Mark and I played eight games over the Christmas holidays and I won five. There were more phony bingos played–and gotten away with–than usual and in none of those cases were any of them desperation plays. We both believed that the words we had played were legitimate. Mark gave me some good games yet I remarked that when my first draw in a game was an abundance of A’s and O’s (which happened to me twice) I went on to lose that game. It’s a new jinx that I will have to get over. I averaged 436 and Mark 355. Here is the bingo breakdown:
| Craig | Mark |
| NETOPIC (68) * | EXcITING (80) |
| ALLOWERS (74) * | FIRRIEST (86) |
| HEmPSEED (88) | CHIMERs (86) |
| NEROLIS (66) | GUSTIEST (70) |
| DISQUIeT (106) | FIRSTINg (80) * |
| ROUNDELS (72) | EROTIcA (64) |
| POTTERy (71) | AIRSIDE (76) |
| TWIsTOR (92) | STEAMER (83) |
| MITOTIc (64) | |
| STIrRUP (72) | |
| GLOWERS (83) | |
| QUINATE (75) | |
| FAVOrITE (78) | |
| FRoNTES (83) | |
| ANISOLE (92) | |
| RUnTIER (74) |
There are two valid anagrams in that rack, one of which is the similar-looking NEPOTIC (the other is also a lookalike, ENTOPIC). I definitely knew NEPOTIC, yet made the conscious decision to play NETOPIC. I realized after the game that I was confusing my rack with the similar switcheroo bingo pair KENOTIC and KETONIC.
My first two bingos of our Christmas showdown were both phonies. I considered its only valid anagram, SALLOWER, yet it would not fit, as the bingo had to start with A.
I emptied the bag during our first two games, drawing the last three from the bag. In each case the J was among the last three tiles.
I remembered TWIsTOR from a game we played in July.
In the game where I played QUINATE, that bingo was my second play. My opening draw was AAAOOOT and as my first move I traded six, keeping T. I played the bingo on my second turn. I lost that game, 362-414.