This page is dedicated to my brother in law, Peter Dolter, and his obsession with Scrabble.
Peter first got obsessed with Scrabble playing his cousin, Bobby. They would play all day and all night. This proved to be much cheaper than their frequent trips to the gambling boats of Midwest America. Eventually, Peter decided he needed more competition and sought out someone who had actually graduated high school.
In the fall of 1999, the three of us made a trip through the American heartland to the Wisconsin Dells(native's motto: "skim milk? no, just give me an udder") for an organized Scrabble tournament. To ensure that he was in top form for the tournament, Peter and Bobby went to some boat and gambled all night long the night before the tournament. Peter was in his element. Peter opened up a serious can of whupass on Division 3. Peter rallied from a game back with two games to go to overtake the leader and win the division:
WISCONSIN DELLS OCTOBER 1999
OLD PERF NEW
NAME RATING DIVISION 3 RESULTS WINS SPR RATING RATING
1. DOLTER, PETER 0 W-09 L-04 W-06 - W-13 W-12 W-08 W-17 W-14 W-07 W-02 W-02 10 +788 1206
2. STRONG, SYLVIA 913 W-13 W-12 L-08 W-17 W-14 W-07 W-16 W-03 W-15 W-11 L-01 L-01 9 +654 1020 950
3. KOEHN, FRANCI 0 W-07 W-16 - W-15 W-11 W-10 W-05 L-02 W-09 L-04 W-08 W-05 9 +443 1048
4. HELLEMS, TRINKLE LINDA 809 L-06 W-01 W-13 L-12 L-08 W-17 W-14 L-07 L-16 W-03 W-07 W-12 7 +541 890 835
5. BARTMANN, BOB 989 W-12 L-08 W-17 W-14 L-07 W-16 L-03 W-15 L-11 W-10 W-12 L-03 7 +523 841 934
6. KONKOL, JANICE 0 W-04 - L-01 L-13 L-12 L-08 W-17 W-14 W-07 W-16 W-10 W-08 7 +138 907
7. WERNER, BRENDA 826 L-03 W-15 W-11 W-10 W-05 L-02 W-09 W-04 L-06 L-01 L-04 W-10 7 +100 919 870
8. BRICK, KAY 805 W-10 W-05 W-02 L-09 W-04 W-06 L-01 W-13 L-12 - L-03 L-06 6 +25 924 838
9. FRANKKI, LISA 829 L-01 W-13 L-12 W-08 W-17 L-14 L-07 W-16 L-03 L-15 W-11 W-13 6 -13 787 809
10. TRABERT, SUE 790 L-08 W-17 W-14 L-07 W-16 L-03 W-15 W-11 - L-05 L-06 L-07 5 -63 772 785
11. BELLACERA, ANDY 719 L-17 W-14 L-07 W-16 L-03 W-15 - L-10 W-05 L-02 L-09 W-17 5 -71 787 737
12. QUESENBERRY, KATHLEEN 700 L-05 L-02 W-09 W-04 W-06 L-01 W-13 - W-08 L-17 L-05 L-04 5 -108 863 770
13. KAYE, VIC 706 L-02 L-09 L-04 W-06 L-01 - L-12 L-08 W-17 W-14 W-16 L-09 4 -213 741 712
14. FONK, SUE 809 W-15 L-11 L-10 L-05 L-02 W-09 L-04 L-06 L-01 L-13 W-15 - 3 -467 633 758
15. FONK, AMY 495 L-14 L-07 L-16 L-03 - L-11 L-10 L-05 L-02 W-09 L-14 W-16 2 -468 543 497
16. SERAMUR, RAYLENE 0 - L-03 W-15 L-11 L-10 L-05 L-02 L-09 W-04 L-06 L-13 L-15 2 -495 534
17. NEFF, VIRGINIA 895 W-11 L-10 L-05 L-02 L-09 L-04 L-06 L-01 L-13 W-12 - L-11 2 -714 587 810
Peter Dolter was the hero of the day.
His powers unleashed by this awesome victory, Peter played more and more Scrabble. Eventually Peter played so much Scrabble that his whole live became a web of horizontal and vertical visualizations. He even started walking sideways to get a better view of the board. Peter's next challenge was the February 2000 Phoenix Tournament. Peter flew from Chicago just to share his special powers with 15 lucky souls. This time, instead of being in the bottom division, Peter's play in Wisconsin earned him seeding in the fifth of nine divisions. Truly, Peter was a force with which to be reckoned.
