Request for Tourney Help

Our weekend tournament is fast approaching...less than 4 weeks away!  With committed entrants from 10 states (plus one from Canada!) already, it is shaping up to be everything I hoped it would be.  While I feel everything is in very good shape preparation-wise, there are a number of things that I would love to have help on, if anyone has a bit of spare time.

Would anyone be willing to help with any of the following activities?

-Transportation:  Be available to give (or arrange) rides to/from the airport or other hotels to Fairfield Inn.  I'd like to be able to give your phone number and/or email to anyone needing assistance in this regard.

-Printing:  This includes individual entrant tally sheets (on thick stock, double-sided if possible for the Main Event version), game reporting slips, blank/challenge slips, etc.  It would be great if these could be color-coded by division.  Bonus points for making name tags...people will be coming from all over the place, so I think they could be very helpful.

-Setup/Cleanup:  Assist with setting up the room before the Early Bird on Friday.   One or two folks that could arrive by, say, 4pm, would be sufficient.  Similarly, 2-3 folks that can stay after on Sunday and help with cleanup would be great.

-Registrar:  Help greet people and hand them their score sheets as they arrive.  Collect any at-the-door entry fees for Early Bird or Night Bird.  Keep me informed of any late arrivals or no-shows.

-Food: This is optional, and hotel guests have the continental breakfast, but I think it would be great if we could provide some home-baked goodies (or a fruit tray and bagels/donuts from Meijer or whatever) in the morning, along with maybe a pot of coffee and/or juice.  Also, for lunch, we could look at catering options for anyone not interested in Cracker Barrel or going off-site.  Anything that simplifies things for visitors is a good thing and makes them more likely to return.  Anyone that has attended the Knoxville events knows what I mean here.  I would love if someone could "own" this, and look at options and see what we could do.

If you can help with any of the above, or anything else I might have missed, please let me know as soon as possible.  THANK YOU!

Upcoming Tourneys

Hi folks,

I want to put in a quick plug for three upcoming tournaments, all within a few hours' drive:

1) Asheville, NC (Nov. 8-9, 14 games):  http://cross-tables.com/download/2014/11/asheville.pdf
I've never been able to make it to this tournament, but the location is splendid (especially this time of year), and the director, Bill Snoddy is one of the finest I know.

2) Our own, Lexington, KY (Nov. 21-23, 24 total games over 3 events).  http://cross-tables.com/download/2014/11/lexington.pdf
I hope you're already planning to attend this one!

3) Knoxville, TN (Dec. 13-14, 15 games): http://cross-tables.com/download/2014/12/knoxville.pdf
Trish Harrop and Vicki Blizzard have been running this one for several years now, and they always do a great job!

Updated stats, 10/22

						old	new		avg	avg.		first
		W	L	Win %		rating	rating		score	bingos		club rating
Marc		4	4	50 %		1759			399	1.5		1795
Steve		24	6	80 %		1709	1712		435	1.7		1680
Matthew		62	24	72 %		1611			415	2		1724
Will		37	10	78 %		1609			414	1.7		1503
Ken		3	2	60 %		1404			388	1		1406
Jim		25	27	48 %		1292			341	0.9		nr
Joe		8	7	53 %		1150			370	1.2		1169
Martha		3	5	37 %		1135*			331	0.3		nr
Eric		5	2	71 %		1105			365	1.1		1086
Betty		46	36	56 %		1117	1099		373	1		947
Victoria		35	34	50 %		973			359	1.3		863
Margaret		7	11	38 %		964			366	1		968
Wendy		4	3	57 %		949			368	1.3		931
Lisa		5	6	45 %		916*			343	0.5		nr
Brandon		2	3	40 %		888	899		367	1.2		888
Kelly		2	7	22 %		879			325	0.6		894
Jan		25	53	32 %		671	683		326	0.4		652
Marsha		0	3	0 %		nr	500*		190	0		500
Janny		14	41	25 %		418	412		312	0.1		312
Cheryl		5	31	13 %		339			290	0.1		311

Sunday 10/19 Results

We had a couple of visitors, Brandon Zitzman from N. Kentucky, and Jan's sister Marsha (didn't get last name), visiting from Florida.  The results are below.  My apologies for the gaps in data, hopefully it will still be enough for Matthew to calculate the updated ratings.  I'll be glad to make any additions/corrections if anyone has them.

Round 1

Steve 538, ANEURISM 64, EUROKIES 94, WIELDERS 89

Brandon 289, BARTERS 74

Janny def. Marsha by 198, no bingoes

Jan 334  FONDLERS

Betty 312

Round 2

Steve 479, FAERIES 76, PENTANES 72, WEENIEST 72

Janny 317, MODESTY 86

Betty 455, TENSION, MISSTATE

Marsha 204

Brandon ENTWIST, BEASTIE

 def. Jan by 100  SHINGLE, TOKEING*

Round 3

Steve 438 RADDING 72

Marsha 177

Brandon 470 NEEDIEST, UNDERLIT, ESOTERIC

Betty 389, TANNERS

Jan  PICNICS, BOOMIES*

def. Janny by 107

Round 4

Steve 360 DISSAVES 65, SOLIDARY 70

Brandon 353

Betty 439

Jan 364

Round 5

Betty 448

Brandon 358

Club Sunday 10/19

I'm planning to be there tomorrow.  Who else?

