Don't Pass Up 200-Point Triple-Triples Unless You Have a Very Good Strategic Reason

1st Charles Reinke came out on top with a 4-1 +671 record. A large portion of his spread came from his opening 2-on-1 match against Helen and Sue, where he won by a combined 485 points. He then faced Andy and Andy's invisible friend, winning 464-411. Charles played COLLETED, PERVADE, and SPIERING that game, but passed up the 200+ point triple-triple BRIQUETS (next time you see BRIQUET on the board, remember that you can extend it to SOBRIQUET). Lynda was the only person to get the best of the bingo machine, winning their matchup in the third round 382-431. She played EPIGENE and ENDITES against Charles' RARITIES and ROSTELLA. In the last game, Charles handily defeated Bryan, 497-315, playing the word-of-the-week PIASAVA (also spelled PIASABA or PIASSAVA, a coarse fiber). Sometimes drawing three A's to go along with your blank isn't so bad!

2nd Aaron Bader came in second with his undeafeated 3-0 +263, failing to come in first because the website orders the results by wins first (don't want someone going 1-0 to win, do we?). He outbingoed Thomas 3-0 in the first game, playing DUSTRAG, OUTTHROB (v. to surpass in throbbing, duh), and EQUITES (plural of EQUES). His bingoing cooled off in the second game, playing only GRATERS against Betty's SHAKIER in a 425-357 win. Against Bryan, he played the nifty nine-letter PYRIDINES, but phonied with the Collins-only DAMASKIN*, an alternate spelling of the acceptable verbs DAMASKEEN and DAMASCENE.

3rd Lynda Finn went 3-1 +183, good for third place. She lost a close one against Bryan to open the night, 394-404, with Bryan's TOXINES for 115 being the deciding factor. Done with losing for the session, she rattled off three straight wins after that, the first against Gail, 475-393, where she played BARNIEST, TRANSOM, and YEASTIER. You already heard about her win against Charles, so following that she dropped 5 Benjamins and a Washington on Andy, winning 501-439. She played KNEEPAD and the always-appropriate WORDAGE, but phonied with UNDRIES* (valid anagram INSURED).

4th Helen Flores went 3-1 +15, proving that it's sometimes worth it to not curl up in a little ball and cry after one of the Reinkes beats you by 200 points.

Two triple-triples were played and paid, RETURNER for Helen and MERCHANT for Andy, both against Thomas.