A throng of 78 keen Scrabblers and myriad Organisers and Volunteers arrived at Collegians in Wollongong for a day of gees, cors and guffaws. It was great to see many familiar faces and many new ones too !
I drove up from Canberra with Susan and John, our 6 a.m. departure seeing us arrive with plenty of time to spare. Seven other eager Canberrans were also in attendance.
My first game was against Jan and I started with a few good scores using the Q and X. With the tiles I I I V E S T I thought a change was as good as a holiday, and opted to offload V I I. The resultant GORIEST, followed by a lucky pickup up of PIRATES meant I was able to get a lead. Jan scored the two blanks at once for JILTerS and also had a nice play of YACKS for 51. Final score 424 to 334.
Next I played Liz who started off outscoring me with a string of good plays and I fell further behind when IOdiNES with 2 blanks was a good find for Liz. Not using enough time on one go for a later seen WAGON for 54, cost me a few points as I played WANTON for 30 to a triple word score instead. I also made the mistake of trying to keep scoring with ordinary tiles when I should have changed later in the game, but did get back to within 9 points in the end. Score 337 to 346.
Game 3 and I was playing Betty who in a previous tournament had easily beaten me. My first play was to exchange given the amusing combination of V's and vowels - you know the kind of vowels that struggle to make friends with a V. Shortly after I played WIDGIES which I had only seen the week before, and it scored 99. I was later reliably informed by Mr and Mrs Chambers that a WIDGIE is the female equivalent of a BODGIE. Betty got down INSERTED for 60 after which I played BRAILlES with a blank for 86. Final score 460 to 333.
Richard Birch I had not played before and he was looking for an S to be played first go by me so he could lay down his T O C K I E R. I didn't want to disappoint and played VANES, with of course the S in the middle of the board. Oops - 107 points to Richard! It was the highest scoring word until a later game. Two goes later and LURGIES for 70 was good for Richard as well. Luckily I managed to stay in touch with several scores in the 30's then ZERO for 69 and eventually claimed the lead with FRaCTAL for 77 with the second A above BUT and the L above OPE. Some good last scores for me, and Richard being unlucky not to be able to use the remaining blank for a final go bingo, and the score ended on 441 to 355.
Natalie and I had also never played before. Our scores were very close until the last few goes. I was happy to forge ahead with DISLoDGE ending on a preplayed E and out to a triple word score for 86. Not to be outdone Natalie used the only other bingo space, which had to start with D, for DUCKIeST to another triple word score for 98. Only one tile left in the bag and so no time to catch up if there were a chance. If I had remembered this spelling of REAEDIFy mid-game I would have been better off. Score 362 to 406.
Hari had not lost after 5 games. An early exchange by me enabled a double blank pickup for tOWErED. My score was further enhanced by subsequently making use of the J, X, Q, Z and 2 S's. Sorry Hari - there should be some rule against that sort of thing! Hari lobbed down READING down mid-game but was otherwise lumbered with very mediocre stuff, otherwise known as crap tiles. Ended up a 438 to 301 win.
My last opponent for the day was Ian who must have thought I was the luckiest Scrabble Player ever! I started with MOWING for 30, even though I also had an S and could have gambled on MOWINGS which I later checked and would have been allowable. Some would say it was worth the risk first go? After an exchange I managed to get aCQUIRED through a Q followed by another lucky pickup for FABLERS which I had only recently come across as being allowable. Ian scored well and came back with his own bingo of NETTLES, and the word FANK which I didn't know. Another blank for RePLACE meant I came out ahead 429 to 345.
Finishing with a 5-2 result and a healthy margin enabled 2nd place to Liz who did brilliantly for a 6-1 result. But of course win, lose or draw, "Scrabble was the Winner"!
Unlike previous tournaments littered with dodgy words and subsequent missed goes, I didn't have any words challenged off this time around. Maybe I was lucky in that I didn't need to go for anything that was a guess....okay not a total guess !
