Vision Medium
L7 sCENTED +83
I unfortunatly rushed this play because I realized this was better than anything else I had before Dan played MODISH. But the fact is, 11E T(R)ENChED or C(R)ENaTED are better regardless of what Dan played prior. #visionmedium
Dan Wachtell vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 50234)
Knowledge Small
14H (L)OTIONED +72
His only valid bingo was 12H (N)OONTIDE for 70. Instead, I let him get away with this plausible phony. You can apply things like suntan lotion, right? #knowledgesad
Froilan Mendoza vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 48294)
Vision Unspecified
J6 FO(V)EAE +42
THIS is how you give yourself a chance against a monster of a player. #VISIONSOLID. Notice the CAPSLOCK*? I was VERY pleased to find this move that got rid of 4 vowels and an F!
Samuel Kaplan vs. Joel Sherman (Game 56400)
Strategy Small
8K IDEAL +30
I(C)ILY is nice and tight, but makes the board too s-dependant for my liking. I wondered if ILIAD was worth the points sacrifice but didn't think about underlaps being easier after IDEAL, which tips the scales in favor of ILIAD. #strategysmall
Wallace Schultz vs. Josh Sokol (Game 49114)
Endgame Medium
3B GAM +16
this is only an 8-point mistake, but it's laughably stupid. Completely spaced out on GAM's obscure hook. Best is 3G AGMA which I saw as a 2nd play following F(R)EMD, but thought this was best because it blocked RAYAH plays. Great job, me. #endgamemedium
Joshua Sokol vs. Chloe Fatsis (Game 41801)
Endgame Large
1A WAZ(O)O +51
I seriously considered playing 1A WAZ(O)OING* before deciding that it was more likely that the blank was in the bag and I could draw it to win than WAZOOING* being a word. This isn't actually the best play. C1 ZO(A) saves 1A WA(ZO)O and wins about 50% of the time as opposed to this which wins about 30% of the time. #endgamelarge
Dave Wiegand vs. Joshua Castellano (Game 32770)
Knowledge Large
15C WINgB(A)TS +63
Absolutely and horribly inexcusable. This is invalid and I held for a while, unable to remember if BATWING or WINGBAT* is valid. I remembered that Reid had a history of knowing a lot of words and I know that I don't know anything at all and eventually accept and make the spread-cutting move but WINGBATS* ISN'T A WORD ASDAFSD
Literally when the only way to lose is to accept a word that looks funny to you, you should probably challenge that word. Guhhhhhh. This is one of many, many times where I show absolutely no faith in my word knoweldge this tournament.
#knowledgesaddest #tacticssaddest (idk if I can tag two things but I'll try)
Reid Hattaway vs. Matt Canik (Game 32971)
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)
Strategy Small
6I OOF +17
this helps him too much even when it blocks his bingos. I was trying to do too much. Just OF or OFF are probably better. #strategysmall
Jason Li vs. Joshua Sokol (Game 41484)
Finding Medium
O1 AIDE +25
Now I kind of have to go here, and AEDINE is an improvement. Even if I don't draw a bingo, picking the X will be super helpful and I need turnover for that as well as the blank even with this consonant-heavy pool. #findingmedium
Mark Miller vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56935)
Vision Small
I2 MEALIEs +71
I thought about A11 MAILE but not 13I EMAILEd. I think MAILE is actually fine, MEALIES opens up a big scoring spot for him, but also E? isn't great here cause bingoes need to start in vowels or use the blank as an S. that was why I decided against MAILE, but EMAILED looks better, he averages not even a point more than after mealies but my average goes up cause i'm opening the board more generally and not just one spot. #visionsmall
Kenneth Rubin vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 35378)
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)
Tactics Small
11I WORD +21
13I DROWN is simming best, which sort of says something about the position. I think I was trying too hard for the J setup, although he does have unconducive tiles to block the setup with. #tacticssmall
Josh Sokol vs. Frank Tangredi (Game 35853)
Strategy Medium
C9 R(I)DIC +18
My thinking here was that RIDIC blocks the board for bingos completely and after any IRIDIC play I was highly likely to follow up with a bingo of my own. But something like 12B CIRL also blocks the board nearly completely without allowing huge potential counterplay, and I completely spaced on K11 CRIT, though I'm not sure how smart that move is to actually play. (edit: K11 CRIT was not actually available to me thanks to my AUGITES annotation error referenced earlier) #strategymedium
Ben Schoenbrun vs. Will Anderson (Game 34618)
Finding Medium
H2 rEPULSE +72
PEEpULS is much better. I only see UPSLEEP* and recognize that as a phony, and I had already lost 2 minutes because I was late from lunch. Still need to see that shit.
