Scrabbling and Fraternizing in Madison: Day 5

The kids are all right

The day started exactly as I’d planned.

The Curve’s French Toast was fantastic, and Wisconsin butter only made it better

Kathy keeps me great company at breakfast this morning. She introduces me to several other Curve regulars. One is a man who owned downtown’s Patriot Bar. Two men who had not seen each other in 20 years bump into each other at the bar. They knew each other from refereeing high school football together in the 90s and retreat to a booth to catch up.

The diner is slow today, so Kathy spends most of her time gawking at the college students who are cheering on their loved ones in marathons. Four undergraduate girls wearing banana costumes won our award for the most ridiculous getup. Despite Kathy’s urging, I was too timid to ask them for a picture outside the diner — girls don’t like when random male strangers ask them for photos.

Kathy humored me for a picture together when I asked her for one. She also says hello to the 7 of you who will read this blog.

Thanks for the vibes, Kathy.

I left The Curve for the last time at 8:00, permitting 30 minutes for me repeat the 1.6 mile walk to the Concourse while playing some 2024 .

As I pass through Brittingham Park for the third consecutive day, I notice something different. One of the tables next to the trail had been flipped over, presumably a casualty of Saturday night college town antics.

This is the omen for the day. I snap a photo and wonder what it will mean this afternoon.

EGIMNNO

The marathon’s route ran alongside mine for a while, so I snapped a few photos. Now the best-attended race in Wisconsin, it happens at a magical time of year.

I think about how Norway’s Annette Obrestad is taking Scrabble by storm.

I found the girls in the banana suits 15 minutes later and snapped a photo from behind, because snapping an unsolicited photo from behind is less weird than asking than for one first.

Sitting at 6–5, I’ll need to finish 4–2 or better to cash today. I find that my first opponent is, fittingly, Annette. She clobbers me. 6–6; now I need to finish 4–1 to cash.

Round 13 pairs me against Andy Hoang.

His opening VOG was met with my J(O)G and he quips “I’m not afraid to get into games like this. Orry Swift and I had to six-pass out at nationals.”

Andy leads for most of it, but he opens late with BI to leave one tile in the bag and an unseen-to-me pool of AEEIMNPS. I held AAINSU? and had bingos available, but wasn’t sure if bingoing was correct in this game state. One should expect to draw an E a good amount of the time in the context of Andy’s last play, as BI makes no sense if it holds two E’s. I assume BI left either MINES or PINES, but probably MINES, and that he was likely fishing for NEMESIA. If Andy drew it, there is probably a P in the bag I lose. If he missed, there is probably an A or an E in the bag. I calculate that if I bingo and draw an E, ANUrIAS -> SPEAN -> (RE)E would lose by 2. After another minute or two, I notice a better spot to place my final E: placing it above VILER to form E(VILER) wins by 2 instead.

I probably would have missed this spot if I hadn’t commentated while a few months ago.

I bingo with ANUrIAS, draw an E, watch Andy spend 7 minutes before backing into his best sequence in SPEAN, and plunk EVILER to win by 1 (2 on a recount). It is the first of a series of crushing losses for Andy, who I’d find dejectedly studying for his Step 2 medical school exam in the hotel’s lobby after the tournament ended. I’m sure he’ll crush the test. He’s a smart dude.

—

In round 14, I draw Eric Goldstein. He brings a huge dose of personality to the table, and we trash talk aggressively before the game. I get to go first. I announce “I’m going to pull ahead and I’m not going to look back.” The woman next to us chuckles and asks if we’re going to trash talk all game. I wonder if it’s a subtle cue to shut up, but instead take it as a cue to ramp it up to 11.

I open with COOPER, Eric replies with ANODI(C). My rack of AAILNTY saw ANALYTI(C) blocked, but I think ANALITY might be valid. I know ANILITY is, but I think ANALITY -> BANALITY is a set I’ve seen before.

I play ANALITY; Eric instantly puts the play on hold. After about a minute he challenges. I expect it to come off.

It’s good.

I draw the rack BEEFILT and play the natural FLE(A)BITE for 102 in under 5 seconds. If you’d given me 30 seconds to look through a tile bag and choose 7 tiles that score 102 next turn, I don’t think I could have done it in time. Fortunately for me, the seven tiles I arbitrarily grabbed were basically perfect. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.

Late in the game, I grab the blank slip to designate the blank I was about to use. Eric asks if I’m bingoing with both blanks. I respond “No, I’m going to use one now, draw the second one next turn, and bingo again”, then announce the score for PAESaNO as 80 and hit the clock.

I draw ADINSW? out of the bag and play DRAWINgS for 88 the next turn.

