REE^/KILLERS^, TURPID, LEASIONS

round 2:
acc: NIELLOED, REG, PEPERoNI, VERTU

not acc: BRACK, ZOE, FIZE, LOOIEST, DOU, SCURGED

round 3:
acc: TARRIER, SHARPIE/MIR/PA, SEnARII, DUP, DEADS
not acc: REL, JIP, ATTORNER, OUVRE, ARGENTED, rECAMPEd, FEELIEsT, CENTARY/DIRER^, CHET, OURIES

round 4:<br> acc: JARINA, NORI, KORE, UNTRULY
not acc: OUTFAIL, DOX, FYTE, LITASEs, NTHS, FAB, UNGRAFTED

round 5:
acc: AQUAcADE, RECUSAL/VACS, TOFTS, WrEAKING, WEALS/FEMS, INS/NA/LA, CAIN, TETHERED
not acc: BRICOLED, SKYRiDES, AMS, OZONITE, PENE, QUOINERS (second opinion still said no), LE (in division 1! We all slip!), PITTER

round 6:
acc: OVERMANS, GLAIRIER, CASEATE, UNSHELL, BARONNEs (from the B to the triple), FUNDIC, TYER
not acc: HMO, AZONS^/SQUEEGY, DEBITER

round 7:
acc: PREPASTED/JAPER, TINKLIER, ANVILING, OHS/STERNER
not acc: QUIESCE, SITINGS, RATIONER, VIN, EDD, GOADER (second opinion requested--still bad)

round 8:
acc: oUTSAIL, DINGLES, DUCTILE, SUQS, TELs
not acc: HOM, TOLUANEs, FALsY, TEC, REDEArED, VILLE
round 9:
acc: LATHERER, BANDIES/HIE/ORS, CURR, FUGIO, LAWED
not acc: FLUIDISh, ENWOUNDS/WInDLES^, BOUNTER/EH^/RED^, YUH, WONG, ALIKENS/FANO^, EHS/COGS^/DOG^, SUI

round 10:
acc: NAMER/RETTING, BOUGIEs/EF/SO, RIEL, VIZOR
not acc: sOULING, CUNIATE, MEDS/GAFFS^, ROUSTINGS

round 11:
acc: FAYS/QUARKS, HENNAED, IXORA, SIRENIAN, REREDOS, RESTERS, RELOAN, TUBAE
not acc: PAISTED, NONCLAIm, VIRACIDE, CRESTERS, dUTIEST, nUTTIES/ELE, CUTESEY, SUITTEd, TRICORN^/AXER, tUBIEST, nUTTIES

round 12:
acc: MOPER, STANINES, FINIAL, CODONS, PROTEASE, HIDELeSS, SWOPS/KATS, NOMOI
not acc: JIMPS/HEXADS, ROISTER^/WASTINgS, tHISTLED, SYrUPpY/TWATS^, EROTIcAS, ANNULErS, MALTERS, MISBREED, TIA, UNWELLS, EVA

^twl acceptable but played with a twl unacceptable word, so play ruled not acceptable.

home/team results