First game, solid player...
This is the guy I tend to think of as Mr. Lucky... He opens with a ten point dump (LOAD... but not where OVERLOAD would reach), I parallel VIM for 24. LOAD is now the only convenient -S hook. He tries ROILERs, I challenge it away (he sees LORRIEs soon after). Well, true to form, I suppose, for him to draw a blank so early. I'm happy enough to see ROILERs disappear so I can play PETROLS there. REPLOTS also fits, but I wasn't 100% sure of it. DROPLETS was playable from the D, but I didn't see it; in any case, it was more important to consume the -S hook with my own bingo, knowing LORRIEs was still available to him. Let him try finding 8's with his blank instead of a simple 7.
The T in PETROLS offered him pORTLIER; the E, LOItERER and REcOILER. Those -ER bingos are just his cup of tea, but he missed them and went with ROE for 14, leaving IRL?.
I've drawn EJECT with a G and something else. His ROE creates an unnervingly easy hook for 7's... ER, TO, and RE. Anything starting with a back hook for RE will play. And there's surely plenty of bingos that would hook all 3. My initial thoughts were to risk playing DEJECT off "load"'s D... for 32. If he's got a bingo, that's a pretty juicy -S hook (didn't figure he'd know the DEJECTA hook). A bingo there would almost certainly set up the bottom middle triple, but who knows if I'd be able to do anything with it? Or maybe he'd simply spend an S or (even better) his blank on a nonbingo play. But that new bingo lane that ROE produced annoyed me. I played EJECT hooking as REE for 33, with the C safely beside the middle right triple (LOADS_C*). The T of EJECT allowed any 7 beginning with a vowel, but blocked both existing lanes for 7's: the RE- one, and one that required an initial S (to hook OMS)... though that would still work if it also ended in S (or A... like SERINGA).
He dumps VIA for 14.
I'm gathering a messy rack... I use the EJECTA hook to dump GAY for 26. The Y now allows a 6 letter TWS beginning in Y. (I figured with HIS luck, he'll have something conveniently obvious like YELLOW).
EJECT had hooked as REE... which allowed an easy 5 letter TWS if it ended in anything that could back hook REE. This must have made him extremely nervous... he now took 7 points for EL/REEL. I dump some garbage up in that same corner, allowing him the triple for 26.
The board is SERIOUSLY closed now. I'm happy to dump C onto REEL for 14... gets rid of a problem, without giving him anything. He exchanges. The only 7 that will fit this board now is one ending in O. Good luck, buddy! However, he dumps BND for 8, making BLIND... and a new, wide open S hook.
I still have zilch... I play TUTTED to his D, basically blocking the -S 7's but not the S- 7's. He plays something for 23, I dump AD for 8 under the "te" of "tutted", eliminating the BLINDS hook for S- bingos. EDS* wouldn't substitute as a hook. After 10, it's now 121-253 for me. He still holds the blank he drew in the first turn.
He now plays QUITTER thru the first T of TUTTED for 34. In looking back, I am SURE he has NOT yet played that blank yet. So why not QUITTERs ??? I'll have to ask him next week, if he remembers anything...
QUITTERs would stick the s in bottom TWS lane, which would have helped me out.. I had WEARING rack. RESAWING would have been 158. Instead, I take YAWING for 51, leaving RE... and leaving the QUITTERS hook unblocked. I figure what the hey, he's been carrying a blank for 10 turns already, I can't expect to prevent him from bingoing indefinitely... and 51 is a nice consolation prize, even if he does bingo off QUITTER.
He doesn't tho... just plays INS/QUITTERS for 26. I extend as INSNARED for 30, more importantly blocking him from coming up with an easy 8 letter -ING bingo on the TWS to the G in my YAWING.
That just about takes care of things... he finally parts with both blanks in sub-30 point turns. I'm left with ISE. 397-234 for me, because he went into his 3rd overtime minute hunting for bingos on that swamp of a board, and lost 30 points for his trouble.
Game 2... a guy named Dick, not sure how good he is (never played him before, and he isn't a regular).
I have a 6 consonant rack to open, and an O. I play FOB, leaving GRNT I think. He has a 20 point turn that opens the board up quite well, and I exchange from an all consonant rack (I think I kept NT). After the 3rd turn I'm down 33-73, but I have a blank and a J now, something like JNTAOU?. Lexpert confirms no 7's or 8's with this rack. I play JAUNT for 40, setting up his JAIL for 33. I come back with FROTH hooked on the F, R, and O for 47. He plays out ES for 21 (YES NE and JAUNTS). I've drawn a Z, dump it quickly for 32. He plays something for 16, and I have my first lead after even turns (152 to 143 after 6). A couple turns later, I'm looking at BOTH blanks now... along with DEFIM. (Lexpert says there are 6 bingos... DEIFORM, FIDEISM, FIEFDOM, MIDLIFE, MIDWIFE and WIFEDOM.. but I rather doubt any of these were playable).
On the far right triple, there was an open Y from his play of EARLY. That seemed like the only lane worth using both blanks on, and I played rEMoDIFY for 95. He didn't think it made sense to REmodify something already modified, so he challenged (REMODIFY is good... and is also the only 8 possible, even with the two blanks). I drew the X, which had a 53 point home beside the I of remodify. After 10 I was up 342 to 218. I had STAGERS for 71 after that (I didn't see the odd GASTERS anagram). Ended 489-296.