The 2005 edition of Lost Cities at the WBC began with a new swiss elim format using four heats in the first round played one per day on consecutive days. The participants arrived as follows: 1st Heat - 56 players; 2nd Heat - 22 new players & 28 returning players; 3rd Heat - 34 new & 34 returning; and the 4th Heat - 19 new and 29 returnees, yielding 131 registered players. Alas, a few additional players opted out due to lack of games. Even the GM who would only play to fill out a heat with an odd number was able to add one game to the losing column. A total of 101 Preliminary games were played with one tie which was resolved by a fourth hand. Jeff Power played every heat and won them all. Jay Greer and Bruce Bernard were the remaining players with unblemished records, winning all three heats in which they played.

Rounds 2 through 6 were played on Sunday morning and beyond, beginning with 26 qualifiers, 5 alternates, and one player who had not fared as well in the heats, but discovered that "being there" at the start time made the difference. In contrast, a young man who had qualified and apparently burned the candle at both ends the night before, arrived 90 minutes late to hear disappointing news. The Final featured two newcomers to Lost Cities play (the tournament - not the game): a guy who was just happy to be here - Chris Entwistle, and a guy who had a family waiting to return by car to Illinois (comes the dawn) - Bert Schoose. The 1st hand ends in a tie! Each had four expeditions. the second hand ends with Bert up by one point! (Hold the presses and turn off the ignition). Chris shotgunned five expeditions, only scoring positive on two of them. Bert started two and held Chris' red cards, but Chris was able to wrangle three inv. cards on red into a zero. In the last hand, Chris started four expeditions and Bert three. Both had bonus scores, but Chris' white expedition with 80 pts. overpowered Bert's red worth 53. Chris won with a total score of 150 to 122

Thanks to all who played, and to those who helped out, especially David Norman.

19 little explorers contested the Juniors version led by Anna Marion who made off with the wood. She was followed closely by Carolyn Strock, Tim Keating and Stephanie Kilroy who finished second thru fourth respectively.