Updated stats, 10/13

						old	new		avg	avg.		first
		W	L	Win %		rating	rating		score	bingos		club rating
Marc		4	4	50 %		1759	1759		399	1.5		1795
Steve		20	6	76 %		1709	1709		432	1.6		1680
Matthew		62	24	72 %		1613	1611		415	2		1724
Will		37	10	78 %		1597	1609		423	1.7		1503
Ken		3	2	60 %		1404	1404		388	1		1406
Jim		25	27	48 %		1310*	1292		341	0.9		nr
Joe		8	7	53 %		1150	1150		370	1.2		1169
Martha		3	5	37 %		1135*	1135*		331	0.3		nr
Betty		43	34	55 %		1113	1117		371	1		947
Eric		5	2	71 %		1105	1105		365	1.1		1086
Victoria		35	34	50 %		955	973		359	1.3		863
Margaret		7	11	38 %		964	964		366	1		968
Wendy		4	3	57 %		949	949		368	1.3		931
Lisa		5	6	45 %		916*	916*		343	0.5		nr
Kelly		2	7	22 %		879	879		325	0.6		894
Jan		23	51	31 %		695	671		325	0.3		652
Janney		13	39	24 %		414	418		312	0.1		312
Cheryl		5	31	13 %		333	339		290	0.1		311

Results, 10/12

Will            3-0      +158
Matthew     4-1      +309
Victoria      3-2        (29)
Betty          2-2         0
Jim             2-3       (109)
Janney        1-2        (57)
Cheryl        1-2       (130)
Jan              0-4       (147)

Victoria  423        Matthew  296                Will  366             Jim  332                      Betty  402              Janney  325
AIRTING             NESTLERS                  VESTING           SORRIER                   SARCINET*
GOATEES

Will  377              Victoria  348                 Jim  334              Jan  290                       Matthew  446         Betty  307
JANGLER            DISLIKED                                                                                   BONDERS            RESIGNED
  - 104!                  HEADING

Janney  341          Cheryl  298                   Will  391             Betty  296                    Victoria  325          Janney  302
                                                                   GREISEN           TOWNEES

Cheryl  339           Jan  331                        Matthew  439      Jim  304                       Victoria  363         Jan  356
DWELLING                                              TOLUENE          UNPIECES*                ATONIES             DUMMIES
                                                                   VIOLETS

Matthew  411        Jim  337                       Jim  376               Cheryl  281                  Matthew  457        Jan  369
LATEENS            UMPIRES                    MORTIFY                                               LEANEST             DOGGIER
                              BUNNIES                                                                                     TREPANS
                                                                                                                                    HARRIED

Betty  438              Victoria  281              
SNEEZES              SCOUTER                 

Club on Sunday, Oct. 12

I'm going to be there a bit early. If anyone else is, perhaps we could get in an early game?

Results, 10/5

A light turnout for club today, so a few extra notes on fun phonies and phony attempts.
Since was only we two, I'll save posting new player ratings until next week.

Betty    426        Matthew  353                   Matthew  404        Betty  348                   Matthew  425        Betty  359              
REVETTED      RETIARY                                                      TRUSSER                  MERCIES             MAFTIRS
DIAPERS          DUELLIST                                                                                        DEGREENS*
+ Betty caught me on PRECOAT*,                                                                            + I caught Betty trying to make
and I unsuccessfully challenged her                                                                            GIDE*/ETESIAN
REVETTED and GONIF

Matthew  390     Betty  387                                                    Matthew  437       Betty  282
HELLERS                                                                              ATAMOYA*
ERGATIC*                                                                            NITRIDE
NOODGES                                                                             + ATEMOYA, oops.  I thought it was good both ways.  Betty
+  I unsuccessfully challenged Betty's JUNCO, while           got away with hooking an S to it for DOS.  She caught me on
she unsuccessfully challenged my NOODGES                      ZOFTERS*

Columbus 7-game Tourney Yesterday

I played the 7-game tournament in Columbus yesterday...one of those rare times where I'm the top seed in the top division. I had high hopes of cracking the 1800 rating barrier and perhaps the top 100 in North America. Both will have to wait, thanks to my mediocre 4-3 finish. 

I'd love to be able to say it's because my draws were in the tank, but overall that wasn't really the case (e.g., I had exactly half of the S's and 6 of the blanks over all). I'm still in the process of doing post-mortems on my games, but it's pretty obvious that my struggles with defense and board vision more than make up for whatever advantages I have in word knowledge and anagramming ability. It's a process. :) 

I had a lot of fun, regardless. And, I'm hoping we'll get a good turnout from the Ohio crowd at our upcoming November tourney!

I am looking at another Sunday full of too many things needing doing, so I won't be at club today. On the other hand I am taking a full three days off from work before the Nov. tournament and will disappear for two of them to spend time studying.