Round 20

John Chew is helping Adam and I upload files between games and 
he says that the first game was "tense and exciting." John is being 
sure to stand just to one side of the board, closer to Albert so that 
he isn't seeing both racks.

The annotators have switched sides this game, Mad with Joel and 
Trevor with Albert. Since Joel went first last game, it is Albert's 
turn to begin. The men shook hands before the game started.

Albert's first rack was UPRAT?S and Joel's was QEENRLS. Albert 
found the bingo UPRATeS for 72. His new rack is RMIESHY.

Joel makes a play for 25, QUERN. His new rack is ELSGADB.

The play we see for Albert is SHIMMERY or SMITHERY. Albert 
plays MISERY/QUERNS and his replacement racks is UTIWHOO.

Joel plays BEGLADS and picks up WRETCIL.

Albert then plays WHOSIT, which Joel challenges and it comes off 
the board.

They are 115-104, in Albert's favor.

Albert fumbles  and drops a tile (his U); not clear whether Joel saw.

Joel plays WRIST, using the S in BEGLADS and picks up ECLAXTI.

Albert, still with UTIWHOO, plays WITH to the triple off the W in 
WRIST.

Albert overdraws, Joel picked three tiles, BOA, and returned B to 
the bag. (turning over a BOA just might be dangerous in any other 
setting.)

Albert's new rack COWOEAU.

Joel announces 36 with XI parallel to WITH. His new rack is 
ECLATAY. 

The score is 164-145.

Albert played WO off of XI, and drew AAUCOOE.

The online audience watching Adam's commentary has grown to 
11.

Joel played ACYLATES to the S in UPRATeS. He picks AFGLNUV.

Albert then played COMEAU to the triple through the M in 
MISERY, which he debated a lot by writing it on his pad over and 
over. Joel challenged and off it came.

Albert seems to fidget a bit more with his tiles whereas Joel puts 
them into a standard order after he picks them.

Joel played FUNGAL on the triple through the A in ACYLATES 
and replaced his rack with AVDDIHL.

Albert played GUACO to the triple off the G in BEGLADS and 
picked ANKEROE.

Albert fumbles an N on his rack, but Joel probably misses it.

Here is a difference in playing styles. Albert does not track and he 
doesn't write down his opponent's plays.  Joel, ever meticulous, 
with his handmade tracking sheet, has all the gritty details down. 
Perhaps Albert has a photographic memory!

Joel played DAH parallel to FUNGAL and picked IDLVNGU.

Albert played MOKE to the triple off the M in MISERY and picked 
RENANER.

The score is now 295-229 in Joel's favor. One blank out and 29 tiles 
left in the bag. I

I'm hearing that Joel's play might be DULLING at D6 or D7.

Hugh, perhaps tired of the creaking his sneakers make on the 
hardwood floors, is now in stocking feet with ons pant leg tucked 
into his sock. 

Joel played VAU through the A in BEGLADS and picks IDLNGZO. 

Albert responds with CANNER, from the C in ACYLATES and 
replenishes his rack with MOREITE. 

Their clocks are about 5:04 to 15:36, Albert with more time this 
round. He went over by 16 seconds last game.

Joel played COZ off the C in GUACO and picks IDGLNFI. Adam 
quickly anagrams: DEFILING/FIELDING through an E or 
FIDDLING through a D.

Albert plays OMER to the triple parallel to CANNER and picks 
JOODIE?. He has 14:11 on his clock.

Joel played FINED parallel to ACYLATES and through the E in 
UPRATES and picks LIGAIEN. I'm hearing that FINED was a good 
shutdown move.

There are 13 tiles left and Joel is at 3:01 and Albert at 10:45 on their 
clocks.

We wonder what Albert is cogitating over. He plays JIAO through 
the A in UPRATES and picks POAOTE?

Joel responds with HALING and picks EIIDTEV.

Their scores 358-310, Joel's lead.

There are only 8 tiles left in the bag and Joel has 2:13 and Albert 
5:36 on his clock.

Albert plays OPE parallel to DAH and picks BOASTE?.

Off of that, Joel plays across the triple lane, creating VIDE/DOPE 
and picks EITE. The tiles are now gone.

Clocks are 1:22 to 3:22, with Albert having more time.

Albert played out with 56 seconds left on his rack. The play was 
NOTEBASE from the open N in CANNER (making SWITH, ER), 
which Joel has challenged. It is ruled not good and comes off the 
board.

Joel played FATE off the F in FINED.

Albert played VIDEOTEx.

Joel played REI off R in MISERY. 

Final score: 432-356. Joel Wapnick wins. We are now 1-1 heading 
into game 3. Joel and Albert are posing for photographers when 
they probably would prefer decompressing.

more next round.