Round 20

Table 1 has Matt Graham (USA) vs Joe Edley (USA).

In this game, Edley has had three bingos midway through:

SEQUINED, LEADMAN, and aENEOUS. And Edley is ahead 310-204. There are
about 14 people crowding around the velvet rope and tables put out to
keep people from hovering too close.

Table 2 has Jeff Grant (NZ) vs Joel Sherman (USA). Joel is back into
his GIJOEL sweatshirt. I've been told it was a gift from his brother.
It is wonderfully fitting for him to be wearing! Also, did I mention
Lester Schonbrun's CG hat? I took a picture of it, but it might take a
few days for us to download it and get it up onto the net.

Alexandra Williams just annotated two games with me. In the first game,
she took down (THA) Akshay Bhandarkar's racks and plays, while I took
down (GBR) Mark Nyman's racks. In the second game, she took down (USA)
Robert Felt's racks and plays while I took down (USA) Joel Sherman's
stuff. I will post them in their full glory when I get a moment. Until
then, suffice it to say that I lucked into recording both winners'
tiles! Alexandra is now walking around with the digital camera taking
photos of the top 4 tables. It has been fun working with her!

Table 3 has Akshay Bhandarkar (THA) vs Robert Felt (USA).

Table 4 has team GBR's Russell Byers vs Mark Nyman.

Edley has just played HAFTaROT, and Matt challenged. It is good.

445-329, Edley's favor. Matt just layed PORGY.

It is a little more than half over.

I've been getting these updates on the Graham/Edley game from Stefan
Fatsis, a local reporter. He corrects me, NY. You could never tell....
He is SO NY.

Board 2's Joel Sherman(USA) has 340 and Jeff Grant (NZ) has 226.

Board 3's Akshay (THA) vs Felt is over. 481-459. Felt fell to Akshay.
Wow! He is in very good spirits considering! Six bingos on their board.
I will try to get them: dISHABLE, ReUNION, DIMMEST. Akshay's were:
DERANGES, HINDERED, and REVOLTEd. Great game says Akshay. He says he
just has to win the next game. He is hoping he does. :)

Board 4's Nyman/Byers match is still going strong.  320-357, but can't
tell who is ahead.

CATNEP#, John L. (USA) played it to go out and win against Bob Lipton
(USA). 412-396. Close one!

According to Charlie Southwell, Nyman has had a bad run of letters in
these past two games.

Edley just beat out Graham. 512-369. Wow! I see QUINOAS and CODEINES
and AXENIC! WOW!

Russell Byers (GBR) just beat out Mark Nyman (GBR). Russell says Mark
had bad racks his first 4 racks. Russell played VITAmIN, INTERSEX, and

QUALIFY. Mark did SOILURE and SUNDRIES. I see CUZ on their board and
Russell tells me it is an OSW contraction for cousin. Mark ended the
game with 2 seconds on his clock. Russell says he feels badly for
knocking Nyman out of the running. His teammate Penny Donwer told him
it was alright, that someone had to win.

I hear that ISABELLA got challenged, it was good!!!

Susi Tiekert just told me to tell Larry to get down here. I let her
know we were unsure if Joel would be in the finals. She said she knew,
but that he ought t come on down. Going to put this up.

sherrie

saint@mit.edu

p.s. I hear Avrin say 5 people in contention for 2 spots: grahman,
sherman, edley, byers, and bandarkar (BAR).