Mark and I played sixteen games while in Finland and I won thirteen:
01 My only bingo was REVISER (88) and Mark played three: AWAItED (75), QuAINTER (84) and LIONISE (67). 301-467
02 I played DESErVE (97), TABERED (83) and NECKERS (79). I extended QUILT to make BEDQUILT with the B on a TWS to score 60. 549-310
03 After we each exchanged tiles on our opening plays, going second I was able to play DICENTRA (62) and then near the end of the game played a second bingo, rESEASON (74). With the rack AIOSSTT I missed TATSOIS. Mark played ACETATE (82) and LOADERS (71). 352-379
04 I played SOrDINI (70) and DElIVERS (80). 398-271
05 I played BANDERs (76) and GEMMIEST (89). 459-284
06 One bingo each. I played RIGOuRs (76) and Mark played NEAREST (71). Near the end of the game doubt settled in and I declined to play INNAGES, which would have fit. I kicked myself for passing up a word which I could only have heard about through Scrabble. However, with the score somewhat close, I may have decided not to play it to ensure the win if I lost a challenge. 392-351
07 I played DENIERS (75), PREEInG (78) and DOUTING (71). Mark played SEXTANtS (82). 493-299
08 I opened with LOFTING (80) and also got down ACONITES (68). I also got 70 for QAIDS. I set up JOE (10) so the square to the right of the E was the centre TWS. I held the last S and the blanks were already on the board. Mark could not block my next move: ZONES, with the Z on the DLS and the S on the TWS, also making JOES, to score 105. I was happy to un-triple my E’s with TEEVEE (30), played through another E. Mark played STARRIEr (59) and iNFUSING (86). 527-375
09 Mark scored the bingos in this game: NOOSINg (84) and pREDATED (60). 313-411
10 I played CUShIEST (59) and Mark played LAsERED (75). With the rack CEISSU? I managed to play CUShIEST to a T but could have scored higher provided I found a 7LW that slotted an S in second or third position. There are only two, which are coincidently anagrams of each other: CESIUmS and mISCUES. 336-324
11 My bingos were SCLERITE (62), UNWINdER (74) and REHONED (76)*. After my third bingo I drew the rack BIKLMOX and saw the possibility for MILKBOX, yet bemoaned my inability to play it. I would have tried it for sure, as I certainly know what a milk box is. Houses used to be built with these in an exterior wall for milk deliveries. Residents didn’t have to go outside to pick up their milk and could open the box from inside. Our maternal grandparents had a milk box in their home. When I told Mark that I drew MILKBOX yet had nowhere to play it, he said that if I had, he would have challenged it without hesitation. Turns out MILKBOX* is phony. I would genuinely have tried it. Mark played PASTURE (81). 455-377
12 I played MUNSTER (81) and Mark played OVErPAId (65). 401-311
13 With the horrid rack EEEOSY? I found EYESOrE (84). I realized when I played it that I could also have made the blank an m. Those are the only 7LW with that rack. I also played AIRLINES (70). With the rack EEFLNOS I missed ONESELF. I was looking for an I to play FELONIES or OLEFINES, but that rack also builds through a T to make FELSTONE. Mark played PETTINg (62). He also got 65 for ZOOM. 443-339
14 We each opened with bingos. I played first with SUDSIeR (68) and also got down PATTERNS (90). Mark’s opening play was BRANDING (74) and he also got down REBONDEd (84)*. I doubted the word but was winning by well over a hundred points before he played it, so I should have challenged it. 470-384
15 Another close one. I played SATORIS (77) and BaCTERIA (74), hoping to stick an L or S onto the end of it, but those tiles never came. Mark played LeADERS (66). 388-375
16 I played REdNESS (77) and Mark played DRIPPIER (73). With the rack EENRSS? I was looking for 9LW through -AR- and I see that there are two: ENSnARERS and hARNESSER. In this case, though, the 7LW was worth a lot more because I hooked the S’s onto two other words. 375-287