PHOENIX FEBRUARY 2000
DIVISION 5 19 ROUNDS
PLACE RATING NAME WINS SPREAD
1 1222 Michael Wier 14.0 1233
2 1249 Robert Whitcomb 13.0 874
3 1216 Nancee Mancel 13.0 281
4 1280 Mark Olin 11.0 253
5 1220 Ruth Sawyer 10.0 311
6 1250 Sandra Comer 10.0 -82
7 1225 Tim Tarkington 10.0 -479
8 1291 Ruth Flynn 9.0 -49
9 1206 Mary Becker 9.0 -88
10 1219 Rosetta Donelick 8.0 40
11 1263 Penny Baker 8.0 12
12 1252 Dorothy Halprin 8.0 -130
13 1206 Peter Dolter 8.0 -732
14 1236 Ben Gittes 7.0 -350
15 1241 Irving Gershkoff 7.0 -494
16 1253 Barbara Besadny 7.0 -600
And a round-by-round breakdown of Peter's weekend:
OLD PERF NEW
NAME RATING DIVISION 5 RESULTS: RDS. 1-10 WINS SPR RATING RATING
1. WIER, MICHAEL 1222 L-08 W-09 W-05 W-16 W-07 W-15 L-12 W-04 W-11 W-14 8 +1233 1479 1302
2. MANCEL, NANCEE 1216 W-14 W-10 W-15 L-06 L-03 W-13 W-08 W-09 L-05 W-16 7 +281 1401 1266
3. TARKINGTON, TIM 1225 L-04 W-11 W-14 W-10 W-02 W-06 W-15 L-13 W-08 L-09 7 -479 1390 1270
4. WHITCOMB, ROBERT 1249 W-03 L-13 W-08 L-09 L-05 W-16 W-07 L-01 W-12 W-15 6 +874 1314 1268
5. OLIN, MARK 1280 L-16 L-07 L-01 W-12 W-04 W-11 L-14 W-10 W-02 W-06 6 +253 1298 1286
6. SAWYER, RUTH 1294 L-11 L-14 L-10 W-02 W-15 L-03 W-13 W-08 W-09 L-05 5 +311 1237 1278
7. DONELICK, ROSETTA 1219 L-09 W-05 L-16 L-15 L-01 W-12 L-04 W-11 W-14 W-10 5 +40 1235 1224
8. COMER, SANDRA 1250 W-01 W-12 L-04 W-11 W-14 L-10 L-02 L-06 L-03 W-13 5 -82 1230 1242
9. BESADNY, BARBARA 1253 W-07 L-01 W-12 W-04 L-11 W-14 L-10 L-02 L-06 W-03 5 -600 1228 1247
10. DOLTER, PETER 1206 L-15 L-02 W-06 L-03 W-13 W-08 W-09 L-05 W-16 L-07 5 -732 1248 1223
11. HALPRIN, DOROTHY 1136 W-06 L-03 W-13 L-08 W-09 L-05 W-16 L-07 L-01 L-12 4 -130 1171 1146
12. GITTES, BEN 1236 L-13 L-08 L-09 L-05 W-16 L-07 W-01 W-15 L-04 W-11 4 -350 1163 1216
13. GERSHKOFF, IRVING 1241 W-12 W-04 L-11 L-14 L-10 L-02 L-06 W-03 W-15 L-08 4 -494 1166 1220
14. BAKER, PENNY 1275 L-02 W-06 L-03 W-13 L-08 L-09 W-05 L-16 L-07 L-01 3 +12 1092 1226
15. FLYNN, RUTH 1291 W-10 W-16 L-02 W-07 L-06 L-01 L-03 L-12 L-13 L-04 3 -49 1082 1207
16. BECKER, MARY 1206 W-05 L-15 W-07 L-01 L-12 L-04 L-11 W-14 L-10 L-02 3 -88 1084 1174
OLD PERF NEW
NAME RATING DIVISION 5 RESULTS: RDS. 11-19 WINS SPR RATING RATING
1. WHITCOMB, ROBERT 1268 W-10 W-08 W-15 W-03 W-06 W-03 W-13 L-02 L-02 7 +874 1470 1316
2. WIER, MICHAEL 1302 W-15 L-03 W-06 W-13 W-14 L-13 L-03 W-01 W-01 6 +1233 1381 1321
3. MANCEL, NANCEE 1266 W-11 W-02 W-12 L-01 W-10 L-01 W-02 W-13 L-07 6 +281 1376 1293
4. FLYNN, RUTH 1207 W-09 L-10 W-16 W-08 W-07 L-06 L-07 W-11 W-10 6 -49 1353 1243
5. BECKER, MARY 1174 L-06 W-13 W-14 W-09 L-16 W-15 L-09 W-12 W-15 6 -88 1362 1222
6. SAWYER, RUTH 1278 W-05 W-11 L-02 L-12 L-01 W-04 L-11 W-07 W-13 5 +311 1281 1279
