Bingo!

During a recent late night PLO game, Miriam threw down the scrabble challenge gauntlet. Perhaps it wasn’t exactly a “challenge”, per se, but wanted to play and was confident she would win.

Based on what we know, this seemed plausible. But, never one to let near-certain defeat put me off, I accepted the challenge. We agreed to play before the £300 at the end of November.

I don’t know whether Miriam really expected the game to go ahead, but after I announced it on the forum it really had to be done!

Knowing that Miriam is a very good player, I was surprised to learn that she had in her possession neither a scrabble set, nor a scrabble dictionary!

I don’t have a board either as I have been playing on facebook with other forum members over the past few months but I haven’t played a “live” game for over 30 years. In any case, first order of the day on Saturday was a stop at “Toys-R-Us” to pick up a brand new scrabble kit. The game was removed from its shrink-wrap live at The International – so no issues over it being a complete set!

Expecting a heavy defeat, I negotiated Miriam down from £1 a point to 50p/point and off we went.

I ran good.

First, I picked “E” vs. Miriam’s “O” to win the right to play first (presumably that is an advantage) and whaddya know. Straight away I can play all 7 letters (playing all 7 letters is known as a “Bingo” in scrabble and is one of the keys to high scoring). It is obviously rare to be able to start the game this way, but unbelievably I found “ALCOVES” and I’m off to an absolute flyer – 82 points to open. That’s like picking up Aces vs. Kings in the first hand!

Miriam started with a modest 10, but then as I struggled to follow my strong start, Miriam fought back impressively using small multi-word combos to great effect. I had played “DIRT” when I should have played “WRIT” at move 2 and this enabled Miriam to play a really elegant SAY/DIRTY/NA for 33 points using only 3 letters.

A couple of moves later, she found the chance to play a Q on a double letter score AND pick up the double word – effectively netting 40 points for a single tile. “QUIET” was the word, but the reaction was anything but. Miriam had pulled back to within 3 points.

She was unlucky to find me with a “U” in hand so I could play “QUAD” to the triple word score in the bottom left, effectively neutralising her quad-Q to a great extent.

Now I had picked up 2 S’s and a blank is my hand – that’s a bit like freerolling to the nuts two ways. I had “FISSION” in my hand but couldn’t see how to play it for another Bingo. Miriam called the clock on me and I settled for playing just the “F” and holding the other letters.

Miriam took the chance to play two letters again for an AH/HA/DA combo – 23 points for two letters – very nice. She wasn’t sure about DA and I didn’t think she was bluffing, so I made the first of three important challenges that proved critical in the game.

DA was good (a Burmese knife) so I miss my turn and Miriam gets the chance to play on the open Triple Word at the top of the board. She breaks the 200 point barrier and gains the lead for the first time.

Meanwhile I decide to hold on to the chance of a bingo and play “IO” and “GO” for just 7 points.

Miriam makes an error here, I believe. She challenges and when IO turns out to be a valid term for a type of moth, I get a free go and can now play my S-S-blank combo for a Bingo (SUIToRS) and gain the momentum back.

Miriam couldn't quite believe that one, but at least she has learned a word to use in anger another time.

Game on! The “sack” was hitting me in the face, really, but Miriam countered with a fantastic 50 points for playing X on a triple letter, scoring twice in one move (XI, EX) – 48 points for 1 letter !

She unbelievably had the lead back despite me playing 2 Bingos and snagging a tripled-Q.

I say the tiles were good to me but at one point here I held the rather unfavourable AAEEEEB. I never like to exchange or pass. I prefer to play out of trouble – dropping in EE in the middle of some other words. Miriam was dubious about “IDES” but let it go (it is valid in fact).

After EX/XI I played CAB/BIO (although risky/doubtful) but Miriam elected not to risk the challenge again (BIO was fine in fact).

She was able to tag “CAB” to play LUNGS and SCAB which may have left the board a bit open and when I managed to dump my Z fairly safely, Miriam failed to close off the top-left triple when she chose to play RINK to keep the scoring lead in the game.

I was able to use the triple (and make it safe) with LIVED.

All the tiles were now out and I held EJLOPT to Miriam’s MNNORTU. Playing “MORN/EM/DO” Miriam moved into a single point lead (actually on checking the scores later Miriam was in fact 2 points behind at this stage. “Live” we saw her as 1 ahead – either way it was extremely close).

Miriam announced she could go out at the next turn. I hold a P and crucially an 8-point J in my hand. If she really can go out then I am crushed if I do not play my J. Not only will I not score with it, but it will effectively count against me 8 points twice.

The letter J is not always easy to play, and I am not sure what score I need to defend either.

I opt to play “JO” which I knew was good and at the same time I make “OI” and “JA”. I score the J twice (instead of losing it twice) but I am not certain about “JA”.

I have to make up my mind quickly and decide to go for it.

JA/JO/OI puts me 19 ahead. I have 6 points left in my hand. If Miriam knows this (theoretically she should but in practice she will be guessing) then she will need to score 8 to win. Scoring 8 puts her 11 behind and the 6 in my hand is deduced from my score AND added to hers. This will leave her the winner by one point!

In a world of perfect information, Miriam would know all this and play “TURN” on the double word score, for exactly 8 and a win by a single point.

I give a bit of speech about now being sure of “JA” and Miriam decides to challenge. If she is right, she is a lock for the game but when “JA” is good (it means Yes, basically) I get another go and dump my P.

That settles it for a win by 17 (Miriam actually plays “RUNT” for 6 points on the end which doesn’t matter now).

In quite a twist, I rechecked the scores in detail later (and with the benefit of time) and it turns out that Miriam was in fact 22 points behind so if she doesn’t challenge and plays “TURN” then her 1 pt win would swing to a 2 point loss on recount. How to rule on this one ? She had incorrect information and could have played differently if she knew. Would the result stand? Tricky one!

I only ever play on the internet so wrong scores do not happen. Miriam made no errors at all in calling her scores. I scored wrong 3 times (only by 1 or 2 points) but as we see it can make all the difference!

It’s fair to say that Miriam played the better game but it takes two to tango, and all agreed it was an exciting match. Most said it was more exciting than watching KILLYGLEN fail to trouble the scorers at the Haydock Park which was on simultaneously.

I had wanted to watch the race but the board held my attention, and apparently I didn’t miss much (except for the $100 I had on the stupid nag ...).

International Scrabble Tournament anyone ?