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DO 2008 Commentary: Round 7

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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 7

Nathan Benedict (Tucson, AZ) vs. Paul Mulik (Joplin, MO) featured a bingo-bongo-bango by Nathan: CATTISH for 86, ARUGOLA for 67, and PACIFISM through the C for 90. He later got down DENARII for 66. Paul played RELAXiNG for 67 and sTABILE/PACIFISMs for 94. Nathan's win, 516-402.

Michael Early (Fort Worth, TX) greeted me early today and apologized for being so focused on his games in Dayton that he didn't stop to talk to me more about those games. So, he's making an effort at the DO to keep me more in the loop of his interesting word adventures. This round, he earned 104 for playing VAnDYKE. He also got down PIcAROON, ABDUCTERS* from the AB, and ANTINGS/SCART vs. Gregg Speicher (McKinney, TX).

John Luebkemann (Bear, DE) tells me that he had two 8-letter triple plays this round. I check them out: CZARINAS for 124 from the C and JALOPIES for 101 from the J. His opponent, Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY), played URETErIC from the U for 94 and NECROSIS to the S for 83. I see four 8-letter words! John's win, 456-409.

I spy a Samtimer that won't ever be confused with another. It belongs to Kevin Leeds (Atlanta, TX) and it is festooned in dinosaur stickers. I wonder if he had help applying them! I smell the influence of little fingers here!

I linger by a game between Doug Brockmeier (Yorba Linda, CA) and Eric Harshbarger (Auburn, AL). I glance over scoresheets and see that Doug played MaTELOT for 68 and THIRLING for 80. Eric played ARGUfIES for 62 and PRESTIGE for 74. I don't realize at the time but while I'm lingering and watching them both sunk into their seats, faces placed onto their palms, Eric is on a hold for trying a perpendicular play that hooked onto create PRESTIGED*. As it turns out, Doug challenged after I left and the play came off the board. What had been a very close game went bad swiftly and Eric later told me he lost, 326-472.

Rod MacNeil (Cambridge, MA) defeated Michael Willis (Midlothian, TX), 499-380. Mike played STINKIER for 76 and the fun SESTINA for a 90-point double-double. As I looked over the board, he confessed that the latter play was a mistake. I asked why and he explained that ENTASIS would have been better. As it went, Rod was able to play FiNGERS/SESTINAS for 70. The other play would not have taken the plural and would not have given Rod the chance to leap ahead. Rod also played FIREMAN for 72. And probably many more fine plays, but there were more games to see!

Wallace Schultz (Las Vegas, NM) vs. David Gremaud (St. Louis, MO): OVERLIE, RESTATES, ImPIEtY, and CRAWDAD (a nonbingo, but fun!).