1st game, solid opponent... who insisted we use my new timer =) Going second, on my 6th turn (after we both exchanged), I had EFINRST, and actually didn't see SNIFTER. Was probably playable if I had. Instead, I gave REINFEST* a try (honestly thinking it was probably good). She reluctantly accepted it... on my part, probably confusion with REINVEST and REINFECT. A few turns later, she played a 56 point 8-letter bingo, RELINING (obviously with both blanks). Won 405-358.
2nd game, strong opponent, drew 2 S's and little else. On 10th turn, he'd just opened up triple lane, I played BERME there for 45... he challenged, mainly because he had UNITIES there and no other hook. My final rack was ALNOSSW. His was apparently YUTONX?, score 307 to 291 in a very congested closed board. He kept mumbling about my X... and I didn't HAVE it. He played out at 329-322 in my favor, thinking the X he thought I was caught with would give him the game. We found the X still in the bag. He said the game had to be replayed... (with the tiles I had, was 329-326 for me)... so once again...
game 3...
Same guy. I open with HAVOC for 34, with the V and C negating the usually dangerous O placement. Surprisingly, with AEIIRTT rack he plays CATTIER for 13. He had rack difficulties from then on, it seemed. I play SINGULAR through the CATTIER I, and pick up REALISE... which hooked into a triple word quite easily. After 8 turns I was up 314 to 122. With UNDERAE on my rack, I miss UNDERATE, several turns later. He uses a blank U to play Q for 52 points, leaving the Q where I could later triple with MANQUE. He immediately draws two U's after sacrificing the blank. Won 481 to 291.
4th game, easy player
Bingoed first turn with RANCHED. Midway through, he sticks E in triple lane where I need only put it in 6th position for trip trip 8... but with BLAMER?, I couldn't see how. Lexpert says (fortunately) there were no triple triples available. Already up by a lot, I took the defensively outrageous EMBALMER for 92. He stuck an S for EMBALMBERS for 36, not thinking to play any other letters with it... then reconsidering, but realized he'd already hit the clock =)Won 499 to 284.
5th game, very erratic player...
He opens with UNEDITS*, I challenge off (only DUNITES is good), and I open with FIZ. He tries UNFISTED*, I challenge off. (Lexpert says UNSIFTED, DISUNITE, UNTIDIES, and NUDITIES were available to him). After 10 turns I'm up 216-152, and holding CO?RTED. I play COURTED eventually... after being unable to find a double double through an N in 2nd or 3rd position. (Lexpert says only available one was CENTROID, which I wouldn't have seen regardless). With the other blank, he eventually plays LImPEST for 70. Holding QUIRUIT, I play QUIRT onto a T for 48, sitting the Q in the triple lane ready for my UIT leave. He takes a triple on the other side that his LIMPEST had opened up, I play ACQUIT. He can't resist REACQUIT* for 57, which gets him to 390. At 422 I'm playing out, so I see no sense in challenging it (he's got 5 tiles left... if I'm wrong with challenge, may lose the game!). Win 440-390.
4 (official) wins, but I can't get over not seeing SNIFTER or UNDERATE when it mattered. CENTROID... seems like a common enough 8 (probability wise), yet I don't remember seeing it before.