Vision Small
5K JADE +44
I tunnel visioned the new spot and didn't even notice that JEAN plays at N12 for 44 as well. JADE gives back nasty parallels with AJEE and perhaps X bombs in addition to Z bombs, which would play with ZEE anyway if I don't address that area. #visionsmall
Jason Keller vs. Will Anderson (Game 34615)
Strategy Medium
K9 D(R)UMLY +24
should probably just do LUM M2. I thought this might get a hold/challenge or at least unsettle Jason if he didn't know the word. Then I noticed A(LUM) and was annoyed at that prospect, although that could be good for me if I draw an A. I didn't think Jason would miss a play with ALUM. DU(A)LLY was an option I didn't consider. I also considerd (A)DYTUM but that looked to make the game too easy for him and too tough for me with my LL leave. #strategymedium
Josh Sokol vs. Jason Vaysberg (Game 40449)
Strategy Large
exch YIOTE +0
this was a fail. didn't know TIT(R)E, which is best at 13C. I was maybe afraid of STIER* with 13C TIE(R)? I think I just hated the Y. #strategylarge
Linda Espallardo vs. Josh Sokol (Game 36351)
Tactics Small
O7 GYRONS +43
i considered not burning my S. i could save that spot, or let him burn equity trying to block it. what do you think? i could play 1G GYNO keeping RST. or even GYNOS keeping a more synergystic RT. -2 #tacticssmall
Cesar Del Solar vs. Jay Levin (Game 33682)
Tactics Medium
J8 A(M)I +16
quackle's ridiculous robot brain wants me to do J12 TEAT or TEIN so i can have a great chance at a triple-triple or at least a bingo up top. pretty crazy. the equity loss here is gigantic, but i'll just roll my eyes at it. #tacticsmedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 32702)
Tactics Small
E4 BRAV(O) +20
11C DIB is best, blocking the J. 12C VEG is second, with the same idea and the best equity. I suppose ABDER doesn't become a bingo often on this board. #tacticssmall
Alec Sjoholm vs. Gunther Jacobi (Game 34240)
Strategy Large
11L U(K)E +9
still in a really good position, even though I can't block the 14 lane without giving back a bigger lane. I would have liked to leave 1 in the bag, but didn't realize at the time how crucial that was. The entire plan with U(K)E or 10M (N)EE is for him to bingo on row 14 immediately, giving me back plays on row 15 that should easily outrun. However, leaving 2 in the bag allows him to fish one, possibly N(U) 12C - after UKE I'm up 60, 58 after the fish. It's really hard for me to block bingoes, and I'm stuck either trying to outrun by playing something clunky on row 14 (again hard to not give back good overlaps, gotta hope for like GENUS or something), or outrunning with a UKES play, which will put me up 84 or 87 (depending on if I draw the G). After he gets my rack, I will be up between 76 and 81, and a lot of his row 14 bingoes score more than that (e.g. GIGATON, INNAGES). I'm still in a decent position given that outcome, but he could also fish for a higher score and still not allow me to block - e.g. ZA or ATE. Perhaps I should do RE(D)E 13K to play 3 tiles, forcing him to bingo immediately. It puts me up 60, but all his bingoes will be on the 14 row, and I saw my T for HIST and S for other HI? plays, so I should be outrunning even his 80 point bingoes very often. Although UKE is great for spread, it opens the door to some really great 1 tiles fishes that I can lose to quite often. #strategylarge
Jackson Smylie vs. Michael Fagen (Game 33098)
Tactics Large
C3 GAM +18
If Andrew doesn't block along the F or E file, C7 GAM is best by far. BEGO is still there at 7B but I have to end in an E. But I think he blocks too often and I just lose. Here, I thought he can't block both bingo spots on column F and row 2. Seemed like my best shot. However, he can just play with GAME on the 6th row to block everything. So I'm kind of boned regardless. So maybe it's back to C7 GAM, since that might outrun some blocks? Maybe I just have to make a desperado play opening up row 15 such as (S)AG and go for CAMEOED or CAROMED. That also threatens DORMICE, but Andrew can probably block both lines and still win. Toughens things tho. #tacticslarge
