Durham
Triangle Scrabble Club
Saladelia CaféScrabble has been enjoying something of a renaissance lately. In 2007, a couple of enterprising brothers in Calcutta created a Facebook app called Scrabulous, which quickly became the most popular game on the booming social networking site. Suddenly, addicted young Facebookers who’d never given a thought to narcotic East African flowering shrubs (QAT) or whirlwinds off the Faroe Islands (OE) were learning why their grandmothers’ coffee klatches got so fractious.
Scrabulous was axed when Hasbro sued for copyright infringement, but so much the better: The Triangle Scrabble Club offers an even more sociable venuein person, with lunch even. Games can be formal or informal, with or without timers; some come to practice for the tournament circuit, others to while away the afternoon geeking out in pleasant company.
And if you want to see how your living-room best stacks up against a true long-ball hitter, ask for a game with Rahn McKeown. The Pittsboro resident has been ranked as high as 73rd nationally, he’s won thousands of dollars in prize money, and he basically has the whole dictionary memorized (which speeds up play considerably, because you don’t have to look words up; he’ll just tell you if they’re legit).
Gaming starts at 2 p.m. every Sunday at Saladelia. The club also meets at Open Eye Café in Carrboro on Wednesdays at 6 p.m., and Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Jason’s Deli in New Hope Commons. There’s no charge, but the club asks that you patronize the hosting establishment. Visit www.trianglescrabble.com. Marc Maximov
