Date: 2008-07-14 12:04 Subject: Philly, 7/13/08, 7-0 +550 FTW Security: Public Current Mood: accomplished

Tournament wins, I'm learning, are cool. Going 7-0 doesn't suck either.

I wasn't even planning on going, until greatscott66 pointed out Saturday night that this time there'd be five divisions instead of four, and that I'd likely be pretty far down in division 4, not at the top of 5. So reillye being the accommodating sort that she is, let the lawnwork slide, and Matt, being the accommodating sort that he is, let me in when I called him at a bit after 9:00 Sunday morning.

I get there, and after the dust settles, I'm ninth seed out of 11 in division 4. It's a good place to be, because the ratings spread is only about 250--the top seeds aren't guaranteed to crush the rest of us.

Tile synergy is what did it. Not too much vowelitis, and very little of the Noah's Ark Syndrome that's been plaguing me at club lately. I drew above average on power tiles (8/14 blanks, 15/28 S, 23/35 JKQXZ), but it was made even better for me that my opponents got stuck with three esses and a blank.

My last game was won by pure luck. Late in the game I had SOAPIER on my rack, and opp closed what I thought were the two open lanes for it, and I completely missed another place it would have played. I also didn't see (V)APORISE. His final rack was AMOUY?? and he had ten minutes to search, but he (and I) didn't see ArMOUrY, AUtOnYM or MO(R)tUArY, playable outbingoes that would have given him the game. It wouldn't have cost me the tournament, because I had a 125-point spread cushion, but I still can't claim credit for that win.

I certainly don't mind taking home a check, but the real win is that my rating should jump to 1140 or so, which is the breakout from the bottom division I've been waiting for. The next step is 1200, which will get me into the top half of ranked players.

Edit: My Brawndo T-shirt is starting to make me believe in luck.

Edit 7/21/08: 1145. Neato.

From: mrsscheisskopf Date: 2008-07-14 05:21 pm (UTC) (Link)

You are awesome! Nice job. Going undefeated is a rare and well-deserved pleasure.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-14 05:45 pm (UTC) (Link)

Thanks! I'm definitely enjoying it! :)

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From: sr_orangepants Date: 2008-07-14 05:49 pm (UTC) (Link)

Running through tournaments undefeated is happy. We need to do it more often... Congrats again, and well, will we be seeing you later or are you taking reillye out somewhere other than Time to Eat?

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-14 05:51 pm (UTC) (Link)

Actually, the migraine I'm fighting is the determining factor as to whether I'll be at club tonight...

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From: sr_orangepants Date: 2008-07-14 05:58 pm (UTC) (Link)

Oof. Feel better! Have some Brawndo.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-14 06:47 pm (UTC) (Link)

It has triptans!

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From: spherulitic Date: 2008-07-14 06:38 pm (UTC) (Link)

I almost matched you. I was undefeated through ten rounds this weekend, and finished with only a loss and a tie blemishing my record.

Congrats! Running the table is roxxor.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-14 06:46 pm (UTC) (Link)

Woohoo! Were you Gibsoned?

Running the table is roxxor.

Teh!

Edited at 2008-07-14 06:49 pm (UTC)

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From: spherulitic Date: 2008-07-14 07:51 pm (UTC) (Link)

I was indeed subjected to the Gibson bylaw -- I had a 2 1/2 game lead over [Unknown LJ tag] as there were two to play postprandially.

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From: optic Date: 2008-07-14 06:58 pm (UTC) (Link)

nice job!

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-15 04:58 am (UTC) (Link)

Gracias. I was thinking of you while I was eating at the pho joint that's a block from the tournament site. It's one of the treats of the Philly tournaments, since the nearest pho place to my house is a half hour away.

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From: optic Date: 2008-07-15 05:00 am (UTC) (Link)

nice. scrabble and pho.. what else does a man need?

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-15 05:03 am (UTC) (Link)

I suppose I could get by on Scrabble and pho, but neither does as good a job at keeping me warm on cold winter nights as reillye.

ObScrabble: Wishing for PHO and not PHO#.

Edited at 2008-07-15 05:07 am (UTC)

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From: jigsawn Date: 2008-07-14 08:26 pm (UTC) (Link)

YOU WIN AT YELLING!

and at Scrabble too. Congrats.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-15 04:58 am (UTC) (Link)

Daaaaahhhh!

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From: hector31 Date: 2008-07-14 08:56 pm (UTC) (Link)

Wow, that's great, well done.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-15 04:59 am (UTC) (Link)

I'm still kinda giddy, 24 hours later, and having drawn the crap at club that I didn't draw in the tournament.

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From: satireblank Date: 2008-07-15 01:15 am (UTC) Congrats! (Link)

You were due for a breakout performance, you might have another one soon.

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From: edhorch Date: 2008-07-15 05:01 am (UTC) Re: Congrats! (Link)

Another one would be sweet. My medium term (next few years) goal is to hit the mid 1400s, which will get me some good competition until the kids are older and I have the time for the amount of studying it'll take me to get to the expert level.

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