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2007 Dallas Open Commentary: Round 11

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Go to: Before the Tournament, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 10, Round 11, Round 12, Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, Round 16, Round 17, Round 18, Round 19, Round 20, Round 21, Round 22, After the Tournament.

Round 11

I find Darrell Day (Richardson, TX; 1773) picking up tiles at table 2 and I ask him to hold up. Travis Chaney (Fort Smith, AR; 1651) played Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1870) at the board and there was a very nice play: TeSTACY played on the bottom triple lane, hooking onto JITTERY, making JITTERY for 106 points. WOW! Chris won that matchup: 415-363.

Both Darrell Day (Richardson, TX; 1773) and Travis Chaney (Fort Smith, AR; 1651) pick up the tiles to get ready for their game. As they do so, Darrell announces that he is hanging NO letters Bs out for Travis. He will put out Ss and Es, but not Bs. Travis chuckles with understanding and I have to know why. Last year, playing at that very same table, Darrell put out two Bs and had them used with twice despite the statistical odds of it ever occurring. Travis played USQUEBAE through one B and PEEBEENs through the other B. Darrell couldn't help but remind me that though Travis had the B-power, Darrell had the winning power and took that game.

Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ; 1850) insists I see a board a few tables away. Sure enough, lying right there in the middle of the usual, was OiTICICA played through the first C for 72 points. Nathan hadn't even played at that board, but was so taken by the find that he had to tell me about it. Turns out Michael Thelen (West Jordan, UT; 1637) had a monster game against Steve Pellinen (St. Louis Park, MN; 1693), winning 467-392. Michael also played FREAKED, and Steve quietly points out his solo bingo: IODaTES.

At table 6, the game between Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ; 1850) and Paul Phillips (Denver, CO; 1738) is still standing. The pretty REFIGURES is there, but it was a compilation of plays that went down in pieces so isn't spectacular enough for mention. Nathan did find ASHCAkE and won that game, 467-319.