1st Charles Reinke enjoyed a second-straight undefeated evening with a 4-0 +290 record. What better way to build momentum for Nationals than to win eight club games in a row? He started things off with a handy victory over Dave Gilligan, 441-314. Charles played SENECIO and IMPALES (the latter for 94 points, the highest-scoring bingo of the night since there were no triple-triples), while Dave got down TRICKLED. That win was followed up with a low-scoring contest against Thomas Reinke which ended 366-341 in Charles' favor. While both involved players averaged over two bingos per game, each played just one, WAVELETS for Charles and BROODERS for Thomas. Charles returned to form in the very next game by defeating Bryan Benwitz 459-390, playing BILGIEST and the low-probability find of BLACKFIN (also chosen as word of the week). Somewhat surprisingly, there are nineteen other eight-letter words containing the (apparently synergistic) BCFK combo, including BEEFCAKE and PUFFBACK. The perfect club session was completed with a 414-345 win against Helen Flores, which was closely-fought despite Charles outbingoing Helen two to nothing (HATTERIA [a reptile] and OLDSTER).

2nd Aaron Bader did some switch-hitting between two dictionaries, but wasn't phased by the task, and finished at 3-1 +206. His opening-round game against Mark Kenas was his only loss, as Mark took him down 440-353. The two players squandered the extra opportunities that the Collins dictionary gives them by only playing TWL bingos: PUTTIERS and ALMONER for Mark, POCOSENS for Aaron. Aaron then switched to TWL in a contest against Lynda Finn, which he won 432-371. COURANTE and LENDABLE were his bingos in that one. In the third round, Aaron was given the rare chance to play a Collins player who wasn't Mark and took full advantage of it, beating the visiting Mike Johnson 498-368. The margin of victory is even more impressive when you consider that Mike jumped out to a 100-point lead with three bingos in his first four turns: ARGENTAL, NEONATES, and DOUANIER# (Collins-only). Aaron would also end up getting three bingos: MISFARE#, LOAVING#, and RESHINES. Aaron wrapped up his second-place finish with a re-encounter with Mark that ended up better for him than the first encounter; he won 472-364. Again, only TWL bingos were played: Aaron's SNOOTED and UNROBING to Mark's ANELING and SAGUARO.

3rd Mary Becker grabbed third place with a 3-1 record, although the joy of third place may be slightly tempered by her -76 spread. Her first-round matchup against Gail Salm was also her highest-scoring, as she scored 439 (to Gail's 398) and had two bingos (ADVISES and GRANTED). Gail, for her part, also got down two bingos: WIRIEST and RECEDING. Things then went off the rails a little bit as Mary didn't bingo in a 292-510 loss to Bryan Benwitz, who had ANSATED, TELNETS, and RETUNING to help him run away with it. Mary returned to form in her next game as she defeated the visiting Vicki Holmes 405-346, playing CARDING along the way. The trend of not showing any hospitality to visitors whatsoever continued in her final game when she took down Mike Johnson 380-338. Her one bingo that game, SURRIES, turned out to be phony, and everybody knows that the least hospitable thing you can do to visiting Scrabble players is phony them. For reference, SURREYS, SERRIES and DURRIES are all acceptable.