1st Charles Reinke averaged 509 points per game on his way to a 3-1 +276 record. His singular loss arrived quickly in the form of a 460-557 Collins-lexicon match against Thomas Reinke, but in the midst of the beatdown, he found the nine-letter GEOMETRID for 95 points. In round two he took part in another high-scoring shootout, but this time was on the winning side of the equation as he took down Richard Lauder 550-405, bingoing with HRYVNIA, LYDDITES, and REASONED. Against Lynda Finn, Charles won big, 498-348, but was unscrupulously aided by two phony bingos: SEMIGALAS* (SEMIGALA is an adjective) and LEGATIVE* (similar to the real word LIGATIVE, and anagramming to the real word LEVIGATE). Lynda's bingos, meanwhile, were fully above-board: NITRIDE and REPINES. Charles got a chance for revenge in the final round and took advantage, destroying Thomas 528-450 on the back of five bingos: FLAVEDO, PAINTIER, OLOGIST, ESTRIOL, and CHOLINE.

2nd Thomas Reinke went an identical 3-1, with a spread of +102. The clear high point of his night came in the first game, where he beat Charles Reinke 557-460, thanks to ERASION, LUTANIST, YODELING, and ACATERS# (NWL players should play CARATES out of those letters). The second round saw Thomas face off against Helen Flores and come out of the fracas with a lower-scoring 509-354 victory, turning away Helen's STORIES with his own bingos of OMITTED and DOVENING. Things got even closer as he fought off Andy Bohnsack, 444-416, getting ROADSTER and ROMAUNTS to Andy's TILAPIAS and SEATRAIN. Thomas was finally handed a loss (just his second in a 23-game span) when Charles beat him 450-528 in the final game; Charles' bingo list is too long to reprint here, but is listed above; Thomas had DADAIST and AVENTRES# (RAVENEST, VETERANS).

3rd Richard Lauder played three games before escaping to watch the Brewers win the World Series, and went 2-1 +60. He pulled off a come-from-behind win in round one, where he bingoed late with SNAKIER to get a 423-395 win vs. Lynda Finn. Richard pulled more bingos out of his hat in round two, getting down SAURIAN, RENDING, and the nice MUSKRATS against Charles Reinke, but those three bingos barely put a dent in Charles' armor, and it was Charles' win, 405-550. Facing a large spread deficit, Richard clawed it all back by taking out his frustrations on Helen Flores in the form of a 430-253 victory. The useful ANESTRI, in addition to HAUNTER, were Richard's bingos there.