…with Gary Moss

Archive for August, 2010

Congratulations to Nigel Richards

For more information about Nigel, CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to Nigel Richards, who has clinched NASPA’s National
SCRABBLE Championship here in Dallas, TX. At the end of yesterday’s play,
with three rounds left to go tomorrow, Nigel’s 23-5 +1971 record is an
insurmountable four games ahead of his nearest rivals.

Nigel will be awarded US$10,000 at the prize ceremony this afternoon,
and stays on for the World Players Championship, which begins on Friday.
For more details, please see

http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/nsc

Things happen.

If I were a religious person I’d tell you that it is all preordained by G-D. I wouldn’t even write the name of G-D because in ‘the teachings’ we are told it is sacrilegious to do so.

If I were a devotee of astrology I’d tell you that it is in the stars. I would point out that Jupiter is rising in my 7th house and therefore there are dustballs beneath my bed.

By now you get it. I am rather cynical about such explanations. I attribute happenings to curious, random, happenstance. (The reason that Millie married Sammy was that she lived on Gladstone near 12th street and walked to school. Every day he’d notice her from his front porch on Gladstone near Woodrow Wilson. And one day his best friend Arnie dared him to ask her for a date.) If Millie had lived in Toledo she would have most likely ended up as a stripper and died before she reached the age of thirty.

There was a time when I was in high school, almost flunking out (all D’s and E’s). My energy was spent entirely on my volunteer leadership roles in a synagogue youth group. (I must have hidden my report cards from my parents.) There was an elective class in the 11th Grade called ‘LEADERSHIP’. The class was by invitation only. It was made up of students who were on the Honor Roll, invited by Ms. Armstrong. For some reason, still unknown to this day, I was invited to be in that class. Some other kid who was an all ‘A’ student was passed-over and very pissed that I took his/her space. (I got an ‘A’. It was my first ‘A’ since the 9th Grade when I earned all A’s.

At 28 I was in the process of founding a pre-school. I was searching for a location. Most realtors would only spend time with customers who ‘qualified’. I didn’t qualify. I was earning $5K a year as a public school teacher, had a savings account with a balance of $50, had big balances on my credit cards, and I wanted to look at properties that ranged from $75K – $100K. Most realtors made themselves unavailable or took me to see properties that did not meet my needs, but was what they thought I could afford. Then Ebersol appeared. E.B. was up in years and not a part of the ‘rat race’ that drove the other realtors. E.B. listened, believed in me, and led me to the perfect property in less than a few weeks. My $50 turned into a $1M corporation in less than 4 years.

I was single again in 1986 and looking to meet women. I hated the singles dances where everyone got furputzed and pretended to be someone whom they were not, in the hopes of impressing a member of the opposite sex. I wanted more transparency and honesty. At the same time, an editor at The Southfield Eccentric Newspaper misplaced an ad for a scrabble activity into the Singles Column. (I attended. I was captivated by the competitive scrabble games that I witnessed being played there. I’m still mesmerized by scrabble at the competitive level.)

May, 1997 I was attending Alan Stern’s ‘Killer Club’ in the Fairfax District in Los Angeles. I had been playing competitive scrabble since the late 1980′s with more than 100 tournaments under my belt. I thought of myself as a ‘killer’, with a rating of about 1725, but the truth was that I was a minnow among the sharks. However, with that being said, I had one of those out-of-body experiences over the 8 games that made up that tournament. I played well; I had perfect rack after perfect rack; and in the final game I did not choke; In game #8 I beat the former National Scrabble Champion, Rita Norr. I was the Champion of The Killer Club.

Serendipity Happens. But in order for it to happen to you, you must be in the game.

Play at CLUB #350 or a club that is near your home. Play at the 1st Sunday Tournaments.

A whole lot of ‘reaping’ going on. The time to ‘sow’ for this tournament is past. But, there is always another tournament on the horizon.

Hundreds of scrabble players are busy packing their bags today and beginning their journey to Dallas, Texas, in spite of the summertime heat and humidity. Most won’t have to deal with the elements once they arrive at the tournament hotel; most will never leave the hotel for almost an entire week. No, they won’t be chained to their beds or anything like that. They will be immersed and lost in a sea of scrabble, within the confines of the hotel.

Players are coming from every part of the United States, Canada, and several other countries from around the world. Click Here to see the names of the players. For general information about this years tournament CLICK HERE.