Andrew Golding vs. Josh Sokol (Game 38156)
Strategy Large
N10 GRE(Y) +12
Shitty attempt at blocking O6 bingos. I did not think about the IER, IES, IED bingos that still fit after N10 GRE(Y). I was considering N8 TIGER(Y) but I thought that gave too many O7 possibilities back. N8 TIGER(Y) is slightly better than this at blocking bingos. Blocking the ELKS hook seemed forced to me at the time, but 15M GUE is best. #STRATEGYSADDEST
Joshua Castellano vs. Will Anderson (Game 41260)
Knowledge Large
11E BOH +22
Now I know there's a chance my opponent can take the triple lane, but I couldn't figure out how to block it. Definitely needed to score a lot more than I did, though. F10 CEBID is nice here. #knowledgesaddest
Nitya Chagti vs. Tobey Roland (Game 39142)
Vision Small
10F HILLY +41
D4 KILL(JO)Y. I'm pretty sure I would have known this was good if I had seen it and I didn't even look at playing through JO, making it a #visionsmall mistake. Also #knowledgesmall for the +5.
Joshua Castellano vs. Daniel Milton (Game 31567)
Tactics Small
B10 (F)UNDI +18
Q prefers FAULD over this because EIN bingoes a bit more than AEL. Q also prefers TAU but I am not a fan, I don't expect him to open things up for my leave. #tacticssmall I also thought there was a chance he wouldn't know orsee the C hook
Kenneth Rubin vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 35378)
Tactics Medium
10J G(EM) +10
Fishing is not the right play here, for I do not hit often enough, and once Orry makes his play of M13 LEU I have to start blocking again. I should take the points with 10D GIBES, the sim winner. #tacticsmedium
Alec Sjoholm vs. Orry Swift (Game 32986)
Tactics Small
C11 V(A)LOR +16
Quackle assigns this the highest valuation, but M11 TOR and a few other plays have undetectably better win chances (99.99 > 99.99 apparently). I considered TOR but I did not realize that it forced bingos ending in S to play on column N instead of column M, thus giving me high-scoring responses. #tacticssmall
Alec Sjoholm vs. Michael Baker (Game 33631)
Vision Medium
E1 RETOU(C)H +24
i had a feeling this wasn't a good move, but i actually could not find anything better. i think i thought of OUCH E4 but that's only marginal. i like TOUCH but there's a lot of unseen Es. 2B URETHAN is the clear star play here; just need to improve anagramming. -7.5 #visionmedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Joey Mallick (Game 33804)
Endgame Large
2J sOK(O)L +22
this was purposeful, I was extremely rattled at having drawn my 8th blank in 4 games as the last tile in the bag. I saw that this was 20 points off but had to do it. #endgamelarge
Matt Graham vs. Josh Sokol (Game 33135)
Finding Large
10F GOA +21
this was absolutely terrifying. I saw that I didn't have DOGMA through the D in DEFINITE. I saw that I had GLIOMATA with an I or an L. I saw the -MATA suffix more than once. Yet, I miss dOGMATA. #findinglarge
Will Anderson vs. Josh Sokol (Game 32878)
Tactics Small
10L G(O)JI +28
Yeah ugh this was difficult. On the one hand JOB C1 just looks like the play. Creates a big spot but blocks the likelier lane, and scores better than GOJI. But I got worried about him fishing for JEZAIL or having it. That's not really enough for him to win though, so I shouldn't have worried #tacticssmall
Josh Sokol vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 33932)
Time Large
1D EElIER +22
He tried blocking F2 EAtERIE but forgot about EARD. I also forgot about EARD. I hope I would have seen it with more than 1 minute. 1F EAtERIE is gg. #TIMESADDEST
Joshua Castellano vs. Chris Lipe (Game 40998)
Finding Large
3H cHIN(O)OKS +86
how does one spot KIbOSH(I)N(G) D7 and miss SINKHOl(E) O1. I sadly thought this was better than KIBOSHING so I played it. It is indeed better but ugh. #findingSADDEST
