Coming off a 471-pt average last week, I stayed with the new tile-picking strategy this time around.
Game 1... Dave, 1712. He's a little peeved at the hammering last week. After two turns, we've each bingoed (mine was SOCIETy... his was PRECLUDE, or some similar P word).
I pick up ABINORT, and am stumped. No clear E for BARITONE/OBTAINER/REOBTAIN... which also anagrams as TABORINE, alternate of TABORIN (ugh!!). The bingo radar was sounding on this one, but I couldn't see it. Maybe another few minutes would do it, but this is Dave I'm playing, I don't want to be under late game time pressure. ABORTION wasn't available either. I make a pair of dumping plays (18 and 23), while he exchanges (a load of U's, turned out later) and after 5, I'm barely ahead, 144 to 138.
After 7 turns (and my exchange of QOV), he has 3 point lead.
It was a tight board, but he's just opened the door for some 8's up top (or 7's that include a T... to front hook his IVY). I'm close... and play off the offending tiles elsewhere for 12. He's found more U's, and exchanges them again.
The game's half over and 2/3 of my time is gone. Not good. EEGMNRT rack, easy enough METERING bingo thru his IVY "I". He had one ready to go, too...
He wants to dump DO... either DOM to the top left TWS, or DOG to the top middle. He takes DOG, giving him the option of 8's either way thru the D (the board holds very little other opportunity for bingos right now). I've again picked up the Q, with AIAI, so it's a no brainer to dump QAID for 14... ruins the bingo lane, corrects the vowel situation, relieves me of the Q handcuffs.
After 10, I'm up 260-200. And short on time.
Dave has held the other blank since the 3rd turn. He needs a hook quickly... plays AIT for 3 points... I hold ANGELUS, and play it for 62. Follow it with JISM for 50. He plays out Z (and his blank) for 53, hovering over a TWS... I take ZINC for 45. Completely frustrated now, he makes a dangerous 33 point play without caring what I had left... namely FOYS for 42 and out.
Ended 494-297.
2nd game... the erratic fisherman.
After 3, I'm up 55-66, and holding BCDESU?.
He bingos LINGOES, I take BECLOUDS for 158, my new personal high club turn. He challenges. I use my free turn to dump off some garbage. In turn 8 I take LICENsE.
After 10, I'm up 186-436 after he goes fishing.
The fishing pays off in turn 13, when he throws RETAINS down. Hm. That gets him within 200.
Final was 537-357.
3rd game... one of the club's worst players.
I almost slept thru this game. Bingoed sTEADIER. She did have a nice play in there, GA(V)E...making G(OX), (AG)A(PE), and something with the E...
At the end I held SQUIRES. One hook. She blocked by playing ATONED alongside the hook, and hooking in 3 places. Only later did I realize one of those hooks was OYE*. That's infuriating. Maybe I was lulled into inattentiveness by the opponent, but still...! Anyway, won 407-340.
4th game... another cellar dweller.
INNERVES through his newly placed V in turn 5. Its anagram, NERVINES, didn't play.
No 7's in the rack EEINNRS, but it does play thru 6 letters (says Lexpert).
After 10, 293-155.
I phony KHEFs* for 61, he doesn't blink.
Sad thing is, I was 50-50 on whether it was good or not.
Ends 470-262.
Average for the night, 477.