The first national tournament was the North American Invitational, held May 19–21, 1978, in the Presidential Suite of the Loews Summit Hotel in New York City. Joel Skolnick and Carol Felstein, as usual, served as the tournament director and word judge, respectively. David Prinz took the $1,500 first prize.

The 1st Prize in Division I this year is $10,000.

If you like words, if you enjoy word games, if you love the adrenalin rush that comes with head-to-head competition, you’ll find competitive scrabble to be like a little piece of heaven right here on earth.

Prepare yourself. Play in as many local clubs and tournaments as you can cram into you busy schedule. Take a class like SCRABBLE 101 to sharpen all of the necessary scrabble skills. Let me become your personal scrabble coach: (949) 510-1673.

SOW NOW! REAP ON DOWN THE ROAD!

On August 4 I was commissioned by Duke & Nancy Vukovich, of Carlsbad, California to come down and present a mini scrabble seminar to a group of five, in honor of their daughter’s birthday. All I knew was that they all enjoy scrabble.

Nancy contacted me last April, after having discovered me through a recommendation, by calling the NSA in New York. Nancy’s initial idea was to arrange for the group to drop in and observe my 1st Sunday Tournament. From my point of view, that might have been interesting for about a minute and a half. Just watching, without knowing what you are seeing is pretty weak. I suggested that they visit one of my presentations, but then I realized that I didn’t have any scheduled events within their time frame. So, the next best thing was for me to provide a special presentation for the Vukovich family. And that’s what I proposed.

Whenever I do one of these events I benefit too. I review all of the pieces that are necessary to remain high in the ranks. During the review I relearn the subtleties that I may have been overlooking in my own play. Every presentation is basically the same; every presentation is very different (dictated by what the audience already knows and doesn’t know). It is always interesting for me to share things that the audience doesn’t know. Some of these people have been playing the game of scrabble for many years. I see my main job as opening them up to looking at the game, the board and the words, differently.

And so I arrived at about 11AM at the Vukovich home in Carlsbad, about an hour’s drive south on the 5 Freeway.

These folks had a pretty good grasp of the game. They had been playing for years at family gatherings, usually 3 or 4 at the board. The first thing that I pointed out was that when more than 2 are playing, the person positioned after the weakest player will usually win. That brought forth was a group ‘AHA’.

I inquired about their backgrounds related to playing the game and asked what they wished to get out of my presentation. They were very willing to let me steer the things as I saw fit. When they asked me about how I came to be so involved with scrabble, that opened the door for me to relate some stories that humanize the game. Next I began to share information about the key pieces of the game: using hot spots effectively, anagramming, hooks, tracking, and study systems.

Each of the daughters, Jana, Marta, Dyana had great questions and stories to interject. I showed them the timer that we use in club and tournament play, we talked about drawing tiles properly and the penalties for over-drawing. I gave them sample score sheets and warned them that opponents can make errors in addition, so verify by readding their scores.

Interest really built when I shared information about the value of ‘high-probability stems’ as a study technique that leads to identifying bingos (using all 7 tiles from your rack on a single turn).

I demonstrated the ZYZZYVA program and the power it possesses in word judging and finding anagrams within sets of letters.

The time just flies by when people are engrossed and enjoying themselves. I warned the Vukovichs that I was going to cover a 5-Week Program in just a few hours. At 1PM Nancy suggested that we break for lunch. She served a delicious quiche and salad. The conversation shifted to a more personal nature over lunch. I learned that Nancy had attended the same high school in Detroit where my mother had gone to school (several years later). And we learned that we had some friends in common. What a small world!

After lunch I proposed that play an open game as two teams. Jana teamed up with Nancy and Dyana; I teamed with Marta. Duke opted to roam about and watch. It was only fitting that Marta, the birthday person, found and played the ‘Play-Of-The-Day’, finding ‘crooned’ which fit with six hooks, under ‘adheres’ (played earlier by her sister, Jana), for an impressive ’99 points’. It was about 2:30PM when we said our good-byes.

It was a wonderfully delightful experience for all. It is my hope that I may have inspired each of the Vukovich clan to go out and play at their respective local clubs. Time will tell.

