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By the Numbers:

March 31st	- Early entry deadline ($10 rebate if payment received by this date)
April 30th	- Hotel room block released [a limited number of rooms are still available]
May 10th	- Late entry deadline ($15 late fee after this date)
May 22nd	- the last day to register (and pay or cancel!)

How many games?		20 (8 games Saturday, 8 games Sunday, 4 games Monday)
How many divisions?		Five Divisions, cutoffs at: 1700, 1450, 1200, and 950
How much to play?		$110 for the top division, Div 2: $90, Div 3: $85, Div 4: $80, Div 5: $75
How much to stay?		$110 per night

Prizes:   100% of entry fees, less expenses (last year we paid back 80%)

Schedule

Sat May 24th	8:30am to 9:15		Check-in & game setup
	9:15 to 9:30		Announcements
	9:30 to 1:30		Games 1-4
	1:30 to 2:30		Lunch break
	2:30 to 6:30		Games 5-8
	7:30pm		Chinese Banquet
Sun May 25th	9:30am to 1:30		Games 9-12
	1:30 to 2:30		Lunch break
	2:30 to 6:30		Games 13-16
Mon May 26th	9:30am to 1:30		Games 17-20
	1:45pm		Awards

Tournament Information

There will be five divisions, determined by rating cutoffs (see table below). Players within 100 points of division minimum may request to play up. Director retains the right to move entrants to maintain balanced divisions. The entrant's published rating as of May 22, or peak rating since March 1st, will determine division placement. Unrated players will be placed at Director's discretion.

Division		Rating		Entry Fee*
One		1700+		$110
Two		1450-1699		$90
Three		1200-1449		$85
Four		950-1199		$80
Five		0-949		$75

Pairing methods used will depend on division sizes. If a division has 20 or fewer players, it will have one complete Round Robin, (plus Swiss and/or KOH rounds), plus a final King-of-the-Hill. If a division has more than 20 players, Director may start with an incomplete Round Robin before switching to Swiss and/or KOH rounds.

Rated participants must be current members of the National SCRABBLE® Association to compete in this tournament. Non-rated players may delay joining the NSA until their second tournament.
NSA membership not up to date?   You can join or renew online at: www.scrabble-assoc.com/membership.

Remember to bring your own board, racks, tiles & clock, and your preferred score sheets.

FOTD: To reduce the number of talley slip errors (which delays the tournament and aggravates the staff), we will once again be using Fontes' "Friend of the Director" system: If there is an error or omission on a tally slip, each player will be charged $1 per error. All monies collected will be awarded in a drawing as prizes to players who made no errors.

All participants are expected to know and follow the Official Tournament Rules.

Who's signed up already?

See Who's Signed Up already (shows tentative division placement, using peak rating and play-up requests).

Is this your first Tournament?

If you have never played in a tournament before, we strongly suggest you visit your local SCRABBLE® club and play a few (or better yet, several) games. This will help you learn the mechanics of club and tournament play (how to draw tiles, announcing the score, using the clock, etc.) in a fairly relaxed setting. You will find the tournament experience much more enjoyable if you are already comfortable with proper procedure.

Prize Package

The prize package will return 100% of entry fees, after actual expenses (last year we paid back 80%!).
Each Division: Prizes to fourth place. Cash prize for high play, high game, and high loss.
Bonus Prize: Free registration to Emerald City SCRABBLE® 2009 to the person who raises his or her rating the most points as a result of this Tournament (worth up to $110).

Scrabble Dinner

Due to popular demand, the Seattle Club will once again organize a Chinese Banquet on Saturday, May 24 at Sun-Ya Restaurant in Seattle's International District. Cost is $20 per person (includes tax & tip; you pay for any drinks).

Tournament Location & Accommodations

Our new venue is the fabulous Grand Hyatt Seattle. This beautiful downtown Seattle hotel is within easy walking distance to restaurants, theatres, movies, concert hall, shopping, Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place Market, and there is even a Starbucks at the hotel! Our playing room is the elegant and spacious Princessa Ballroom, with access to the disabled and computerized word judging.

*Although our hotel room block has already been released (as of April 30th), we have a few extra room reservations that can be transferred to late-applying players. If you want one of these reservations, please contact Rebecca.

Grand Hyatt Seattle 721 Pine Street Seattle, Washington 98101 Toll free: (800) 233-1234 Phone:   (206) 774-1234 Fax:   (206) 774-6120 www.grandhyattseattle.com Check out the Grand Hyatt Seattle Website for pictures, more details on the amenities, maps of nearby shopping and restaurants! Spacious (4500 sq.ft.) Princessa Ballroom Computerized word-judging. Accessible to the disabled.

