Thomas Reinke Doesn't Even Like Losing

1st Thomas Reinke averaged 461 points per game and laid down eleven bingos, going 4-0 +451 and ensuring that his insatiable appetite for victory would not remain unsated. He showed no mercy against Gail Salm in a 472-344 win that saw him play ARMOURS and OPERATE. Things would only get worse for Thomas' opponents as his next two games featured yet more anger in the form of points scored on a Scrabble board. Charles Reinke could only watch as his brother smothered him with three bingos (PALIEST, BASILECT, and ROUTEING) for a 496-341 final score. Also reduced to a mere spectator was Helen Flores, who lost 464-333. She had to endure watching Thomas lay down four bingos (NEGATION, OUTFIRE, GENETTES, and ENTERAL) while being allowed none herself. Initial reports out of the region indicate that Helen will cease any current and future tilebag shipments to Thomas until he backs down from this unwarranted aggression.

2nd Charles Reinke finished 4-1 +221, just one brother-administered loss away from a perfecter-than-perfect 5-0 record. A four-bingo beatdown permanently damaged Andy Bohnsack's point spread, with their matchup ending 492-317. Charles played CAEOMAS (n. CAEOMA, a spore-producing organ of a fungus), RESOLDER, INWEAVE, and CUSTARD; Andy saved himself from an even worse score by bingoing out with CLARINET. Against Mary Becker, who was firing on all cylinders despite her 2-2 record, Charles only just managed to squeak out the win, 418-415. Mary played TINGLING and NATTERED; Charles had TURFIEST and the phony AVULSIVE. Dave Gilligan was not allowed the luxury of a close loss, as he was downed by Charles, 471-353. Dave's bingos were INGRATE and the word-of-the-week EXTRORSE (adj. facing outward, not to be confused with DEXTRORSE, which means "spiraling to the right"); Charles' were CONTUSE, SEMIOTIC, and HEISTED.

3rd Peter Schmiedicke found himself in third place by virtue of there not being any players who finished 3-1, leaving Peter's 3-2 +173 to be good enough. His largest margin of victory came against Barb Besadny, who found out the hard way that the ability to draw good tiles doesn't easily cross state lines; Peter won 377-250 with his bingo of INDUSIAL (adj. pertaining to an indusium, an enclosing membrane found on ferns) being the only played by either player. The bingo gods were a bit more generous towards Peter when he matched up against Gail Salm. That game ended 455-369 in Peter's favor, with Peter getting down NURTURES, MANNOSE, and SANTERA. The gods did not fully ignore Gail, as her 84-point ENTICES scored more than any of Peter's attempts. The night ended in defeat for Peter as Andy Bohnsack prevailed 412-351, a game which saw each player only get one bingo: PERIANTH for Andy, CARBINES for Peter.

A few new bingos were played: Thomas' ROUTEING and Charles' AEGROTAT. Mark Kenas contributed VERONAL (adj. pertaining to suburbs of Madison) to the list, but that word has been good in the Collins dictionary for some time despite being new in ours.

Reminder that next week we take away the cheat sheets of the new words! Does PIEZO take an S? Now you'll just have to remember! (it doesn't)