7. OLIN, MARK 1286 L-13 L-14 W-09 W-16 L-04 W-11 W-04 L-06 W-03 5 +253 1280 1284
8. BAKER, PENNY 1226 L-12 L-01 W-10 L-04 W-15 W-16 W-14 L-10 W-12 5 +12 1250 1232
9. COMER, SANDRA 1242 L-04 W-16 L-07 L-05 W-11 W-12 W-05 L-15 W-11 5 -82 1259 1249
10. HALPRIN, DOROTHY 1146 L-01 W-04 L-08 L-15 L-03 W-14 W-16 W-08 L-04 4 -130 1192 1158
11. DONELICK, ROSETTA 1224 L-03 L-06 W-13 W-14 L-09 L-07 W-06 L-04 L-09 3 +40 1132 1202
12. GITTES, BEN 1216 W-08 L-15 L-03 W-06 L-13 L-09 W-15 L-05 L-08 3 -350 1114 1191
13. TARKINGTON, TIM 1270 W-07 L-05 L-11 L-02 W-12 W-02 L-01 L-03 L-06 3 -479 1135 1237
14. GERSHKOFF, IRVING 1220 W-16 W-07 L-05 L-11 L-02 L-10 L-08 L-16 W-16 3 -494 1111 1193
15. DOLTER, PETER 1223 L-02 W-12 L-01 W-10 L-08 L-05 L-12 W-09 L-05 3 -732 1096 1176
16. BESADNY, BARBARA 1247 L-14 L-09 L-04 L-07 W-05 L-08 L-10 W-14 L-14 2 -600 999 1189
Despite going 8-11 -732 for thirteenth place, Peter was as Scrabblific as ever. Peter is quick
to point out that he was only 602 spread points from a tie for twelfth place, and that would've
certainly been something.
Upon returning to Chicago, Peter redoubled his efforts to improve at Scrabble. He quit his job and started playing the Maven computer program all day long. He even went out and got a sparring partner at his level for when Maven got too easy. A year later, he would test his progress again in Phoenix. This time, he was placed in Division 6 though most of the players were the same as Division 5 the previous year. Except for those that died.
PHOENIX FEBRUARY 2001
DIVISION 6 19 ROUNDS
PLACE RATING NAME WINS SPREAD
1 1229 Phyllis Gelb 16.0 1060
2 1208 Ruth Flynn 13.0 666
3 1263 Patrick Hodges 13.0 655
4 1134 Pam Major 12.0 395
5 1265 Al Demers 12.0 -10
6 1243 April Engel 10.0 437
7 1159 Mollie Braverman 9.0 182
8 1148 Craig Mobley 9.0 -278
9 1156 Irving Gershkoff 9.0 -511
10 1232 Maria Wiesenthal 9.0 -600
11 1181 Stella Russell 8.0 -16
12 1148 Joey Cross 8.0 -160
13 1138 Carol Kupsch 8.0 -746
14 1176 Peter Dolter 7.0 69
15 1238 Andrea Ross-Greene 7.0 -363
16 1176 Gaye Trickey 2.0 -780
Despite going just 7-12, Peter still managed to have a positive point spread for the tournament. This is a sign he was playing well but had some bad breaks. Peter lost one game because he challenged ABO. The problem is that Peter only plays against the computer and ABO is considered an offensive term pertaining to Aborigines, so it isn't in the computer's vocabulary. Truly an injustice. Also Peter won $20 for high play in his division, ENRICHES for 167 points. And Peter Dolter "enriches" all of us.
What does Peter have in store for us next? Stay tuned to the Peter Dolter Scrabble Worship Page and find out!
Last Modified 1/19/02