Thomas Reinke Dominates Diminished Field

1st Thomas Reinke averaged 477 points per game (including two 500 games) on his way to a perfect 4-0 +516 finish. In his first 500 game, he managed to suppress the potent scoring powers of Bryan Benwitz, holding Bryan to just 308 with no bingos while scoring 502 himself (playing SEROTINE, OSTEOMA, and ENCORED). The second 500 game was somehow even more devastating, a 553-349 against the club's top scoring threat Charles Reinke. Charles avoided Bryan's unfortunate fate by playing two bingos (PALTRIER and PROUDER), but again, Thomas used a triplet of bingos (GOONIEST, RIVAGES, RETSINAS) to secure the win. Three more bingos would be played by Thomas in a closer 435-346 victory over Peter Shmiedicke: TORTURES, BUNTERS, and OWNABLE.

2nd Lynda Finn went 2-1 +240 before bowing out for the fourth game, no doubt to begin preparation of untold culinary delights for the impending holiday. She lost in the first round against (who else) Thomas Reinke despite outbingoing him two to one (CATENAS and SEEDIER for Lynda, NEUSTIC for Thomas). Fortunes turned significantly in Lynda's favor after that point; this was most apparent in a 495-333 triumph over Helen Flores. All bingos played in that game were Lynda's: TENDERS, GAFFERS, and TANNERY. Gail Salm fared slightly better but not much, with her game against Lynda also ending in a lopsided score, 330-437. Lynda had a nice find of WOODPILE in that game, while Gail fell back on some reliable high-probability words, DETAINEE and EARNERS.

3rd Aaron Bader went 2-2 +360, not often a good enough performance to make the top three. He suffered through two losses early versus Bryan Benwitz and Charles Reinke, the latter of which saw him attempt GERONIMO, which falls squarely into the "should really be acceptable" category. After those losses, he took down Sue Goldstein 452-241, thanks mostly to a huge 114-point INDEXERS. In the last game of the evening he faced off against newcomer Charles Marvin (generating pairings-related name confusion for the first time in a while) and won 520-212. Charles did not win a game on his first outing thanks to an unusually strong group of players that showed up, but we hope he will return!

Helen's PANTHEON was chosen as word of the week.