#findingmedium
Josh Sokol vs. Joey Mallick (Game 33805)
Strategy Large
1N FA +26
1 letter off from getting back in this one- would have hit a 3x3 of INFANTAS! Looking back, maybe it's not that crazy of an idea to do 13A AFA(R) to distract him. I didn't think about that and maybe he would actually bite the 12A spot since that has a vowel and he scores more easily there. #strategylarge
Samuel Kaplan vs. Brandon Randall (Game 56780)
Tactics Small
6I NA(H) +14
really weird position. I think this is OK, but I could see how something else would be viable, like SADL(Y) and SAND(Y), which are both very aggressive. SL(Y) now is also a thing. It looks like LA(H) is better than this though. #tacticssmall
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Finding Medium
E5 FIL(E)D +21
I do want to undouble my D here. There is deceptively not as much to score as it first looks. I think I3 DIDY looks stronger to score a couple more and FIL is actually not that bad a leave on this board since I can always reopen the bottom right with 12K plays with my F. #findingmedium
Samuel Kaplan vs. Eric Goldstein (Game 56986)
Finding Medium
O12 YAM +26
such an insane bingo available here. Can you find it? This is probably worse than MAY L11 because although I block myself with MAY, I also give him a lot less to work with, and I have the blank, so I don't really need to leave everything open. #tacticssmall #findingmedium #knowledgemedium
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Knowledge Large
F4 (P)OX +28
I talk myself out of EXORABLE, remembering that there was something weird about it. What I was remembering was the fact that EXORABLY* is no good but that INEXORABLY is. #knowledgelarge
Joshua Sokol vs. Kenji Matsumoto (Game 33137)
Knowledge Large
K8 MA(Y)O +18
didn't know DOMATIA#, though this rack did scream of bingo. I missed DAIM(Y)O and OID(I)A which both significantly improve on this. I looked for something like DAIMYO, such a tough thing to spot. OIDIA should not be tough to spot, but I was intent on leaving the S hook open and totally distracted by what had just happened. Really bad. #findingSADDEST #knowledgeSADDEST
Josh Sokol vs. Matthew Tunnicliffe (Game 48816)
Knowledge Large
C5 DWEE(B)ING +0 (Lost challenge)
this will be the last time I confuse WEEDBED and BEDEWED for BEDEWED and DWEEBED* and BEDEWING and BEWINGED for BEDEWING and DWEEBING* (I hope) #knowledgelarge
Joshua Sokol vs. Kenji Matsumoto (Game 33137)
Vision Large
10I (V)O(E) +8
Drat. NOESIS scores 45, and playing parallel to OBOE on column M with any number of things retainng one S is just far better than fishing just an O. Might've been a bit tilted drawing my third consecutive unplayable CSW bingo - but the disappointing thing is that in this particular case, I might've been more apt to find NOESIS since I already had ANOESIS# in my mind. #visionlarge #strategylarge
Matt Canik vs. Will Anderson (Game 33560)
Tactics Unspecified
K11 GAMY +28
HAEM K11 is a good play. Doesn't give back the things that the Y does. This was not thought about enough. #tacticsmeidum
Josh Sokol vs. Karl Higby (Game 33882)
Finding Large
8A ROUN(D) +21
I wondered if bURNOUS(ES) was good, but not so much because it didn't score anything and this might be better anyway. However, I missed aNUROUS somehow, which fits for 70 at D9 and is clearly the right play. It will be a close game, but aNUROUS gives me the best shot. #findinglarge
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Vision Small
6F DU(B) +10
Fishing is clearly correct here. I think if I wanted to force Joey to open the board for cheap, I think 6H (B)U(N) or 6H (B)U(N)D are better versions of this play. #visionsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Joey Krafchick (Game 53935)
Strategy Large
M3 VAN +22
I should probably leave the 3 row open, it's hard for him to close. I hated all my options - DAV(E)N? that puts pressure on at least, it's probably better than VAN. I was kinda hoping he wouldn't have a good TAGS block, but he can always do a mediocre one from the G in KLEAGLES or with ETA, and then I have to bingo on some terrible marginal lane. I think I got too obsessed with staying in bingo range, DAVEN isn't likely to win but at least I will be able to have a place to bingo. I think B4 ADD is good as well, keeping the 3 row and 13 rows open. either one of those seem way better than VAN #strategylarge
Jackson Smylie vs. Kenji Matsumoto (Game 33113)
Finding Small
F7 U(G)LY +16
