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DO 2008 Commentary: Round 15

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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, After the Tournament.

Round 15

Winter Zxqkj (Houston, TX) vs. Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ), 478-345, Nathan's win. I see Winter's IGnEOUS for 64 and Nathan's DEMEANOR for 94 and VIBRANTS for 86. I'm distracted from the game by Winter's Ipod Touch, going so far as to fondle it and ask about its battery life. A very nice toy for a guy who professes to prefer sleeping in his car to staying at a hotel!

I hear a call for "director" and Bryan Pepper goes and takes care of it. He reports a few minutes later that it was one of those attempts to exchange when there was less than seven tiles in the bag. Since no tiles had been exchanged yet, the play was ruled a pass and the game proceeded.

Sheri Justice (Kansas City, MO) vs. Chris Lipe (Rome, NY). The game is winding up. From their scoresheets, I can see that Chris got down sTOURIE for 72 and Sheri had played READIeS for 70. But suddenly, right as I stand there, she sighs and musters up the gusto to "try" TUNEUPS along the bottom triple lane for 89 to bingo out. Chris gives a look of "Oh no." And they perform the perfunctory walk to the nearby challenge machine. The play is acceptable and she wins, 434-341.

I see Paul Mulik (Joplin, MO) moving tiles around on his recently completed board. His opponent was long gone. He smiled and said, "My opponent held EOHRRSW? and tried to bingo out with WHORERs*. I challenged, but was unable to block the spot and on his next play he found tHROWER to win."

John Luebkemann (Bear, DE) vs. Michael Early (Fort Worth, TX). The 8s have it. Mike got down SEDUCING for 91 and John played PROFANES through the O for 64, ORNAMENT through the R for 72, and STILEtTO from the S for 74. John's win, 426-394.

Jon Shreve (Denver, CO) vs. Paul Holser (Wylie, TX). Close game and a long word catches my eye: UNSPRAINED*, but I find out it is not good. I see PREFAB for 43, rESODdING for 82, SPRAINeD for 80, and lEASERS for 64.

Rod MacNeil (Cambridge, MA) vs. Keith Smith (Austin, TX). Rod played ACULEATE for 74, SEMIHARD for 84, and the fun OUTCLIMB. He opened the game with CLIMB and then later added the OUT to the triple! Keith got down COTILLON for 72, FREEING for 79, and OUSTERS for 66. Keith's win, 451-443.

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA) defeated Eric Harshbarger (Auburn, AL), 456-402. What was most interesting about their game, however, was another bad Sam pun. He played DONATIVES and said to Eric, "What do they call the people from Dallas who play in this tournament? DO NATIVES!" Queue the bad music.....

One of my favorite scenes: two of our game's lumanaries battling quietly. This round it was Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY) vs. Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL). Both so quiet, focused, riveted. I want to watch, but figure they have to deal with me hovering often enough, thank you, so I wait until they are finished, one of the last games to wrap up this round. Both of them are encased in this bubble of shutting us all out as they focus. Tiles are moving as they endgame chat, but I glean from Joel's scoresheet: AMBOINAS throug the O for 70, REInJECT for 86, and GRANOLA for 72 for Joel. AZO/ZA/OM for 70, ROULADE for 67, and NIDGETs for 78; Brian. GI Joel wins this one, 502-423.