1st Charles Reinke started the new club season with style, finishing 4-1 +486, playing 16 bingos, and averaging 489 points per game. The year couldn't have started any better as he prevailed mightily in a two-on-one game, defeating Mark Kenas 498-435 and crushing his brother Thomas Reinke 561-319. Both games saw Charles play four bingos: PETIOLED, RAVIOLIS, REENACTS, and HEDERAS# against Mark, BONNIER, ANGORAS, INSANITY, and SAVOYARD# against Thomas. In round two, Charles felled last year's club champion, Bryan Benwitz, by a score of 501-363. Bryan had an uncharacteristic total of zero bingos in that game, while Charles played PIRATES, RANDIES, and INTERRED. A third-round rematch against Mark Kenas saw Charles' fortunes reverse, as this time Mark was the one to get four bingos (TRAMCAR, GLOOMIER, UPDATES, SEALINE#). It was an easy win for Mark, 523-434. With the weight of a (somewhat unreasonable) "win every game for the entire year" goal now removed from his shoulders, Charles won his final game against Sara McLaughlin, 451-319, finding PINTADA, RETIEING, and SAUNTER vs. Sara's SPOOLERS.

2nd Thomas Reinke went 3-2 +152, a healthly-looking 60% win percentage which is nevertheless lower than his 2024 win% of 66%. The new club season started with a whimper as he was trounced by Charles Reinke 319-561, but a 549-280 win over Dennis Lloyd (playing SORTABLE, NEONATAL, and CHORINE) undid all the damage and then some. Unfortunately, a 403-443 loss to Mark Kenas put Thomas back in the losers' bracket, despite bingo finds of CINEASTE, URETERAL, and INTROFY. Thomas was able to vanquish two-time champion Bryan Benwitz in the next round as they fought to a close finish, 439-428. The bingo situation in that game was even, with Thomas playing ABALONE and PINAFORE to Bryan's BASINETS and DANGLES. A landslide rematch win versus Mark Kenas, 479-324, helped boost Thomas into second place on a sparsely-attende first session of the club season.

We welcomed "new" player Dora Kilburn into the ranks, and while she did not manage to snag a win in her three games, she had a few close ones and did get down three bingos: STRIKER, ORANGES, and DAISIES. "New" is in quotes because Dora has played at our club before, way back in the late 90's.