I look at the woman next to us again, shrug, and say “Scrabble needs a villain.”

Annette pulverized me again in round 15. I’ll never beat her. 8–7; I must win out to cash. I got to play EGG for 15.

I draw Joe Gaspard in round 16. He bingos twice early and, tilted, I try the horrible phoney of HALATED* out of AADEHLT and Joe challenges instantly. He nearly played an F in space on his next play, but paused, realized I’d reply with (F)LATHEAD for 107 and adjusted his plan. Giving your opponent full knowledge of your rack — and losing a turn in the process — is not very good Scrabble. Later in the game, Joe plays EGG for 24. He wins. 8–8.

—

Ryan Chepita was 0–5 against Annette in tournaments prior to this one, but in Madison he tried something different: he played each game with an Emotional Support Pickle next to him.

I asked Ryan with a stone cold sober face “May I take a picture of your pickle?” Annette lost it.

The pickle worked: he dropped 500 to dominate Annette in round 16. We realize after the game that his win, coupled with a Jeff Fiszbein loss, means he’s clinched the tournament with one round left to go.

I joke with Ryan and Annette after the tournament that they’re “kids” to me. Even though I’m 32 and they’re each slightly older, I’ve been playing in Scrabble tournaments for almost 20 years. I can pull seniority: I’m the grizzled veteran and they’re the kids auditioning for a spot at the table.

Not anymore. Ryan and Annette combined to go 3–0 against me and finished 1st and 7th, respectively. Jason Vaysberg finished 3rd. I finished 15th. The kids didn’t ask for a seat at the table, the flipped the damn table over. (I told you I’d tie the table back in.)

I need to hit the word lists hard if I want to keep up.

Beat his rival for the first time in a tournament. Broke 1800 for the first time. Pocketed $1,100 USD… all as the tournament’s 15th seed. Have a weekend, Ryan!

—

In round 17, I was once again paired with 1-seed Sam Hollington, who was also 8–8 and re-wearing Lou’s Fighting Irish shirt. I took a huge early lead with consecutive easy bingos (DARIOLE and INOSITE), but he fought back with a back-to-back BITCHY for 61 and (P)lATTERS for 93 while I made a huge blunder late — BITCHY put a B in space while I held ADEMRSU but I bungled the play, blocking instead of slamming the door shut.

After the game, I am able to recall both where I first learned the definition of BERMUDAS (the shorts; sticky S) and where I first learned it (at a Tim Horton’s in Toronto’s Guildwood neighborhood in Summer of 2014) without even looking up the alphagram. But over the board in this moment, I whiffed it.

I lost a tight endgame by 2. Another instant classic, courtesy of Lou.

Despite being the tournament’s second seed, I finished 8–9 and out of the money. I don’t give a shit. Scrabble is fucking metal and Madison rocks.

—

During the award ceremony for division 3, an awesome photo opportunity comes up. Iowa’s Margaret Yoder dominated as the division’s top seed, but three up-and-comers finished in spots 2, 3, and 4 with identical 12–5 records. Elise Bickford, Jordan Barger, and high schooler Micah Uttecht each represent the “youth movement” that seems to be picking up traction across the continent. I’d learn from both Elise and Micah’s mother that the online Scrabble presence we have been working to build is directly responsible for them playing in this Scrabble tournament today. Hearing that is so damn cool.

I wonder how long I’ll have to wait until I play these kids in division 1. I wonder how long it will be until they, too, flip the table.

Winning division 3’s class prize, of course, is the ageless Ida Ann Shapiro. She’s the best part of the photo.

I told you it was a great photo op!

After a round of goodbyes, the brothers Reinke take me and Josh Sokol, who won $1,100 and the CSW division, back to their house in the suburbs. We caught a beautiful sunset as we drove. I tried to take a picture that does justice from the car’s back seat.

I wish I had a better camera. The Reinkes said “sunsets aren’t usually *this* good in Madison.”

Josh cooked poutine using Wisconsin cheese curds. We also ate liberal portions of salad: I have had enough dairy and fried food to last me until 2025. I recall a time when the Reinkes and I were young and cool; now we’re prioritizing salad over poutine for dinner.

We wax philosophical about all the changes in the Scrabble community over the years. Great company.

—

I fly out tomorrow afternoon; this will be the last blog entry since travel days suck. Huge kudos to Lynda Finn and Mike Johnson for their efforts in putting this gem of a tournament together. Hopefully my dad can put the marathon together. I’ve already told Eli that we’re coming next year if the schedule at all allows it.

You should come, too.

Scrabble is fucking metal and Madison rocks.

Thanks for the memories, Madison!