I should've just passed, but I wasn't sure of the math after B8 TIRITIS -> G8 (G)EROnIMO, but it wins by 1. This loses 3/8 when the I is in the bag, except none of any of that matters since we miscounted the bag and it actually wins, but I didn't do a recount oops lmao. #STRATEGYSADDEST
I saw OcREATE, but I didn't want to give up a C hook at A1. This sacrifices 3 points, yet Quackle rates this an 8-point mistake. In hindsight, it was a mistake; I drew both C's and the other blank this game. #tacticssmall
thought it might be PREFOLIATE* but yeah, never was going to be sure of PERFOLIATE, which is best here. Dave Wiegand thought CARPETBED* was good, as did I. #knowledgesaddest
K7 SOIREEs #knowledgesaddest also ##confusionsaddest because i had just learned OISERIES and let the curse of new knowledge overtake my years of knowing this top-500 bingo
I thought my best attempt would be to go for H1 QAT but going for the bingo with 6L (N)AG is much better, probably. Maybe H1 QAT just doesn't score enough, I dunno. #strategysad
I didn't care for B1 JEAN just because I don't have an S and Cesar could very well gobble up the A1 spot, but J2 JACANA(s) needs to be spotted. That's the play. #findingmedium
Not bad, but K1 (HE)L(I)X is a little better. With the FAKIES hook open, I'd rather dump the X and try to bingo asap instead of doing M1 LUNS. But yea, HELIX it is. #visionsmall
huge error here. I thought BING took an S and felt weird about setting up an S hook when he has one on his rack. BUNG is the same type of deal, good aggression but obviously that's not the goal here. I surely would have played BING had I been sure it didn't take an S, but I think BUNG is still far better than my play. BEGUN has two major issues, defensively. It allows plays from 15a which will let the left side be opened, and it doesn't really block the 15 row, the M will now be really really tough to block and will just sit there until one of us hits it. This is why BUNG is better than BEGUN, at least an S play will do great things to the board next turn. as long as I can avoid an immediate bingo I will be in a great position. BING is still the play, also blocking the D, and working out so well so often. #knowledgelarge
I want to do (NA)RDS 5J even though it blocks the D in FOOD, because YARAKS is good! I always forget that because of its definition: a fit condition for hunting: -- used of a hawk. The last part confuses my brain into thinking it's an adjectiive or an exclamation. #knowledgemedium #tacticsmedium
J: I couldn't find a win and ran out of time. I was considereding 10K T(O)Y(O), but even if I hit the TOYON hook it never scores enough. L11 A(G)ONE seems to give me an chance if I can draw some IES bingo like N5 DOILIES or something. #strategysaddest
J13 BUR is probably fine, i just have to be great at iterating through the bingos to make sure i'm not missing anything. i saw lysines/linseys so i definitely have to block. -6 #knowledgemedium
I was already overtime and didn't want to have to deal with the Q. If he plays tiles, he's guaranteed to have the Q which he's stuck with. If he passes then the game ends in a six pass. Both of those scenarios were much more emotionally appealing than playing tiles and potentially drawing the Q, even if playing something is the best play. #timesaddest
does BESNOW ever win? I didn't think so. Thought I could get us into a complex endgame where he accepts and probably still wins. Never thought I would play a synonym of the phony 3x3 I got away with all those years ago at 2014 Nationals.
Mack Meller found F7 B(O)W which fishes for LG, L? or G? and hits LONG(HO)USE through HO. That's got to be the best shot by a mile. Maybe not that long, but it's pretty long. #findingsaddest
I think this looks fine over DAVIT in terms of turnover. I will say a slightly better play is L1 A(N)VILED since I use the ANURAL hook, which was missed again. #visionsmall
i wanted to keep the ED for the tricky lane on row 2, and still open something. at this point my win % is so low that i don't bother too much with worrying about what my best play could be. maybe DIT just takes way too many hooks or something. quackle likes J12 TID(E) which doesn't create a new lane. however, it blocks a scoring spot for her. if i have to get lucky i might as well play the extra tile to draw for an N for ING or some crap.. who knows? scrabble is too hard. -4 #strategymedium
This bingos the most, but gives back too many points on row 13. 6L FEH is best even though it doesn't bingo as much because it sets up my S. #strategysad
Given his last play I wanted to block the H column and row 6. H6 FL(Y) is better for that since it can't be extended as easily as (FY) but it's also 8 points less. Maybe I should have just played equity with K9 G(I)F(T). I'm not completely sure so #strategysmall
I gave up here and blocked some potential bingos since spread could be really important later on. N7 YOGI is even better for saving spread. #strategysaddest
I really did not like any of my options and I thought there was a good chance Jim would play at H1 again allowing me to bingo through the floaters. D7 (ABID)ER is probably fine. #strategylarge
Will: Too crazy. I was going for the maximum chance at a 9x myself here and also a fallback of ZANIER with an E draw. But the simple 14A VAW still preserves a good crack at a 9x while scoring 18 more points. #strategylarge
10B WIENERS is far superior, but even if I don't see that something like C2 WRIEST is absolutely fine...way too big an equity hit with WURST just to get another S hook on the board. #strategymedium #findingmedium
Big mistake. I was low on time and did not see that 2B BRAINI(A)C was available in the pool. The best play is L10 (GO)AT by about 30 equity points (I have no idea why Championship Player says it's that much better). 11K (HOO)N is second best making a strong S setup. Other winning plays are stuff like N11 POTT. #strategysaddest
think I just gotta pull the trigger on DUNCH here. I figured he knew BENDYS so wasn't worried about making another S hook, although CHOMPS is harder to block. NQRU also isn't very good here, I really need a couple more vowels to make it a decent leave, so it's really not so much less risky than PQR, just less shitty. given the difficulty of blocking CHOMPS I should just play DUNCH. #tacticssmall
this is likely wrong. a good player like Joey would be setting up a heavy tile to hit the spot at 10F after my inevitable bingo. i should dump the R there. I considered it but thought he might just be keeping low tiles himself and trying to race me to the bingo, and then OR would be easy for him to bingo to since it has so many hooks, etc. hard choice. i also considered abort for a while. -1.5 #strategysmall
damn didn't see PROMPT! that looks better here. #findingmedium also not much inspiration on this exchange, I guess it's fine? not much scoring power with PR so I wasn't a huge fan, same w the X
I know that FRS is in the bag and I was trying to set up some unblockable bingo but I think he's able to block everything. I dunno. F1 (ZO)RI seems pretty good here. #strategysaddest
Ciao amici, and welcome to Round 1 of Nits speaking into the void! If you are reading this, thank you and apologies in advance
7E BAWK #knowledgesadder
Yea, this move carries too much risk with the leave and, of course, drawing 2 more vowels. HOO does sim better. Not to mention, AINOS isn't the best leave with an open K and I. #strategymedium
And let's just say that I delivered myself an even bigger blow by not seeing I1 CREESES and not being sure of B5 RECESSE(D), which I chickened out of. #knowledgelarge
I thought creating huge S hooks with 2 unseen would be reckless but apparently not playing A1 PRE(Q)UEL or A1 REE(Q)UIP is a massive mistake. #strategysaddest
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