Seth Lipkin vs. Joshua Sokol (Game 47184)
Strategy Small
H4 COTTA +20
TOMCAT is just better. Forgot Noah had just studied his 5s and got pretty far alphabetically. I saw TOMCAT but convinced myself I would try to exploit his weaknesses that didn't actually exist anymore #strategysmall
Josh Sokol vs. Noah Kalus (Game 42941)
Vision Large
C12 AAL +32
IN MY HEAD I SHIT YOU NOT I WENT "oh I need an N for NEONATAL" and then i DIDNT. SEE. THE. FUCKING. N. I just spent the whole time being like "huh i wonder if I should play OAT or AAL" instead!!! AND I PICKED THE WRONG ONE LMAOOO #VISIONSADDEST
Marty Gold vs. Nitya Chagti (Game 44169)
Finding Medium
7F JUN +19
damn, I just didn't see MEOW at 9G. I thought a whole lot about this turn and figured I was overthinking, but I really enjoyed the defensiveness of this play. He's maybe not going to want to make the equity plays next turn since they throw the board dangerously open, so he might either exchange or make a small play that just gives me scoring chances with my M and my W? MEOW is clearly best here, and I liked WOMEN at 7F as well. JOW and JEW at 7F seemed close but gross. #findingmedium for missing MEOW and #highlyquestionable for the rest
David Boys vs. Josh Sokol (Game 35755)
Finding Large
M1 REE +20
yeah this is bad, I need to be more proactive. obviously REHA(B) is the play here, but I started doubting myself on HEAPER , which I think is justifiable to open the board. I should have tond that. this is overly optimistic, it doesn't work out well usually. #findinglarge
Jackson Smylie vs. Michael Fagen (Game 35368)
Strategy Small
15A TEGU +32
This should've been DEGUST, which I considered; there are no spots for sevens with my DST leave apart from DOJOS or EMS. Quackle says I bingo 21% after TEGU and 18% after DEGUST, which is easily close enough for me to take 9 extra points here. #strategysmall
Will Anderson vs. Orry Swift (Game 32891)
Strategy Small
H4 GROPE +20
It's not like I was a huge fan of this play, but again, it seemed pretty straightforward. It's not. It's way less defensive than POGO and even EGO. POGO is probably the best play #strategysmall
Josh Sokol vs. Noah Walton (Game 37050)
Strategy Large
I7 U(T)E +5
i spent a long time on this move and then made a bad play. i should play CURIE 10K here, i considered it and it is aggressive, and good, i have the case S. it might be slightly worse because he is consonant heavy. i strongly considered 9C UNTIE as well, and saw that the bag was consonant heavy (11 vowels and 16 consonants unseen). i knew he probably had like 4-5 of the consonants at least based on his last few plays, so that may even out the bag a little bit, but still, UTE seemed to bingo a lot. my problem is that the bag still has a lot of ugly high point tiles that won't bingo. i was worried that if i played UNTIE or CURIE i would draw 4 consonants and my rack would go to hell. still, i don't know how i spend such a long time on this rack and then make such a lame move. i should be less afraid and play CURIE. there are high scoring tiles to go for like the J, Z, X which i need to outrun him. i even considered DA(CE) for quite a while, which sims almost as well as CURIE. i basically grossly overestimated how much UTE would bingo, and then spent a while trying to justify to myself that i should play it, and then decided it was worth the risk. i was totally wrong. -9.5 #strategylarge
Cesar Del Solar vs. Joel Sherman (Game 33684)
Vision Small
7F PELF +24
i was actually doing some math here to try to figure out what the chances he drew an E were. i think i calculated somewhere in the 30% range. didn't see the amazing H10 PINETA. -0.5 #visionsmall
Cesar Del Solar vs. Wallace Schultz (Game 33866)
Strategy Small
E10 VARA +21
Quackle prefers 2M AVA, keeping the R. I don't like opening 3x3 spots so cheaply, so I would play the second-place 3B VARA. #strategysmall
