Some guidelines for tournament play

With our LCT coming up this weekend, I've put together a short list of what I see are key differences between rated games and casual games at club, in hopes that this might be useful for those with no (or limited) experience with playing official rated games.

I would also encourage all players to review the complete NASPA official rules document at http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/images/a/a6/Naspa_rules_feb2010_printFinal.pdf

That said, here's the list; comments/feedback welcome:

1) If ANYTHING unusual happens during a game that either you or your opponent is unsure of how to handle (i.e., overdraws, improper exchange, etc.), neutralize your clock and call for the director. Please do not be bashful about this, it is what John and Steve are here for.

2) Players are expected to be QUIET and refrain from distracting others during tournament games. Conversation should be limited to what is necessary for gameplay (announcing scores, challenges, etc.). This is perhaps the biggest difference from casual games at club. Comments like, “Geez, this is my third straight rack with all vowels!”, while common in informal games, are not allowed in tournament games.

3) It is illegal to have any visible papers in your playing area beside your current game score sheet, your contestant tally card, challenge and blank-designation slips and blank sheets that can be used as scratch paper during the game.

4) You are expected to play the complete game, from start to finish. Resigning is almost never allowed, regardless of the score or apparent hopelessness of the game. It is also illegal to “tank” a game or deliberately play poorly.

5) Drawing tiles. Note that the bag must be held at or above eye level, and that the drawing hand should be opened before reaching into the bag.

6) Overdraws. Familiarize yourself with the procedure for overdraws, detailed in section IV.B.4 of the rules (link above). If you or your opponent have ANY doubt on how to handle this situation in a game, please call a director for assistance.

7) Exchanges. Note that tiles to be exchanged MUST be placed face down on the table prior to hitting your clock. The tiles on the table are the ones that are exchanged, REGARDLESS of the number of tiles that you announce you're exchanging.

Tourney List for 2010

I have added a post showing tournaments that Lexington Scrabble Club players have played in during calendar year 2010 and will update it throughout the year.

Our little club has a good number of its members playing -- and sometimes finishing in the prize money -- at tournaments throughout our region and beyond!

Here is a link to the blog entry. There is also a link to it in the right sidebar under the heading "Scrabble Statistics."

Club Session on Sunday, May 16

There were eight of us at our club yesterday, Sunday, May 16, and four rounds were played. Here are how things ended up --

• Andy, 3-1, +278
• Betty, 3-1, +200
• Steve, 2-0, +141
• John, 2-0, +132
• Jan H., 1-2, -74
• Andrea, 1-3, -154
• Victoria, 1-3, -216
• Janny S., 0-3, -307

Next week, instead of a regular club session, we will be having a local club tournament. The next regular club session will be on Sunday, May 30.

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Club on Sunday, May 16; LCT on Sunday, May 23

This post contains the survey results for the regular club session on Sunday, May 16, and for the local club tournament on Sunday, May 23. You may provide your response by e-mailing John at JMSinKY@aol.com or by posting a comment to this post. As additional responses are received, they will be added into the survey results given below.

WHO WILL OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND
CLUB ON SUNDAY, MAY 16
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6 will be able attend: Andrea, Andy, Janny S., John, Steve (from 4 or 5 p.m. on), Victoria
1 will not be able to attend: Will
0 is unsure about attending:

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WHO WILL OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND
THE LOCAL CLUB TOURNAMENT (LCT)
ON SUNDAY, MAY 23
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The LCT will run from 3 p.m. until around 9 p.m.

Five games; pairing system to be determined.

Entry fee of $12.

NASPA membership is required to play at a NASPA-rated LCT.

Local club tournaments are one-third rated.
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7 will be able to attend: Andrea, Andy, Betty, Jan H., John, Steve, Victoria
4 will not be able to attend: Cheryl, Marc, Margaret, Will
2 are unsure about attending: Janny S. ("questionable"), Pat ("maybe")

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This local club tournament will be in place of a normal club session and will be conducted in accordance with NASPA Official Tournament Rules.

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(Survey results updated through Friday, May 14, at 9:06 p.m.)

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Hey you Anonymous folks...

If you don't have a Google/Blogger ID, you can leave a comment as 'Anonymous' but if you are a club member, please sign your post with at least your first name.

2010 Tourneys of Club Members

Last Revised May 30, 2010

This is a continuing blog entry to list the tournaments attended by Lexington Scrabble Club members in 2010. Names are linked to players' Cross-Table.com pages.

List of 2010 Tournaments of Lexington Scrabble Club Members

• ANDREA CARMAN -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23
• ANDY WADE -- 3 tourneys in 2010 so far -- Indianapolis, IN, 2/27 (2nd place, Div. 4); Charleston, WV, 5/1-2 (3rd place, Div. 3); Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23 (2nd place, Div. 1)
• BETTY KING -- 3 tourneys in 2010 so far -- Indianapolis, IN, 2/27; Charleston, WV, 5/1-2 (3rd place, Div. 4); Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23 (3rd place, Div. 1)
• CHERYL COOVERT -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Charleston, WV, 5/1-2
• ERIC YODER -- 0 tourneys in 2010 so far -- future tourneys: Corapolis (Pittsburgh), PA, 6/12-13
• JANICE HATTON -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23
• JOHN SPANGLER -- 6 tourneys in 2010 so far -- Redeye V, Bloomington, MN, 1/16-17; Redeye V latebird, Bloomington, MN, 1/18; Indianapolis, IN, 2/27; Elyria, OH, 3/13-14; WGPO Inaugural earlybird , Bloomington, MN, 4/30 (unrated team tourney); WGPO Inaugural, Bloomington, MN, 5/1-2 (WGPO-rated, 4th place, Div. 4) -- future tourneys: Coraopolis (Pittsburgh), PA, 6/12-13; Bluffton (Hilton Head), SC, 8/14-15 (WGPO-rated); Alpharetta, GA, 9/4-6; Albuquerque, NM, 9/11-12
• MARC BROERING -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Indianapolis, IN, 2/27
• MARGARET YODER -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Charleston, WV, 5/1-2 -- future tourneys: Coraopolis (Pittsburgh), PA, 6/12-13
• STEVE BUSH -- 2 tourneys in 2010 so far -- Indianapolis, IN, 2/27 (1st place, Div. 2); Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23 (1st place, Div. 1) -- future tourneys: Knoxville, TN, 6/19-20
• VICTORIA BLEDSOE -- 1 tourney in 2010 so far -- Lexington, KY LCT, 5/23
• WILL SCOTT -- 5 tourneys in 2010 so far -- Twin-Cities Redeye V, Bloomington, MN, 1/16-17 (2nd place, Div. 3); Indianapolis, IN, 2/27 (2nd place, Div. 1); Columbia, SC early bird, 3/26; Columbia, SC, 3/27-28; Charleston, WV, 5/1-2 -- future tourneys: Knoxville, TN, 6/19-20