This game is going to be interesting. Too bad I missed a key option here, E5 LAY(O)UTS, so perhaps things would have been different if I had seen that. I liked this over (G)UY because the leave was less bingo-dependent and slightly less variant. I probably missed LAY(O)UTS because I spent the first minute or so of my time lamenting that SALUTORY* was the word I think Nigel Peltier played against Conrad at 2014 Nationals which Conrad accepted. #findingsmall
Matthew Tunnicliffe vs. Josh Sokol (Game 33638)
Finding Medium
13J (FOR)GET +20
This play was quite sloppy. I didn't see 2J I(N)GLE which undoubles both my E and I. Even 6G GIE is fine if I don't spot INGLE. Did I FORGET how to play Scrabble for a turn? #findingmedium
Samuel Kaplan vs. Robert Desimone Jr (Game 58100)
Finding Small
I13 M(I)R +17
This isn't bad equitywise. But it does allow Joel to play 9s ending with -IER that can get him back in the game, namely GROUCHIER. I think a better move that still allows me to retain my only vowel is 9F T(E)N(NE)R for 14. Row 15 bingoes are not as scary as they normally might be since it's hard to end an 8 with -IE and there are no more unseen As, so Joel cannot extend from an E to the bottom right corner. Also, I eliminate 2x2s from the N in LAMINATED. #findingsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Joel Sherman (Game 56400)
Finding Large
14F BL(E)D +13
This play is another mistake. I looked for some time for -LESS words and I can't be chickening out on things like K5 BeDLESS which is 101. The only playable bingo on Row 14 is DEBtL(E)SS. Even something as simple as 14G B(E)DS is better because it isn't worth it to keep 2 Ss on this board. #findinglarge
Samuel Kaplan vs. Will Anderson (Game 50295)
Finding Small
14F WATT +18
There's really not a whole lot worth keeping on this board. I need a blank desperately and K4 WATTTAG(E) gives me the best shot at drawing one or the last R for LITHER. #findingsmall
Alex Vratsanos vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56426)
Vision Large
O9 RALLY +16
just with BRANG*, I was about ready to snap challenge, and the longer I took, the less I felt I should challenge. This is a huge mistake, but I still figured my best chances were holding on from this position. But I missed AR(M)Y for 39, which is too many to say no to. There is very limited risk of 7 consonants next turn being pivotal enough to lose the game, and also very minimal chance of not drawing a vowel, given the 15/10 vowel/consonant ratio. Something like 10-15%? I just missed AR(M)Y, but worse, I made this play with absolutely no clue about RALLYE, a word I know. I never saw RALLYE. This was Jackson's game to come back and win. Incredibly good pressure by him, picking at my confidence levels more and more every turn. #knowledgesaddest #visionsaddest #strategysaddest #findingsaddest
Josh Sokol vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 41629)
Finding Large
O9 RALLY +16
just with BRANG*, I was about ready to snap challenge, and the longer I took, the less I felt I should challenge. This is a huge mistake, but I still figured my best chances were holding on from this position. But I missed AR(M)Y for 39, which is too many to say no to. There is very limited risk of 7 consonants next turn being pivotal enough to lose the game, and also very minimal chance of not drawing a vowel, given the 15/10 vowel/consonant ratio. Something like 10-15%? I just missed AR(M)Y, but worse, I made this play with absolutely no clue about RALLYE, a word I know. I never saw RALLYE. This was Jackson's game to come back and win. Incredibly good pressure by him, picking at my confidence levels more and more every turn. #knowledgesaddest #visionsaddest #strategysaddest #findingsaddest
Josh Sokol vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 41629)
Strategy Medium
4L IAMB +29
this is actually a pretty counterproductive play. I need to admit I am at a disadvantage and play FIB 7K. This gives back too many bingos and scoring plays. I am setting up points on row 8, but also on row 4 with TEFF. Cool play that I should have seen. I saw BE(D)IM, which is also a lot better. #findingmedium #strategymedium
Jason Li vs. Joshua Sokol (Game 41484)
Finding Small
15F MIAOWS +44
realized I missed SWAMI after making my play. Thought it was a 5-point mistake, but maybe not. Dah. Also H11 W(H)AMO #findingsmall
Yvonne Lobo vs. Josh Sokol (Game 39472)
Tactics Small
M7 P(O)I(N)TED +35
I really wanted to play OUTFOXING but this looked better for me. 22 points is pretty good, the leave is better. And I know it doesn't take an S, unlike FOXING. #tacticssmall
Sebastian Knowles vs. Josh Sokol (Game 37383)