Alec Sjoholm vs. Noah Walton (Game 33574)
Vision Large
K3 REXIN(E) +26
9K REX would have been fine, it's more defensive and doesn't offer her big Column J scoring opportunities. I didn't like the C being in the position it's in, which kinda prompted me to play this. 9K REX is still the play. #visionlarge
Judy Rosenthal vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 37150)
Endgame Small
E4 THUG +19
I was confident there were no bingos through the K with his tiles but I missed that he had no bingos starting at E1, so 9E CH(A)W is best, blocking all bingos on the E column. #endgamesad
Joshua Castellano vs. Charles Reinke (Game 49561)
Strategy Large
I1 HUH +22
#knowledgesaddest for not challenging ANAGOGUE* earlier. This is also a tilt play. UH is fine, even though he's likely to have a D. I eat those chances up with the benefits of the UH play, and it's not like HUH doesn't give him so much back. #strategylarge
Josh Sokol vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 37678)
Finding Small
11K AZAN +36
now, CZA(R) 4G is important to find. I can also just play CA(V)A, not sure how I missed that one. I knew this was a terrible move, but for some reason I just couldn't find anything else. #findingSAD
Keith Hagel vs. Josh Sokol (Game 45146)
Vision Medium
F8 H(A)JI +30
10A DHOTI would have been really nice for 6 more and I save the J for another scoring play! Gotta learn to find higher scoring without needing power tiles sometimes. #visionmedium
Jay Levin vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 36353)
Strategy Medium
L1 BA(T)EA(U) +22
I basically stopped looking after I found BATEAU. There are many plays better than this, including Quackle's pick C2 ABATE, C1 ABYE, 2L AYE, and 7B BATTIER, which is significantly more awesome than this. #strategymedium
Josh Sokol vs. Alec Sjoholm (Game 33072)
Strategy Small
O13 FAG +28
N1 GAUFERS never wins, obviously; CP slightly prefers 11K UG to FAG, but I was imagining FAG potentially drawing into solid scoring bingos on both columns A and N. The problem with FAG is obviously that first, it empties the bag. Second, I was worried that if Tim has the Y he can outrun me with any reasonable FREETY play, but given that I probably need the Y and either the M or the other blank to even threaten the win, I should just bank on drawing it myself, making blocking it unimportant. At least I made a play that has a nontrivial chunk of winning%. #strategysmall 0:45
Will Anderson vs. Tim Weiss (Game 33171)
Finding Large
F9 MARINED +73
at some point before my turn realized this likely wasn't a word, and that INARMED was the word in here. Still, didn't find MIDRANGE so I had to phony. Got away with this, but MIDRANGE is probably correct #findingSADDEST
Josh Sokol vs. Noah Kalus (Game 42941)
Finding Small
K7 I(N)VOLUTE +72
I did not think of the fact that this has hooks as much as it sounds like an adjective. Also, D2 OUTLIVE(R) was missed for 2 more. #findingsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Seth Lipkin (Game 49298)
Strategy Medium
15D (S)ICKED +39
W: I need to do KITE and get lucky; I felt there was a chance of outscoring after SICKED, but I still have that chance after KITE and I get way more bingos down. #strategymedium
Will Anderson vs. Cesar Del Solar (Game 32684)
Finding Medium
O1 ZHOS +58
Played ZHOS quite quickly but didn't stop to think of N2 SHASH, which scores 9 more and draws into a boatload of heavy Z plays on column A or at the very least O1 ZO/ZOO. #findingmedium 14:42
Vince Castellano vs. Will Anderson (Game 33168)
Vision Small
14J FAV(E)R +38
Somehow missed 13I VAV - although it sims completely evenly with FAVER I think I prefer VAV for a couple reasons. First, the FHRT leave synergizes really well with the row 4 scoring lane forming CH. Second, in this particular scenario, it's not clear to me that Winter will know PAWAW and if I draw the W I could score a boatload with it at 14J to the DWS. #visionsmall