Special tournament double occupancy rates:     One King Deluxe:    $110* Two Queen Deluxe:   $110* Reserve your room by April 30th, 2008, to get these rates. When making your reservation, please inform them you are with the SCRABBLE tournament (our group code is: G-SCRA). Modern design highlights rooms Grand Beds with plush pillows, soft sheeting and thick down blankets piled upon pillow-top mattresses. Seattle's Most Luxurious Bathrooms: deluxe bath with soaking tub and walk-in shower 24 hour complimentary fitness center access, Morning newspaper, Robes, etc. High-speed wireless internet (for a fee). Lots of restaurants & shopping within walking distance

Directions

By Car

The Grand Hyatt Seattle has a map and driving directions for people driving in from I-5, I-90, or the airport. Be aware that because Pine Street is one-way at the hotel, you'll have to make a left turn into the entrance.

From SeaTac airport:

Metro BUS, $2.25 ($1.50 during off-peak hours)

• To catch Metro Bus #194†, exit the airport at the Baggage Claim level, turn RIGHT and walk south on the sidewalk to Metro Bus stop Bay 2 (Make sure you get on the bus that is going TO "Downtown Seattle").
• Get off at the Westlake Center stop in the transit tunnel (if the Tunnel is closed, get off at 4th & Pine)
• exit transit tunnel to Pine Street, and walk three blocks east

†Note: you can also take the #174 bus from SeaTac to Downtown Seattle but it is the "local" and takes almost twice as long. The 194 does not run after about 9pm, in which case you'll have to take the 174.

Cost of a taxicab from SeaTac to downtown is about $30-$35 (depending on traffic).
The Gray Line Airporter is about $11.

From Amtrak Train Station:

Walk one block East, to 4th and Jackson
Catch any bus heading North on 4th Avenue.
Get off at Pine Street, walk 3 blocks east.

OR, walk two blocks East, to 5th and Jackson and enter the Bus Tunnel (closed after 7pm)
Catch any northbound bus
Get off at Westlake Station, exit Tunnel to Pine Street, walk 2 blocks east.

Buses are FREE in downtown Seattle ($1.50 after 7pm)

Parking Alternatives:

Yeah we know. Parking in downtown Seattle is NOT cheap. We've investigated and come up with a few suggested parking alternatives to the Hotel parking garage.

Note: if you are coming in from out of town and want to avoid paying for parking altogether, you can park your car a Seattle Club member's house and leave it there for the weekend. After all, once you get to the tournament hotel you don't need a car.
Contact Rebecca for more info.

Restaurant Alternatives:

Ruth's Chris Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the Grand Hyatt Lobby. There is also a Starbucks in the Lobby. There are LOTS of restaurants to choose from in easy walking distance of the hotel.

If you want to go out for Breakfast or another meal, check out these dining alternatives.

Tournament Contact:

Fee Summary:

Entry Fee:	$110		[1700+]
	$90		[1450-1699]
	$85		[1200-1449]
	$80		[950-1199]
	$75		[0-949]
Chinese Banquet:	$20		per person
Early Entry Discount:	- $10		(payments received before March 31st)
Late Fee:	$15		(payments received after May 10th)
PayPal Fee:	$3		(transaction fee for using PayPal to pay online)

^*Payment and registration received before March 31st will receive a $10 rebate;
payment or registration received after May 10th will be assessed a $15 late fee.

[ Make cheque/check made payable to:   Seattle Scrabble® Club 253 ]

Online Registration and Payment:

Fill out this form to submit your registration. Once you submit your registration info you can then send in your payment by postal mail, OR you can choose to pay online with a credit card. Hey Canadians, can we make it any easier for you?

Name:	exactly as listed with NSA, please
Street Address:
City:
State/Province:	If US/Canada, Please Select Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware DC, Washington Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland NW Territories Nunavut Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon
ZIP/Postal Code:
Email:
Phone:
Mobile Phone:	[day of tournament contact number]
	I would like to Play Up Use my peak rating since March 1st 2008 I do not want to Play Up This is my first tournament
Division:	Div. One   [rating 1700+] Div. Two   [rating 1450-1699] Div. Three [rating 1200-1449] Div. Four   [rating 950-1199] Div. Five   [rating 0-949]
Chinese Banquet:	I would like to purchase 0 1 2 3 4 Chinese Banquet Ticket(s) ($20 per ticket) [note: you can wait to sign up & pay for the dinner AT the tournament.]
Comments:
I am a human:	(type the NAME of the game we play)

Details | Hotel Info | Parking | Restaurants | Directions | Register Online