If you or someone whom you know would like me to create a similar event at your home or in your community, let’s do it. Give me a call (949) 5110-1673 or send me an email: jftsoi.moss@gmail.com

Some people join scrabble clubs just for the food. I have no idea who started it. May be it is just the gracious thing to do . . . . . Like offering a snack to visitors who come through your door.

It’s not that I’m cheap, but I rarely serve at any of my three clubs. The reason being, that all three of the establishments where I host my clubs sell food items. I believe that it would be wrong to undermine their potential sales. I do make up for it in a big way at my 1st Sunday Tournament. At any Sunday competition you might find fresh fruit, coffee and pastry, fresh vegetables and dip, humus and crackers, bottles water or soda, chips or nuts, cakes, and candy. My eyes are bigger than my stomach so there are usually leftovers. The good news is that the leftovers do not go to waste. Sometimes I’ll take some fruit or the humus back home; most often I leave the leftovers in the refrigerator over night and on Monday the Laguna Woods Scrabble Club gets to enjoy our remains.

Clubs that meet and play in private rooms will usually provide snacks from chips and pretzels to home baked goodies. One of the biggest spreads that I’ve encountered is at Bruce D’Ambrosio’s club on Saturday mornings in West Los Angeles. Margaret Hughes is the food lady for Bruce’s club that usually enjoys an attendance of 40 or more players each week. On the table you’ll find fruit juices, bagels & cream cheese, cut vegetables, coffee & tea, and other goodies. Margaret even schleps a guillotine for slicing bagels and a toaster.

Scrabble and food stuffs are by no means limited to California. I’m sure that you’ll find the same practices from coast to coast.

There are a few very special tastes that I have enjoyed that deserve special recognition in this blog. For years and years Lois Hawkins of Los Angeles has been known for bringing her famous Lemon Cake to serve at local tournaments. There is only one word that does Lois’ cake justice: YUM! Then there are three cookie bakers that win the GOLD: Jamie Covell is director of the Saturday morning club in Escondido, CA. In spite of her busy job as a full time math teacher, Jamie always finds the time to bake up a special batch of cookies for her club meetings on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. Nancy Rickhoff is not a scrabble player. But her husband, Paul and son, Kevin are regulars at my 1st Sunday Tournament in Laguna Woods, CA. The 1st Sunday wouldn’t be complete without a batch of Nancy’s mouth-watering chocolate-chip cookies. LeLeng Isaacs loves to cook and bake; the Monday club at Laguna Woods Village is the beneficiary of her creations (fresh-out-of-the-oven banana cakes, cookies, and even an occasional challah or kugel).

Always save the best for last. That has to be . . . hands down . . . the BLANKHEADS. The Blankheads is an unofficial scrabble club that has been gathering for more than 10 years, about once a month. They play a mini-marathon of games, in tandem with an amazing POT-LUCK-FIVE-STAR-GORGY. The Blankheads will next meet on August 7 at the home of Gretchen Cowan (an original Blankhead). Attendance is by invitation only.

Come to one of my future 1st Sunday Tournaments for Scrabble and The Eats. CLCIK HERE.

If you love the game of SCRABBLE and have never played in a National Scrabble Tournament, just imagine this. You arrive at the tournament hotel. The players are of all ages (7 years old to 95 years young), all colors and sizes. Many players are here from other countries, but they’re all playing with our dictionary, OWL2. Everywhere you look around the lobby there are people sitting at scrabble boards, playing pick-up games, getting in that last ounce of practice, before the competition begins. A group of players are sitting at a table playing anagrams, at a pace faster than you’ve ever witnessed. The conversations that you overhear are about ’8 letter words that end with ‘U” and ‘the anagram for migrate’. Someone is telling the story about the time at Club #350 when Pat Yarnell played ‘usufruct’ from a ‘U’ on the center square to the TWS for 89 points. It is a media frenzy. Local TV camera crews are positioned in almost every corner and local reporters are interviewing the players before and after they register. There is a continuing stream of old friends meeting again, with big warm welcoming hugs. It is clear that in spite of the competitive nature of the tournament, most players consider other players as good friends and even as extended family.

Some of the players are ‘regulars’ and have the financial means to follow the scrabble circuit around the country, playing frequently in many of the annual competitions. (Prize money at tournaments is relatively small and there are few winners.) Some of the players are first timers, with drooping jaws, amazed by the sights and the thrill of it all. The first timers are not fully aware of the shiver that will go down their spine at the official start of the tournament, when hundreds of players will sit poised at their boards and the tournament director announces, “Let the games begin.” Hundreds of tile bags will be lifted in unison and only the sounds of tiles shaking will be heard in the huge tournament ballroom.