Will Anderson vs. Winter (Game 34378)
Knowledge Large
14H SIX +30
his actual rack...ouch cesar: i don't understand how i can chicken out on oxhides yet lay down an idiotic "lifesize" in another game, despite that word not looking study familiar. it's so crazy how i can constantly have brainfart turns that make no sense. at least the way i rationalized it might make a little sense: i spotted the word immediately, it looked familiar, but not so familiar that i could be 100% sure of it. i laid down 13G INDEX, then i thought, well, but it doesn't block the S hook, so i should block that. going up nearly a bingo score with the blank in hand, even if i'm a big chicken, i should still win a large % of the time. but this is so so so so bad, i guess i do have to constantly study. -31.5 #knowledgelarge
Jesse Day vs. Cesar Del Solar (Game 33047)
Finding Large
12B IKON +19
How do I have almost the same rack as last turn?! Maybe just I9 KOI is fine. I'm lucky he didn't punish me harder with the EIKON hook which I didn't even think of tbh. #findinglarge
Edwin Roth vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 48344)
Strategy Medium
N9 DILUTE +25
N5 DUELLI is beautiful. DILUTE isn't that great. it actually slightly raises his bingo percentage, even though i'm trying to block an easy 7 lane. -3 #findingmedium #knowledgemedium #strategymedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Bruce D Ambrosio (Game 32699)
Vision Small
N1 GLADE +23
huge misplay this turn, totally missed a lot of interesting options. HUMANE opens the door to GE(D) and LE(D)E and LE(D)GE as setups. GAED N2 is also perhaps a better play. S(T)AGED is interesting as well. The key here is whether he has a blank on his rack. I think the answer is usually, since Q(I) for 31 would often come down. But with the board not great for bingoes, or a rack that isn't helped by the blank a lot, he may elecet to play Qi without another blank in hand. I remember thinking it was decently likely he didn't have another blank, but wasn't sure. I now think that he would probably keep the blank very often and play for 31, the options to outrun in an endgame are immense. A sim has GED, LEDGE, STAGED, GAED, EDGE, and GLADE I'm really not sure what's right, but I am pretty sure I would play LE(D)GE had I seen HUMANE. #visionsmall
Will Anderson vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 33127)
Tactics Small
2J FOH +34
Pretty interesting sim result here. Quackle's favorite play here is F7 FROG, followed by 2J HOG, 8L FAIR, 2J FOG, then my move of 2J FOH, then 8L FARO. They're all really closely packed together in valuation. Terry just bingoed and the board is loaded with high-equity scoring spots so simulation is going to be even more accurate than usual. FROG is both the highest scoring and most defensive move, cutting off SLEW and badly damaging the scoring potential of any racks Terry draws with the X in it. (By contrast, the Z plays all over the place on this board and there's little I can do about it.) I didn't think of FROG at all, unfortunately. On the other hand, I'm losing and might like SLEW to stay open. HOG vs FOG vs FOH at 2J is quite interesting. Sim prefers HOG, perhaps expecting me to get down some much heavier bingos with SHEN and THEN afterwards. My play of FOH gives me the highest bingo% on my next move, but nevertheless trails HOG by 3 points per turn because of those heavy bingos I draw into, and which stay open a huge amount of the time thanks to the other good scoring spots available. I'll give FROG a #visionsmall and HOG a #tacticssmall.
Terry Kang vs. Will Anderson (Game 34593)
Finding Large
3B RE(STACKING) +34
terrible miss of G(A)ROTTED A7. I saw GROTT(O) B10 but I seem to have misevaluated things slightly, as GROTTO looks a bit better. #findinglarge
Kenneth Rubin vs. Josh Sokol (Game 36745)