DAY 1:
I'm in town Thurs nite w/ my son & his friend for 6 days of Scrabble Tournaments. We
limo to Silver Legacy and check-in to 'superior' corner Spa suite. Kids order room service
right away and went swimmin' later. They report the pool 'sux bad' - only 4 ft deep in the
deep end, small, and freezing cold. They last 10 min. and spent most of the rest of non-
Scrabble time all trip in the room reviewing their games and watchin' TV while I was out
VP-ing. They're both about 17 1/2 yrs old, so I just kept one of their cell phones in my
pocket in case they wanted to check in with me. I never did get used to that vibration
sensation.
Flight arrived @6:00PM, I was gamblin' by 7:30. Hit a nice 5-of-a-kind on 25c JW for $250
in the first 40 hands. Hit another nice hand soon after- quad As, no kicker on 25c DDB for
$200. Shoulda quit as I was up over my target of +$300. Piddled it away on 25c DDB & JW
& a short run of 10-play JoB 25c. Back into my own money, playin' 25c DDB, prog @
$1183 west of the north escalator, and shoot, dealt 3RF, two more come IN for the RF! +
$1183 YAY. Played a bit more on $1 BP, hit quad As for $400. Quittin' now up $1300. Try
to win THAT much playing Scrabble.
But, you never know.
Limo-ing the next 6 days at 8:20AM to the Nugget north of here in Sparks.
The lads are psyched per usual. Some famous Scrabble players are here for the main event
- 36 games over 4 full days + 1 half-day July 4th. If you read Word Freak or watched
Scrabylon or Word Wars movies, you'd know of G I Joel. And there are others who
happened to be rated higher too.
Got that Royal already, wow.
DAY 2:
My son got 2nd in the early bird (one day- eight game) Scrabble top division for $120
prize on $50 entry fee. Our friend did worse but had a 605 pt game score in one of his
games - these kids are good, in the top 100 of ALL players nationally, not to brag.
I dropped $400 at VP during my one hour lunch at the Nugget, playing 50c fullpay ACE
$Bonus and 50c 9/6 DDB. I found the NSUD bank, will try that in the next few days.
Dropped another $600 at VP for 5 hrs play at Silver, having limo'd to Nugget, taxied back.
I had buffet dinner, they went for room service.
VP highlights: (too few) two quad As for $200 AND a quad 7 dealt on $1 DDB for $250. I'm
stickin to quarters mostly. I chatted with my host a couple times.
DAY 3:
So, day 1 of Scrab in divsion 2, I went 1-6. Ugh. I averaged 365 pts per gm, which is just
a little low for me.
Played NSUD at Nugget. Won $300 during my hour lunch, lost $300 in the hour after my
game 7, while waiting for my charges, who play 8 games.
We Taxi back to Silver($15). Lads do room service, I had a salad & clam chowder at
Fairchilds. The fullpay joker wilds which have moved to the south mezz are all hand pay
on all amounts of cashout- something's busted, and because all the mechanics are too
busy setting up for a slot tourney in the mezz conference rooms right nearby, they don't
have time to fix the 12 machines for 3 whole days(!) . I can never wait for hand pays- no
down time allowed for this busy guy. So I play other stuff. I'm even for 1/2 hr on 25c, up
$200 on $1 DDB thanks to a quick quad 7s for 250. I felt 'spunky' with a $450 ticket, so I
hit the $5 JoB in high limit. I know you are thinking 'uh-oh', and yes, I got down to about
25 cred before I hit a full house for $225 and a cashout up $50 and flee. I then did a
general tour of the casino, playing all my fave games, cashing out 4 times for up $50 ea. A
nightcap $1 BP (w/suited progs) session was south $100, even with quad 5s for 125. Quit
at 10:30, up $300 on the day, only 4 hours gaming (!)