A thoroughly enjoyable Tournament! John and Susan both won 4 games in Masters and we subsequently all gained in ratings points to varying degrees. The 3 hour drive back to Canberra seemed to go pretty quickly with Scrabble stories replacing the usual games of I SPY !!
Results after game 7
MARJ03 -- MASTERS
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Rod Talbot 7 519
2 John Holgate 6 823
3 Jean McGiffen 4 499
4 Bob Jackman 4 127
5 Tony Hunt 4 101
6 Rene Chelton 4 99
7 Graeme Lock Lee 4 40
8 Susan Macgillivray 4 6
9 John Spaan 4 -138
10 Alison Pollard 3 -49
11 Gary Pollard 3 -141
12 Norma Tracey 3 -152
13 Peter Shaw 3 -215
14 John Barker 3 -341
15 Keith Bioletti 3 -356
16 Hanne Marks 2 -187
17 Jan Serisier 1 22
18 Moana Nepia 1 -657
HIGH GAME: Jan Serisier 608
HIGH WORD: John Spaan 107
"ESCHEWS"
Results after game 7
MARJ03 -- ADVANCED
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Liz Jackman 6 114
2 Richard Jeremy 5 471
3 Hari Nanayakkara 5 171
4 Michael Adler 5 160
5 Margaret Berliner 5 156
6 Jean Noonan 4 202
7 Richard Birch 4 31
8 Pat Schuberg 4 9
9 Natalie Tadday 4 -19
10 Gordon Meggs 3 121
11 Raya Wilkinson 3 82
12 Ian Close 3 79
13 Jan Pincott 3 -33
14 Betty Foreman 3 -36
15 Margaret Andrews 3 -279
16 Rex Shakespeare 3 -331
17 Nonie English 2 -168
18 Val Ryan 2 -188
19 Daphne Bezuidenhout 2 -217
20 Judy Hay 1 -325
HIGH GAME: Raya Wilkinson 488
HIGH WORD: Jean Noonan 110
"GLAZING"
Results after game 7
MARJ03 -- INTERMEDIATE
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Jean Balmer 7 728
2 Alan Gauci 5 307
3 Esther Rolfe 5 253
4 Bill Condon 5 -1
5 Jacquelin Hochmuth 4 206
6 Bev Purkis 4 158
7 Dolores Barbon 4 132
8 Sandra Elliott 4 54
9 Jan Tomlin 4 52
10 Heather Sorensen 4 -172
11 Sharon Sorensen 3 148
12 Edith Lowbeer 3 54
13 Ann Fiddler 3 14
14 Pam Bennett 3 -151
15 Yvonne Pollard 3 -225
16 George Khamis 3 -276
17 Sue Tuckett 2 -146
18 Pearl Gillott 2 -262
19 Fay Van Oyen 2 -343
20 Anne Schick 0 -530
HIGH GAME: Sharon Sorensen 525
HIGH WORD: Jean Balmer 149
"REWASHED"
Results after game 7
MARJ03 -- RECREATION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Owen Randall 7 370
2 Merle Young 6 531
3 Glenn Holmes 5 187
4 John Smith 5 60
5 Janine Whittaker 4 173
6 Stacey Judd 4 171
7 Mark Smith 4 150
8 Mavis Farrar 4 -23
9 Joy Morris 4 -95
10 Betty Gray 4 -236
11 Irene Brownlow 3 198
12 Chris Phillips 3 120
13 Dell Callinan 3 27
14 Elwyn Smith 3 -76
15 Merriss Adler 3 -235
16 Beryl Christensen 3 -442
17 Karmel Patterson 2 -105
18 Maria Kaye 2 -302
19 Diana Field 1 -466
20 A Bye 0 -7
HIGH GAME: Merle Young 489
HIGH WORD: Merle Young 98
"IODINES"
Stats for Tournament : MARJ03
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *MASTERS + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Rod Talbot | 15 7 | 6 4 | 4.5 7.0 | 1739 +62 1801 |
| NSW John Holgate | 2 2 | 1 1 | 5.9 6.0 | 1872 +4 1876 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen | 50 48 | 15 14 | 3.9 4.0 | 1597 +2 1599 |