During the 5-Day, 31-Game tournament, which continues to tick closer on the clock, the emotions of players will soar and fall as players win and lose. As in so many other things in life, any one of these players present is apt to experience their 15 minutes of glory in the spotlight. That may come in the form of an outstanding play or game score; it may happen when some underdog beats a world champion in a particular game. The players ratings (built over one or more years of play) will usually tell the tale of who is favored to win each game. But, there are always surprises. (Like the time I became Club Champion of The Killer Club, in Los Angeles.)

There will be disputes. Word judges and an overall Tournament Director will sort things out before push comes to shove. Competition brings out the worst in a few. Some will tempted to cheat, some will actually try to cheat, some will be caught cheating. How embarrassing! Most will be honest. Some will try to intimidate others by posturing; some will become demanding and serious. Most will be friendly . . . until the game begins. Some will announce their scores clearly; others will mumble and try to confuse opponents. Some will make errors in scoring (some on purpose) and opponents will waste some of their precious time off the clock, refiguring the correct score. Some will play very quickly to obtain a clock advantage (if you ever play me, you’ll notice that I play rather quickly too. It is just my style and it does upset my opponents.)

You’ll make lifelong friends when you attend a National Scrabble Tournament.

You might even make some enemies. One of the first times I attended a National Scrabble Tournament was in 1991 in New York City. I played in one of the lower divisions. I did play very well and won a prize for finishing 1st among all players with ratings under 1400 Read the rest of this entry »

Who’s to say what is right? Who’s to say which is better? All I know is that as we all travel life’s roads we each develop a familiarity and comfort zones, along with a sense of right and wrong.

On a recent trip from Laguna Woods, CA. back to Southfield, Michigan I found myself behind the wheel of my car with a local ‘balabusta’ as my passenger. I’d go straight and she’d say turn right; I’d turn right and she’d say, “Go straight”. There was no winning. She wasn’t right or wrong; she was just trying to get me to drive the same path that was most comfortable for her. Both paths eventually led to the exact same destination.

Many years ago when I first opened a private school and summer day camp I went searching for the best employees. I met a young woman whose family had owned and operated a very successful summer day camp for more than a dozen years. The woman had been a key person in the day to day operation of the business, under the tutelage of her father. It seemed like a blessing, at first. However, whenever I made any business decision, the woman added her two-cents saying, “My dad did it this way.” After a short time I had to let her go.

A balabusta is not inherently right or wrong. He/she cops an attitude and presents themselves in a way that seems superior and authoritarian.

These days, when people identify me as the Gary Moss who directs scrabble clubs and tournament, they often approach me and pull out their iPhone to show me their ‘Scrabble App’. They display it proudly as if they are showing me something ‘new,’ for the first time. And when I invite them to come play at a club, face to face, they shrink and give me some kind of excuse about not being good enough. (That always leaves me wondering why anyone would invest time playing a game at some inferior level. I always want to learn more to become good enough to win the game at which I play.)

The one big difference between the world where I grew up and the world of today is the approach to learning. Back then, there weren’t any computers. If you wanted to learn something you had to invest the time and sweat-equity to achieve your goal. Today, people get many of their answers by knowing how to manipulate a ‘google-search’. Most people don’t waste time committing anything to memory. Most things today are as trite as the reality shows that clutter the airwaves.

The guy or gal playing scrabble on their iPhone can find and identify 5th Grade Level words like ‘friend,’ ‘email,’ and ‘cat’ but they don’t know that they don’t know words like ‘cwm,’ ‘qanat,’ and ‘usufruct’.

Maybe the world and the distribution of attitudes has always been the same as it is today. Maybe I have spent so much of my life hanging with the ‘six-percenters’ (the thinkers and achievers) that I have been oblivious to the commonness of the rest of the population.

I just don’t understand why the 94% are willing to settle for less. I believe that almost everyone has the ability to make the personal changes necessary to become a ‘six-percenter’.

An easy first step to becoming a 6%er in the scrabble world is by obtaining and learning The Bookmark Series (a powerful scrabble study tool). CLICK HERE