Strategy Large
2A AEON +20
I either have to fish eit something like O(C)A or A(C)E, or I do this, which seemed to win if I drew some X? stuff. I did not iterate properly though, and this seems to always lose with the draws I was hoping for. I have to avoid stuff like FOIBLE, but a lot of outs in two will be good enough for Arie even without big plays. Spread was not important here, so I needed to find something better. Maybe I had to play A(C)E or O(C)A, though I felt he could too often block everything with a play like FIL(AR) 5B, although those plays are hard to find and make with one in the bag. Gotta try something, so maybe I do something like (P)EE or (L)EE going for ANOXIA for 67 and complications. Maybe best to play EE somewhere else. Yeah, I think that's the right idea. If ANOXIA?T or ANOXIA?B are unseen to Arie there's (P)AINTBOX, if ANOXIA?E is unseen there's (A)NOXEMIA. Damn, wish I had thought of that. Way better at conceptualizing wins that don't involve very specific bingo threats. #strategysaddest
Josh Sokol vs. Arie Sinke (Game 41581)
Vision Medium
D3 TURNI(P) +16
Right idea with the turnover and blocking the HUMPS hook. I will say that TURNIP is a worse play than it usually is because I should not be keeping 2 Os with 3 more usneen. While TURNIP isn't egregious, I should be looking to address my O problem while also blocking more indirectly with F2 UNROOT or even 4C UNROOF. #visionmedium
David Firstman vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 50665)
Strategy Medium
7K FUTZ +26
Never considered that TUFT 4C blocks X and Q bombs. That alone makes it worth playing. I was really close to playing this but just felt Jason was too likely to play on row 2 anyway, but the Z has a decent future on this board anyway. Even if I assume Jason plays on row 2 a ton more often than random, TUFT is worth doing. I thought I was being mature, but I was just being cowardly. #strategymedium
Jason Li vs. Joshua Sokol (Game 41484)
Finding Medium
4L OX +31
I missed LIMITABLE here! LOX/LIMITABLE looks great, even though I'm not sure my entire rack. LINN/LIMITABLE also looks quite good #findingmedium
Josh Sokol vs. Cooper Komatsu (Game 37004)
Vision Medium
5C (K)OR +23
I was not comfortable doing N1 LOO. That said, I think I need to clean up my rack better with J9 TROLLO(P), which was missed. It also defends the bottom of the board nicely. #visionmedium
Samuel Kaplan vs. Jeffrey Jacobson (Game 56569)
Knowledge Large
6A ZIRCoNS +73
Now, I need to see S(PORTERs) to even have a fighting chance. If I don't challenge, ZIRcONS ties the game up! #knowledgelarge #knowledgesaddest
Josh Sokol vs. Frank Tangredi (Game 35853)
Tactics Medium
O4 VOTE(R) +12
10L TOKE is the natural play to make here, but I wanted to test Eric's closed-board skills here. I also really wanted a closed game. #tacticsmedium
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Finding Small
J6 PA(R)TIbLE +77
Absolutely insane. To make matters worse, despite slowing down for a half a minute to look for row 9 overlaps, I somehow fail to spot PLATIEs for 3 more. This time, creating the X and Z bomb spot at 10F is somewhat contemptible, seeing as Quackle cannot quickly decide if it likes sacrificing the 3 points or not. PARTIbLE has some decent control. I can see attempting to close things off within 3 moves or so after PARTIbLE. After PLATIEs, not as much, since the R and S of MATADORS and the E and R of ROILIER aren't very intuitive to deal with without opening new threats, despite their closeness. Furthermore, the P on B9 can always be used to make desparate forking plays. Still, I rate this as yet another mistake. #findingsmall
Jackson Smylie vs. Josh Sokol (Game 41628)
Knowledge Large
I8 GIRLY +23
This is one way to force the board open against him. He's not going to suspect that I am keeping an S. However, this was not a good time to make this specific play because I saw H7 G(A)RISHLY and talked myself out of it. #knowledgelarge
David Firstman vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 50665)
Finding Small
10J HAO +27
I considered this, FIE 11E and FETA 7G. I missed OHIA 11D which seems like the play. I didn't want to play FIE because it set up PIER with ECO and 6 R's out without a good lane on the board. OHIA sims better than HAO by 4 points, and I imagine it's even better than that in this position. #findingsmall
Josh Sokol vs. Kevin Fraley (Game 37081)
Knowledge Medium
O12 YAM +26