| NSW Bob Jackman | 6 6 | 3 3 | 5.8 4.0 | 1845 -26 1819 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 49 47 | 14 13 | 3.9 4.0 | 1598 +2 1600 |
| NSW Tony Hunt | 41 38 | 11 9 | 3.3 4.0 | 1612 +15 1627 |
| NSW John Spaan :act | 86 68 | 22 20 | 2.7 4.0 | 1508 +27 1535 |
| NSW Susan MacGillivr:act | 138 96 | 38 26 | 1.9 4.0 | 1439 +48 1487 |
| NSW Rene Chelton | 87 70 | 23 21 | 2.9 4.0 | 1507 +21 1528 |
| NSW Alison Pollard | 100 94 | 26 25 | 2.6 3.0 | 1482 +8 1490 |
| NSW Norma Tracey | 69 71 | 20 22 | 2.9 3.0 | 1526 +1 1527 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 56 56 | 17 17 | 3.0 3.0 | 1570 1570 |
| NSW John Barker | 38 51 | 9 15 | 4.8 3.0 | 1628 -36 1592 |
| NSW Keith Bioletti | 105 102 | 28 28 | 2.8 3.0 | 1478 +4 1482 |
| NSW Gary Pollard | 60 62 | 19 19 | 3.7 3.0 | 1564 -13 1551 |
| NSW Hanne Marks | 134 145 | 36 39 | 2.8 2.0 | 1441 -15 1426 |
| NSW Jan Serisier | 103 134 | 27 35 | 3.0 1.0 | 1478 -39 1439 |
| NSW Moana Nepia | 109 137 | 29 37 | 2.7 1.0 | 1474 -35 1439 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *ADVANCED + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Liz Jackman | 291 243 | 75 59 | 2.8 6.0 | 1218 +82 1300 |
| NSW Richard Jeremy :act | 189 182 | 48 48 | 4.7 5.0 | 1361 +11 1372 |
| NSW Hari Nanayakkara | 278 263 | 71 67 | 3.7 5.0 | 1237 +28 1265 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 300 274 | 78 71 | 3.1 5.0 | 1204 +41 1245 |
| NSW Michael Adler :act | 298 268 | 77 69 | 2.9 5.0 | 1209 +49 1258 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 304 295 | 79 78 | 3.1 4.0 | 1199 +18 1217 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 166 175 | 44 45 | 5.0 4.0 | 1396 -18 1378 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 247 240 | 62 57 | 3.6 4.0 | 1294 +10 1304 |
| NSW Natalie Tadday | 309 292 | 81 76 | 2.6 4.0 | 1193 +29 1222 |
| NSW Jan Pincott | 295 298 | 76 79 | 3.0 3.0 | 1212 +1 1213 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 272 290 | 68 75 | 3.9 3.0 | 1241 -19 1222 |
| NSW Gordon Meggs | 284 299 | 72 80 | 3.9 3.0 | 1227 -16 1211 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 216 233 | 55 55 | 4.1 3.0 | 1335 -21 1314 |
| NSW Ian Close | 249 264 | 63 68 | 4.3 3.0 | 1288 -24 1264 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 308 309 | 80 81 | 3.0 3.0 | 1194 1194 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare | 252 262 | 64 66 | 3.9 3.0 | 1286 -18 1268 |
| NSW Nonie English | 327 338 | 83 87 | 2.8 2.0 | 1162 -15 1147 |
| NSW Val Ryan | 335 341 | 86 88 | 2.5 2.0 | 1153 -11 1142 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 331 336 | 84 86 | 2.5 2.0 | 1159 -10 1149 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 201 256 | 50 64 | 4.8 1.0 | 1348 -73 1275 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *INTERMEDIATE + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Jean Balmer | 358 325 | 92 83 | 5.3 7.0 | 1126 +37 1163 |
