Bryan Benwitz: "11 Wins in a Row is Just the Beginning"

1st Bryan Benwitz enjoyed his second straight week of undefeatedness, going 4-0 +324, and more importantly, achieved his first-ever ten-game winning streak. Club elders have convened to discuss the disbandment of the club in the face of this terrifying new development, but have decided for now to let the winning streak run its course. The winning streak almost never happened thanks to a too-close 422-414 game against Richard Lauder, whose late out-bingo was not quite enough to pull out the win. Bryan quickly recovered from that scare to take out Gail Salm, 416-367, while playing three bingos of DIATRONS, EXACTOR, and STANINES (study your high-probability bingos, kids). Helen Flores didn't fare much better in the face of the Bryaniac's indomitable might, losing 342-457 as Bryan got down NOSTRIL and FEISTIER (anagrams FIERIEST and FERITIES) to secure that elusive tenth win. The winning streak was lengthened when Bryan outscored, outbingoed, and out-everythinged Andy Bohnsack, 459-308. There was perhaps some high-quality banter going on as Bryan unleashed bingos of BANTERS and VENETIAN. On second thought, yeah, let's just disband the club.

2nd Charles Reinke did not establish or lengthen any winning streaks, but still had a strong 3-1 +443 performance while averaging 467 per game. He built up a large, comfy cushion of spread in the first round with a 526-329 win over Dave Kinzer, thanks in part to a torrent of bingos including FINEABLE, BROMATES, ANTIWEED, and LUSTRATE. He then applied a major beatdown to his own brother, Thomas Reinke, by an outlandish score of 524-251. Thomas didn't manage to bingo, but Charles made up for that by getting down CONNOTED, GLITZES, and word-of-the-week VERRUCAS (a VERRUCA is a wart and can also be pluralized VERRUCAE). After a misstep against Andy Bohnsack, he finished up his night by beating Lynda Finn 427-389. Lynda played ROTARIES and RETITLE, but was matched by Charles' SLOSHING and CORELATE (apparently a British spelling of CORRELATE).

3rd Andy Bohnsack went 3-1 +60, his small spread total still being enough to place in third ahead of Helen Flores, who went 3-1 -7. The first of his victims was Lynda Finn, whom he defeated 410-367, thanks mostly to his 96-point BEDUINS (how does that word even score that much? seriously). He also played the word FIFTIES (paradoxically for 83 points), while Lynda had THUNDER and STERLING as her bingos. Andy then took a win over Dennis Lloyd, 419-316, playing LARGEST and UNHOLIER to Dennis' CURLIER. On the topic of streaks, Andy reversed recent trends against Charles Reinke, ending the latters' five-game winning streak against him by winning their matchup 455-390. Charles was held to just one bingo of PRESALES, while Andy enjoyed a relative bounty by playing IMBRUTE and UREIDES.