Joel Sherman
American Scrabble player (born 1962)
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Joel Sherman (born 1962), nicknamed GI Joel, is an American professional English-language Scrabble player and former world champion. He is featured in Stefan Fatsis's book Word Freak,[1] in Eric Chaikin's film Word Wars,[2] and in Scott Petersen's film Scrabylon.[3][4] He is also mentioned in Collins Gem's reference book.
Joel Sherman | |
|---|---|
 Sherman at the World Scrabble Championship 1997 | |
| Born | 1962 (age 63–64) |
| Other name | GI Joel |
| Education | Bronx High School of Science |
| Occupation | Professional English-language Scrabble player |
| Years active | 1988–present |
He was born in The Bronx, New York in 1962, and is an alumnus of the Bronx High School of Science.[citation needed]
Sherman's major Scrabble tournament victories include:
- 1997 World Scrabble Championship - Washington, D.C.
- 1998 Brand's Crossword Game King's Cup
- 2002 National Scrabble Championship - San Diego, California
- 2018 North American Scrabble Championship - Buffalo, New York
Since beginning his career in 1988, he has played at least 4,750 tournament games, winning about 64%, and earning at least $135,000 in prize money.[5] He is director of NASPA Games Club #56, which meets on Thursday evenings in New York City.[citation needed]
Sherman holds the record for the highest score recorded in a tournament game played with the North American lexicon, having defeated Bradley Robbins 803–285 at a tournament in Stamford, Connecticut on December 9, 2011.[6]
His nickname is derived from a health problem, gastrointestinal reflux syndrome, and a pun on the G.I. Joe action figure.[citation needed]