DAY 4
I got up before the lads, showered and got in 1/2 hr VP before meeting the limo about
8:30. Son & friend discovered a good breakfast at Food express, and they wolf it before
limo time. Featured on the limo CD player (I brought along) THREE from the Vault by
Grateful Dead. Brand new, first release from the Rhino record (division of Warner Bros) who
bought the Vault from the Dead organization and have had over six months to publish.
Slackers. Feb 19, 1971 famous show - they debuted 2 songs (!!)
I won one game of Scrabble before lunch. I know SOOoo many people here, nice to chat
up so many friends.
I dropped $200 at lunchtime VP. Spent 1/2 hr with new pal- a San Jose resident and SLOW
VP player. I taught him some tricks on Jacks or Better, but I doubt he'll get serious. Not
into practice and the concept of a cheat sheet boggles him. Very smart guy tho', he ends
up winning my division for a $1600 prize (!!) I had just beat him by 1 point 383- 382
before lunch. I won two of three after lunch Scrabbin'. I beat the highest rated player in
my group by 91 , 400-somethin vs. 320-ish. He thought it'd be an easy win - HA! I WILL
BE HEARD from.
I taxied back to Silver immediately after my game 14, I had a special slot tourney where
they were givin away loads of money. No good scores for me, so I'll have to settle for
getting my ticket drawn Monday for a RED SPORTS car.
Room service for the yutes, McDonalds across the street for me- lines too long at the
Sedona Cafe, even if I cut the line with my Sterling card/line pass it'll be slow sledding
getting served I'm sure. Plus, a QTR pounder & fries was all I craved.
Down $200 playin 50c NSUD and 50c Dbl Dbl bonus PLUS- a twist on DDB: same paytable,
but on quad 5-K with an ACE kicker payoff goes to 80-1 instead of 50-1. Never seen it
before, now it shares the MG screens with regular (or prog) 9/6 DDB here. Lost $200 more
on ACE$BP and my last benji on 25c & 50c DDB+. SO, time for my 2nd ATMwithdrawal of
the trip, first was day one. I came here with zero funds, so my ATM only, $500 max per
day plan is going good.
Won a fast $100 on FPDW, dropped $400 on 25c and 50c stuff, then I sat down at $1
DDB- the OTHER bank of ten which had a prog RF over $5050. Somebody must've hit the
southernmost bank which had been the higher prog of the two on previous days at $4450
+. I hit an early quad 4s for $400 and cashed it out up $300. making me even after ATM
w/d #2.
I next hit the south mezz for my fave 25c DDB, prog at $1177. After 5 min, I got quad 2s
for 100 and the very next hand, I again held 22 and drew 223 for 200. wow. Quit it up
$300. Dribbled away $100 on 50c games and -200 on the $1 DDB (prog over 5100 now).
Filed a daily trip report to friends on the kiosk in Silver lobby - kind of a rip-off at 30c/
min of connect time.
Two more groundhog days to go,
DAY 5, Monday:
The usual routine in the AM. Lads to breakfast, Mark to VP for 30 min., up 30 playin 25c
DDB, that goes to the limo driver.
Today was MY day at Scrabble. Won my first three, lotsa end-game finesse in this division,
then lost big in the 4th game. "If only I knew more words" - old Scrabble cliche'.
Lunchtime was kinda cool- I lost $200 on 50c & $1 BP, won 50 on 25c DDB thanks to a
dealt quad T and was playin 50c deuces, held two 2s, drew two more for $500 jackpot. UP
200 at lunch. Yay. I treated myself to a burger at 'Rosies Cafe' - free on my slot card,
which I had a $27 balance. Will treat the kids tomorrow.
Post lunch Scrabble I won 2 of 3. So, I won 5 of 7 today, 9-12 overall, minus 320 or so on
spread (delta game scores added up).
Post tourney I got an hour of play. 25c DDB I held two Aces and drew the others PLUS the
all-important 3 kicker for $500. woo.
I grabbed another $100 on 50c ACE$BP thx to quad 4s for100.
