To the other top-10 habituee with an NSA rating in the high 1600's: doesn't it bother you just a little that a player who, on the basis of their rating in live games, should beat you less than one time in 17 tries, has a 17-16 record against you on-line?

To the rest of this ladder: why do you tolerate such chicanery? Are you not aware of it, or is it just a case of glass houses?

• Re: Idle questions View
    by Heavenly_HHJ on June 5, 2002 at 22:44:17 PDT
  
  Okay, in answer to your question: I prefer playing to studying. When I have the opportunity to learn new words during a game, I take advantage of it because it somehow justifies the inordinate amount of time I spend playing Scrabble. I have no desire to be No. 1 on the Ladder (what earthly difference does it make?); I do have a fervent desire to increase my NSA rating. If I can learn while playing, regardless of the means my opponent may be using to teach me new words, then I come out ahead.
  
  • Re: Idle questions View
      by yaharawoman on June 6, 2002 at 14:29:01 PDT
    
    Great answer, Helen. I've adopted the same attitude. My play here is a means of studying and if an opponent plays a word I don't know, I write it down, check its legitimacy after the game (unless I challenge it, which I rarely do here or in live play), and if it's not a phony, it goes on my study list.

    As for stats, I've recently decided to ignore those, too, in order to maintain my sanity. At my local club, I've watched my win percentage drop from a very satisfying 75% to 55% after the addition of two new members to the club. One, is the fellow you played recently, Helen--cherub faced John O'Laughlin, who is like a Scrabble savant. The other you may know, too. His name is Mark Kenas and at one time he was ranked 21st nationally. As I was the #2 player in my club before these fellas showed up, I play them every time I go to club. Consequently, I've had to learn how to be a better loser (basically, I just try to wait until I get home to cry.)

    Despite the depressing drop in my stats, having these two guys in my club has been a godsend. I've learned a ton of new words from them as well as strategies, and the damage they've caused to my ego has forced me to study harder, whereas before I felt I was doing well enough not to bother most of the time.

    I plan on doing my first live tourney in The Dells here in WI in October. Hope to see some of you there.

    Beth

    : Okay, in answer to your question: I prefer playing to studying. When I have the opportunity to learn new words during a game, I take advantage of it because it somehow justifies the inordinate amount of time I spend playing Scrabble. I have no desire to be No. 1 on the Ladder (what earthly difference does it make?); I do have a fervent desire to increase my NSA rating. If I can learn while playing, regardless of the means my opponent may be using to teach me new words, then I come out ahead.

    
    

• Sometimes Maven skews the numbers View
    by eyesee7 on June 4, 2002 at 20:24:51 PDT
  
  Hi,
  it's hard to tell a player's real rating since Maven is known to screw up the numbers - I've seen players with ratings over 10,000 and also minus 3,000.

  My real-life NSA rating is 1025 or thereabouts. My ladder rating steadily climbed to about 1150 - then suddenly, the next time I played, it was listed as 900 !!! (I use a different name when I play off-line against Maven so it wasn't a case of mixing games) Now I'm worried that if I play one of the few obscure bingos that I know, that my opponent might think I'M cheating because of the low rating!!!
  

  • They're Talking Cases Stats Not Maven Statsnt View
      by annasie on June 4, 2002 at 20:42:10 PDT
    
    : Hi,
    : it's hard to tell a player's real rating since Maven is known to screw up the numbers - I've seen players with ratings over 10,000 and also minus 3,000.

    : My real-life NSA rating is 1025 or thereabouts. My ladder rating steadily climbed to about 1150 - then suddenly, the next time I played, it was listed as 900 !!! (I use a different name when I play off-line against Maven so it wasn't a case of mixing games) Now I'm worried that if I play one of the few obscure bingos that I know, that my opponent might think I'M cheating because of the low rating!!!

    
    

• Re: Idle questions View
    by karjen_24 on June 4, 2002 at 13:54:35 PDT
  
  

  : To the rest of this ladder: why do you tolerate such chicanery? Are you not aware of it, or is it just a case of glass houses?

  Who knows what your opponent really is using or not using at the other end? The player in question responded to the exact same question from me that her end game sucked. Maybe, maybe not...who knows? This type of gaming venue provides an anonymity which allows players to do whatever they want to aid their gameplay(or in my case, lounge around nude, stuffing beer and pretzels down my throat, something that is strongly frowned upon at our local club).
  As long as that prized number 1 spot dangles to those addicted to reaching it, reaping all that the title bestows upon them, the temptation to cheat shall be prevelant. It happens in every competitive endeavour, why not here?
  As I was told a while back, use this zone as a tool to hone your live game. If your opponent decides the only way they can compete is to use aids...so be it, after all, who does it really affect?
  

  • Re: Idle questions View
      by patricca on June 4, 2002 at 18:02:23 PDT
    
    ...so be it, after all, who does it really affect?

    Just in case someone misses the rhetoric, allow me to clarify. It affects the cheater. I have met dozens of online players in the years I have been playing in tourneys and most of those I suspected of cheating still have novice ratings. They can't play live because they don't know how. Thousands of games spent cheating teaches you not one iota of the game.

    I have only played in the novice division once, so I am no expert on game play at that division, but I have had the opportunity to step in and word judge a novice room a few times. I have also stood behind a few novices at tourneys now and then. I can't watch too long because the stuff that gets played makes me want to cry. Point is, they stink. I openly accused parteegirl of cheating once and her response to me was, "I don't know what your credentials are, but do you know who I am?" I resisted the urge to tell her she is Princess of the Peons in the scrabbleworld. It is always odd to see 100% challenge ratios and LARGE NUMBERS of off-the-wall bingos from players under 1400. When these players who have depended on cheating move to live play they have no strategy to bring with them. They never bothered learning any. They can't remember the crazy words they have played because they didn't study them. That's why they stay in the low divisions.

    Long may they rule.
    

  • You Too?? View
      by annasie on June 4, 2002 at 17:50:42 PDT
    
    . . .or in my case, lounge around nude, stuffing beer and pretzels down my throat . . .