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WPC 2008 Commentary: Round 9

Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, Round 23.

Round 9

We walk into the playing room today about a half-hour later, everything being set up already. The first thing we see is a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Wilma's director table. I look her way, and nod my head. She says, "Oh my friend sent them. He sends them any time I travel. This being my third trip in three months, I thought he might skip it, but he didn't! At about 10 pm last night I got a knock on my door and there they were! The colors are wonderful, but the best part is the gently opening pink rose.

Local player Pat Sanchez is back. Suddenly the players have more equipment and her board is not pressed into service. I sit her down at a laptop owned by John O'Laughlin (USA). This thing is petite, light, and only costs about $150 and does EVERYTHING. She looks up challenge slips for me and lets me know which are Collins, which are ours or Collins, and which words are from Mars. Those are the ones I like the best!!

The bad news today is that there was a car accident involving three of our players last night. None of them is seriously hurt beyond a bruised sternum from seat belt contact, but it was scary for sure. Jean McArthur (USA) had Peter Armstrong (USA) riding shotgun and Amit Chakrabarti (USA) in the back seat last night. It was a dark evening and they were looking for highway signs. Suddenly, in front of them was a car. Jean averted to the side, but there still was enough impact to activate the airbags, which worked great. Her car was totaled: her front end did the accordian thing. An ambulance came and checked them all out: they were fine. The other car's occupents were not hurt and their car only suffered a bit of rear end damage. God bless Mary Rhoades who was called at the hotel and who went out to the intersection to retrieve the three of them. Jean's husband will be driving up on Sunday to retrieve her and the two Austin-area players that traveled up here with her. I must say that this accident is unfortunate on a lot of fronts, because it has upset her, clearly, but also because she was really doing terrifically in this event and I fear this will upset her momentum. I know I speak for us all when I express how thankful we are that it wasn't a worse accident.

Other ongoing issues: luggage is still lost for John Luebkemann (USA). Mary Rhoades, continuining her saviour mode, is going to take John out at lunch to get some new clothes. He's already purchased toiletries at the nearby CVS, but now he needs the full court press on stuff. Thanks Mary!

I walk by a Geoff Thevenot (USA) vs. Joanne Craig (AUS) game and spot RHOMbUSES, OVERSAD, ENTRAIN, CENTILE, and TRITICAL.

Peter Armstrong (USA) vs. Adrian Tamas (ROM): six bingos, where do I begin!? The best one, 102 points for PARETIC, HANDRAIl through the A, DELATES, and ACTINiUM, all Peters. Adrian opened with AEROSOL and then played WATERING and MEDALETS.

David Eldar (AUS) vs. Theresa Camilleri (MLT): TAPERERS, CROJIKs, A?ANDONS, and ANDROIDs. Their game is still in progress.

Nawapadol Sayavesa (THA) vs. Michael Quao (GHA) are playing and I see some fun plays as they continue their game: WIRETAPS, SCARCITy, BETITLED, STRANGER, and pENSIVE for 70 gets played by Michael as I watch.

Phil Robertshaw (Eng) vs. John Luebkemann (USA). Phil played ANNExED, BEMADDED, LURDANS, and PRACTICE. John played SERRATE/PRACTICES along the triple line, and SeITITES. It was Phil's win, 474-446.

Quiet Dave Wiegand (USA) puts down TURKIES/WE/QADIS for 77 as I walk by his game with Steve Polatnick (USA). I see GE?ATRIA on their board.

All I can see is ANVILTOP on a Sam Kantimathi (USA) vs. Femi Awowade (Eng) board. That has such a Wile E. Coyote sound to it! The L is a blank in that word. I also spot FORESkIN (no jokes now), GOUTIER, OUTFIRES, GRANDADS, and SETTLInG. John O'Laughlin (USA) vs. Anthony Ikolo (NGA). Their heads are bent toward each other, they are concentrating. I see JAROsITE, ENDEARS, ?OURISH, and CHARLIE.

DESEXING for 68, PLAITERS for 70, LEATHER for 66, and the double-double kENOSIS for 82 are plays Mark Kenas (USA) made in his game with Michael Early (USA). Mike's best play was ANTHErID for 76. Mark's win, 449-370.

I sit down opposite the sweet Victor Ikawa (BHR). He's just finished a game with Amnuay Ploysangngam (THA). He explains that it all came down to the top left side of the board and who got to play there first. Amnuay got down GRIZES for 86 in that point and it was all gravy from there for the Thai players. Of the game's four bingos, only OESTRONE was Victor's. The others, KINsIBLE, LINEATE, and GARAgES were Amnuay's.

I can control myself no longer. I walk over to Louis Reed (USA) and make the lame conversational gambit: "Does anyone ever call you Lou?" He said, "Yes, all the time. It is my name." We both smile and he tells me that it has been a fun name to have. His two buddies in college were Tom Petty and Joe Walsh. Party organizers would point out the three celebrities in attendance and more people who come! Louis is rated 912 and lives in the Minneapolis, MN, area. He plays in events run by folks in the Minneapolis area like Marty Gabriel (USA). Of his attendance at this event, he said, "I had a few vacation days to burn and I figured out I'd come and see what all this SOWPODS fuss was a about." He is not disappointed with his less than stellar showing (he has all losses so far!), because he is only expected to win one game here. He says he'll try another SOWPODS event, but will expect to do much better!

John Luebkemann (USA) continues to be "special" and gives me today's trivia: "POLATNICK plus and N = PLANKTONIC." I smile politely and then he says, "Well, I can't even take credit for that one. Joel Sherman taught me it!"