such an insane bingo available here. Can you find it? This is probably worse than MAY L11 because although I block myself with MAY, I also give him a lot less to work with, and I have the blank, so I don't really need to leave everything open. #tacticssmall #findingmedium #knowledgemedium
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Tactics Small
E4 WI(C)H +24
UH 7B is a fascinating option. I bingo a bit less than with WI(C)H or wHI(R) 5I, but my bingos score a whole lot more, without actually giving Ricky that much. He is less likely than average to have a D or an H to hook UH also. This would have been the right play. #tacticssmall
Josh Sokol vs. Ricky Sirois (Game 39846)
Knowledge Medium
O12 (F)EUS +32
This is when S(PORTERs) becomes relevant. I was not a fan of it at the start of the game, but I forgot about it when things started frowning upon me in this middlegame. It is absolutely relevant here and keeping my S is very important. #knowledgemedium
Josh Sokol vs. Frank Tangredi (Game 35853)
Finding Small
12A MO(I)sTING +80
First off, I could have played 2G T(R)OMpING for 82. Secondly, I got lucky as this also phony. We are both so bad this game. Even 12A OM(I)TtING would have been fine if I don't see TROMPING. #findingsad
Lynn Cushman vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56397)
Finding Medium
4L IAMB +29
this is actually a pretty counterproductive play. I need to admit I am at a disadvantage and play FIB 7K. This gives back too many bingos and scoring plays. I am setting up points on row 8, but also on row 4 with TEFF. Cool play that I should have seen. I saw BE(D)IM, which is also a lot better. #findingmedium #strategymedium
Jason Li vs. Joshua Sokol (Game 41484)
Strategy Medium
10M Z(I)G +13
I should play E6 (F)RUG here. an A draw gets me kANZ(U), an O pONZ(U), and the Z has value later on once stuff opens up a bit, which is pretty necessary at some point. #strategymedium
I was very intent on getting a bingo next turn, but I might not even win if that happens.
Josh Sokol vs. Eric Harshbarger (Game 35819)
Finding Small
C7 T(A)V +21
Playing through is better than exchanging, as much as it sucks that I could not pick a vowel. I think I had the right idea if I wanted to take away a key scoring spot and block the L. However, I also think that LAV is better than TAV since I have a more synergystic leave. But the play that sims the best is 2C TR(O)MM(E)L, which I did not know, and I might have even done that if I knew it and saw it. #findingsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Kevin Fraley (Game 56599)
Endgame Large
5I T(UT) +3
I got the endgame wrong too. I had my tracking as if he had CJ, so I thought I was J-sticking him. If I had tracked AJ, I would have realized I can't stop him from going out, so the best play I would have generated would have been A4 (C)ICALA forcing him to play out with B11 JA(G). #endgamelarge
Samuel Kaplan vs. Joey Krafchick (Game 53935)
Endgame Large
13H (O)Y +9
from this position arises (edit: what I thought was) the most amazing endgame sequence I've ever seen a sub-1000 rated player play. I genuinely thought I was Q-sticking here. (edit: And I was)
Quackle's choice is N1 NU, and it seems to win by 209 according to its endgame analysis, so at least that's consistent with its estimations here. Still don't know if I should trust this.
#endgamesaddest
Irene Gedney vs. Josh Sokol (Game 39598)
Finding Medium
M7 V(A)URIEN +30
Didn't generate M8 AVOURE as a choice, which is better defensively and bingos a solid amount more than VAURIEN (33% to 21%). I had it down to BOUVIER vs. VAURIEN which is indeed more of a coin flip. #findingmedium
Ben Schoenbrun vs. Will Anderson (Game 34618)
Strategy Small
I1 HEW +28
I had problems focusing and counting plays here. I don't remember exactly, but I remember counting both plays and getting it wrong and then trying again and getting it right, but blocking the TO and partially the E in AUTOED is much better for bingo defense than blocking up top. This is a stupid decision on my part. I think I thought I could deal with the right side later. #strategysmall
Even if the scores of both HEW plays were reversed, I should still play under AUTOED.
Josh Sokol vs. Joey Mallick (Game 33805)
Finding Large
K8 MA(Y)O +18
didn't know DOMATIA#, though this rack did scream of bingo. I missed DAIM(Y)O and OID(I)A which both significantly improve on this. I looked for something like DAIMYO, such a tough thing to spot. OIDIA should not be tough to spot, but I was intent on leaving the S hook open and totally distracted by what had just happened. Really bad. #findingSADDEST #knowledgeSADDEST
Josh Sokol vs. Matthew Tunnicliffe (Game 48816)