Back to Silver, where my name was not called for the sports car drawing again. You never
seen so many high rollers in one room. Estimated 200 fat cats. No doubt many whales. In
the downstairs ballroom, linens, waiters hustlin around, I didn't even go for the meal I was
in the ballroom for 10 min.
Time = money, so I dropped $400 on $1 DDB and $1 BP. Down $200 on triple line 50c
DDB and -100 on 25c DDB. Plus 150 on 50c ACE$BP thanks to a $100 quad 2. Possible
new fave game- Dbl aces & Faces: quad JQK pays 400 cred. FH/FL/STR8 is 9/7/5. two pair
only 1-1 so much like DDB, swappin KQJ for 234. Will research EV, played it for 50c
denom, hit quad J for 200 but lost 200 overall in a longish session. Won $150 on 25c DDB
from a quad 4 with kicker 2 for $200. Nightcap Dbl A&F 25c, got a dealt quad J for $100
and that was the profit.
Total for the day, 5 hrs +$250.
Now, the lads Scrabble report:
my son is 12-12, +400
His friend is 13-11, +100 and averaged 455 in game score today I stared at it while my
son described it to another player. Sonny started with the middle row and added the third
row as icing after opp played the two blank bingo top row:
DOoMIEr
EXPAND
ZLOTY
Son later later played G and S for GINS & ZLOTYS for a good play near the end.
notice DEL, OXO, OPT and MAY - the vertical words count too as you who Scrabble know.
DAY 6:
Another great day of Scrabbling for our contingent. Morning session: for me, won 3 of 4
pushed toward even record @ 12-13 W/L.
Lunchtime I dropped $100 on 25c DDB VP. I found 18/7/4700 KoB JW which has to be
over 99% EV. Played it a little, prolly more tomorrow. Post tourney I dropped another 100
on 25c DDB and -100 on 50c NSUDeuces.
My afternoon Scrabble was 1-2 W/L, at one point I got to 13-13 for the 3 1/2 days. After
my 1-9 start, that's a 12-4 run. whoa-che-mama. Lads report at the end of this.
So, I got the lads out of the room to dinner at Fairchilds when we returned to Silver Legacy
via taxi. Big chunk of salmon and kids couldn't talk Scrabble non-stop due to food in their
mouths. Actually, I joke, but I enjoy their enthusiasm as long as they don't lose me with
rack-tile details. Nothin kills a conversation to me like a string of tiles in a sentence. "and
then I held AAEONGT and played off the vowels, drawing IKV !!" huh? they know this now,
so they dumb it down to keep me engaged. They are starting to recognize my glazed-over
expression. Funny.
Back to gaming post-dinner (8PM) I tried the JW on the mezz across from Sedona Cafe,
which are now spitting out tickets like normal.
They were handpays for the last 3 days and I didn't play them. These are the only
machines I know of in Reno that have full-pay Kings or better Joker Wild- paying 20-1 for
quads. Dropped $200 on them, long session: so much for the 20-1. But I got to puff a $7
stogie,as they tapped out of my normal brand in both the gift shop and the liquor store
and they haven't restocked yet.
I switched over to 25c DDB with a $1182 prog RF. Scored a DEALT quad Aces for $200,
couldn't draw the kicker to make it $500,durn. Quit it up 100. 10PM.
Lost 100 on dbl Aces & Faces. Won $100 on $1 ACE$bonus thanks to quad 5s for 125. The
$1 urge was stirred up, so I headed down to the south 10 machine bank of $1 DDB. down
$200 in short order, no quads. Another 100 loss on $1 BP w/suited RF progs. HEY! My
wallet is empty- cash flow sitchee-ation!
So, ATM for my 3rd $500 stake of the trip. I sent $100 of it to $1 DDB, then into the
<scary background music> high limit for some $2 Bonus poker. I put in $200 to start it
off. Kept the stake about even thanks to a few flushes and full houses. Then a dealt trip
Aces turned into quads for $800. Super- YAY. Cashed out that $1000 ticket and fled the
area.