| NSW Alan Gauci | 438 413 | 103 100 | 4.1 5.0 | 1039 +21 1060 |
| NSW Esther Rolfe | 555 500 | 134 117 | 2.6 5.0 | 909 +56 965 |
| NSW Bill Condon | 713 592 | 175 148 | 1.4 5.0 | 780 +95 875 |
| NSW Dolores Barbon | 389 398 | 97 95 | 4.4 4.0 | 1084 -9 1075 |
| NSW Sandra Elliott | 458 454 | 110 109 | 3.9 4.0 | 1020 +3 1023 |
| NSW Bev Purkis | 341 358 | 88 92 | 4.9 4.0 | 1143 -19 1124 |
| NSW Jacquelin Hochmuth | 571 555 | 139 134 | 3.3 4.0 | 895 +14 909 |
| NSW Jan Tomlin | 551 536 | 132 129 | 3.2 4.0 | 912 +18 930 |
| NSW Heather Sorensen :ac | 485 477 | 115 113 | 3.3 4.0 | 980 +16 996 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 364 378 | 94 94 | 4.6 3.0 | 1120 -30 1090 |
| NSW Sharon Sorensen | 477 484 | 113 115 | 3.7 3.0 | 993 -11 982 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer | 374 407 | 95 97 | 4.8 3.0 | 1099 -35 1064 |
| NSW Yvonne Pollard | 682 663 | 169 166 | 2.1 3.0 | 806 +17 823 |
| NSW Pam Bennett | 544 537 | 130 130 | 2.5 3.0 | 917 +11 928 |
| NSW George Khamis | 492 511 | 117 119 | 4.0 3.0 | 973 -18 955 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen | 382 438 | 96 103 | 4.5 2.0 | 1088 -50 1038 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett | 541 558 | 129 135 | 2.7 2.0 | 921 -14 907 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 669 682 | 164 170 | 2.3 2.0 | 814 -6 808 |
| NSW Anne Schick :act | 705 754 | 173 193 | 2.1 0.0 | 791 -42 749 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *RECREATION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Owen Randall :Act | 733 579 | 183 142 | 4.2 7.0 | 766 +119
885 |
| NSW Merle Young | 761 712 | 195 177 | 4.1 6.0 | 743 +39 782 |
|*NSW Glenn Holmes | 0 651 | 0 160 | 5.0 5.0 | 830 830 |
| NSW John Smith :act | 913 873 | 233 223 | 3.6 5.0 | 638 +29 667 |
| NSW Janine Whittaker | 755 752 | 192 192 | 4.0 4.0 | 748 +2 750 |
| NSW Mark Smith | 808 806 | 204 205 | 3.9 4.0 | 711 +2 713 |
|*NSW Stacey Judd | 0 949 | 0 245 | 4.0 4.0 | 614 614 |
| NSW Mavis Farrar | 961 944 | 249 242 | 3.5 4.0 | 601 +15 616 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 1022 974 | 272 254 | 2.3 4.0 | 558 +35 593 |
| NSW Betty Gray | 1145 1083 | 315 297 | 3.4 4.0 | 500 +19 519 |
| NSW Irene Brownlow | 896 898 | 228 230 | 3.0 3.0 | 648 648 |
| NSW Chris Phillips | 741 785 | 187 200 | 4.3 3.0 | 757 -26 731 |
|*NSW Dell Callinan | 0 982 | 0 260 | 3.0 3.0 | 589 589 |
| NSW Elwyn Smith :act | 1113 1221 | 307 347 | 3.4 3.0 | 500 -8 492 |
| NSW Merriss Adler :act | 1082 1102 | 295 303 | 3.4 3.0 | 516 -8 508 |
| NSW Beryl Christensen | 1114 1220 | 308 346 | 3.3 3.0 | 500 -5 495 |
| NSW Karmel Patterson | 825 894 | 209 229 | 4.2 2.0 | 696 -44 652 |
| NSW Maria Kaye | 1018 1073 | 271 292 | 3.9 2.0 | 561 -37 524 |
| NSW Diana Field | 1111 1222 | 305 348 | 3.4 1.0 | 500 -48 452 |