Texan expert Scrabble player Matt Canik is in town to play in the Niagara Falls International Open and came by on Thursday afternoon. He is currently ranked sixteenth and I knew I had a challenging afternoon ahead of me. Little did I know how much of an ordeal I would have to endure. My scores were all pitifully low. Matt won all six games:
Game 1: 357-445. I played PROtEAS (74) and Matt played HEINIES (69).
Game 2: 310-569. I played AREOLES (70) and Matt played UNbRIEFED (98) through -FE-, ARTISANS (122) as a triple-triple through the S in AREOLES immediately after I played my bingo, and UNREAdY (73).
Game 3: 312-558. I played iVORIEST (74) and Matt played OWLERIES (86), ROTARIES (77), HOARiLY (88) and DOVETAiL (77). I played iVORIEST from the i in Matt’s HOARiLY.
Game 4: 291-509. Matt played DIAZINES (70), ERRaBLE (80) and HARDeST (88). I had opened the game with ZEP after Matt exchanged tiles. Of all the letters to give him: his new rack was ADEIINS and he needed that Z.
Game 5: 322-403. I played RELICTS (75) and Matt played SPRINTED (63) and BARtERINg (63) through a separated B and first R.
Game 6: 288-434. I played AiLERONS (59) and Matt played ALIENERS (62) and PETANQUE (89).