$1200 in my pocket, so down $300 for the trip. Nightcapped a $100 donation to 25c
DDB.
DOWN $100 for the day, 7 hrs of VP.
Kids' Scrabble report:
son went 7 and 1 today (!!!) 19-13, +780 overall. No way for him to finish IN the money,
tourney only pays to 5th place in Div 1. My son averaged 453 during his 7 wins today.
My son's game vs the #2 player in the tourney makes his highlight list: his Opp had a run
of 43, 102 (ESCHEWED dbl dbl), 60 (ZORIL), 42, 78 and 73 pts (SUQ). Nigel had plays of
PETITES, FOODIE, GONADIAL and PERTAINS and won in a tight end game 463-458. Son
later had a 3-in-a-row bingo run of PROTEASE, TAVERNAS and ENGINING. His other
game's plays: AIRDROME, HEAUME, COESITE, SAUTOIR, ANEARED,and TONEMES.
Our friend's report: 5-3 on the day, 18-14, +406 overall. Averaged 423 today.and he a
10-3 run. It's good to be good. His Highlight plays: JAWLINE, SARTORII, SUZERAIN (the
ERAI was under a four letter word) ON one game he came back after a 130 pt deficit with
ARSENAL, ELEGISED, and ASCRIBE to win.
So mood is UPBEAT and tomorrow should be exciting for most of us Scrabblers.I better hit
the hay, yes, burning the candle, but it' never tiring when you are doing what you love to
do. So far, it's a near perfect trip. Comebacks, slaughters and humility: we're getting the
whole package.
DAY 7: Last Day
An 'interesting' start of the day. at 8:07AM, my eyes fly open from a sound sleep and I
realize that the alarm has gone off, but either housekeeping or some other gremlins have
changed the station to 'static' I sound the alert, we all LEAP into action, To the kids' credit,
we are packed and in the limo by 8:35 and walkin into the Nugget Scrabble room by 8:48,
none the worse for wear and tear.
Before I jump into Scrab haps, I gotta rewind.
After hitting the send button on the Day 6 report and logging out of the internet kiosk in
the Silver Legacy lobby Tues night, I felt fully alert and decided to do another nightcap
gaming session. I headed down to the new bar, 'DRINX', across from the Sterling
restaurant. At Drinx they have bartop VP and a bank of 4 with generally crappy paytable
games, but the 9/6 DDB is playable, 25c, 50c & $1 denoms. The music turns to hypno-
trans-punk lateat night too, which is so different than the rest of any casino that I really
enjoy my short sessions late-night here. I'm playing 50c DDB, holding two Aces, draw two
more PLUS the kicker for 2000 creds, and machine locks up for a $1000 hand-pay.
Schweet. The session ends up only up $600, but it puts me $300 ahead for the trip as I
crawl into bed about 2:15 AM.
So, fast forward to the last day of Scrabble- four games on the docket. I went 3 wins, one
loss, for an ovreall record of 16 and 16. Not bad considering my 1-9 start,
Son ended up with a 22-14 record, +1030 spread. He got $0 Prize money, but finished
10th place of 60 players.
Wewent off to lunch @ Gabe's deli where I was tad disappointed that I couldn't 'treat' on
my slot card- $20 max says the business-like cashier. I excuse myself to go, what else,
play VP. We arrange to meet back at the bell desk to grab a n Airport Shuttle around 6:30,
so I got in 2 1/2 hrs,of VP: just three highlight hands: Dealt Quad 3s playing $1 coin BP
for200; Quad Ks for 250 playing $1 DDB (held 1) and Quad T's on $1 ACE$ BP for 125.
I lost about $800 on Wednesday. Only down $200 for the trip in VP, another $400 spent
on limo, food, beverage and misc tips, and taxis.
So, I'll follow up with overall summary reports later on,
Thanks for reading.
~MARK