Whiffed on some good options here, especially L1 DUSKER, and definitely should've done L1 RUSK, taking a small advantage on a bad board. KNAUR is also better than DROUK just to avoid keeping a U. #findinglarge #strategymedium 11:10
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
it's upsetting that INTIFADA just barely does not fit. what a tough tournament. i'm 1-5 at this point and can't figure out how to play. i should just play FAD. i might play FAD if this was a regular game and i wasn't terrified of losing, but keeping two i's get scarier and scarier the more i lose :/ i didn't even think of the S hook on TAIN until later in the game. it's so hard to play well. i could do D11 AID if i don't want to double my i's, or even 7C AIM. -5 #strategymedium
i have to do something clever like 2K SIGH here. although my winning % is low, this is how to come back. the problem with my play is it just gives him an easy scoring dump. SIGH makes it tricky for him. also GRITH > BRITH. -3.5 #strategymedium
missed a couple of things here, mainly MAR(CELLED). Didn't know MARCEL was a verb. I guess I'll know for next time CELLED is the opening play. I also missed OZA(L)ID for 40, and potentially misevaluated ZO(O)ID K2. Wanted to do a bit more to the board here, felt in control. #knowledgemedium #findingmedium
There is a nine starting at 5C (answer on next turn). I did not know the word. Every other bingo plays at 15B. Of these, ETIoLATE, LATErITE, and LITErATE score 58 but have front hooks (I thought of PETIoLATE afterward), and LEvITATE scores 57 without a front hook. Thus LEvITATE is second best, after the nine. #knowledgelarge
In a do-over, I might do N7 UN(AXED). While UNTAXED does accomplish my objective of opening up another 2 bingo lines while behind, UNAXED is worth the 3 point sacrifice since it bingoes 20% more often. I like that a little better. UNTAXED drew a hold but was correctly accepted. #strategysmall
This turn was sloppy. At a minimum, I should have seen 15F COOP, which as you all will see, simply cost me 4 points and wouldn't have changed the board much. But even then, 15F COOPT is the play. #visionsmall
quackle likes C11 AWE. i have the last two Ss and the QUODS lane is open for next turn. also the pool looks like AEEIIOORRTTUU lol. DISS bingoes with a lot of that pool. i should at least have considered that. -14 #strategylarge #focus
I was trying to block row 1 bings, but with both blanks unseen I think I just have to try to go for my own bingo. 13E SITCOM and 14B (TE)LOMIC both look good here to dig for a blank. It's likely he has one, but I think turnover could be important here with so few tiles left to dig for the other. #strategylarge
veratrin takes an E as well as an S. but that's a tiny number of the unseen tiles. maybe just take the points? would you? i suppose if i'm playing someone better i should try to make it a bit more volatile. -2 #strategysmall
he was low on time in the endgame, and I spent a lot of time on AQUAS so I was low on time. I have a win here - 2K B(I)N(I)T. fucking awful #endgamelarge I thought this might be good, wasn't sure
I have like 0% chance of winning. With L11 SIEGE at least I can prioritize reaching 300 sometime this century. But, like, it's the case S. I'm feeling greedy. Also I forgot to look on that side of the board. #strategysaddest ? #visionsaddest ALSO #knowledgesad for challenging a 3. May or may not have been a "stop closing down the board for the love of god" challenge, but my lips are sealed
i saw TARRIER but it seemed dumb to block up a couple of (bad) lanes. however, 10 pts is 10 pts. i should just take the points, right? what do you think? -7 #strategymedium
EXED much better, fewer points, but blocks Wendy's best chance at winning COXES making LORDINGS also good, didn't know that was valid. #endgameSAD #knowledgeSAD #strategySAD
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
And just when Jeremy Hall missed S(A)VIOURS with this exact rack in our game, I would go on to do the same thing! And I did not know G7 V(O)USSOIR. #findinglarge
The sim winners are N1 GYRE, GUYSE#, and GYRES. GUY maximizes equity and bingo chance, but GYRE, GUYSE#, and GYRES score significantly more and turn over more tiles for the unseen blanks. #strategylarge somehow
Definitely questionable. I didn't like 5I MOTLIEr or MOTILEs, but I did not see 11G T(O)ILsOME, which is definitely safer knowing there's 3 Ss left, and Robin didn't seem to hesitate burning an S with DUNTS. #findinglarge
so stupid and tilted I was, getting pissed I didn't bingo and missed DEVI in the same spot for better scoring defense and likelier 3x3 through the I than the E. #findingsmall
once again being safe, though I missed SPElEAN in the same spot which I would be sure of as opposed to SPEANEd, which I was not, given I always confused SNEAPED SPEANED with SNEAKED SKEANED*. #knowledgemedium #findingmedium
I suppose he could have S(E)RAGLIO, the only playable 7 on row 14, and nothing else. I should therefore play deP(L)ANES A2 or fish with E(ME).
best is M12 BAN(I). I had been aware of the M13 (r)A(GI) spot, but didn't see this one. That saves OI 4L for 15 and stops Stefan from going out in two with W(ON)T 11J. -7 #endgamemedium
this was so sad and bad. I should just do something more aggressive I think. This doesn't hit all that much and I'm just in the same spot next turn a lot, after having scored nothing and done nothing. Should just do SWAIL/TOMS, which I was going to do, but then didn't like leaving the N column bingos open forever. Had a silly idea of being able to fully control this board still. #tacticsmedium
I considered 15K GOURA#, which wins the sim by 1% win chance, and several other plays. I wanted to save the row 15 spot so that I might use it next turn. But Jane could easily score well in that spot if she has an O or Y. #strategysmall
F7 FREE scores the same as this play but is 6 more spread points for me. At least I correctly chose this over 2M FET as my move is 1 point better than that. #visionbad
L9 P(H)YLAR blocks L1 JAd(E)ITES, 14H TAJInES, and L8 JE(H)ADIST, but M9 P(E)ARLY only blocks the last two #endgamesad
Players agreed to a final score of 460-323
gotta do 15F BU(S)TI, leave 7 in the bag and set up my S to score. there's hella vowels out, so i dont need to worry too much. #strategysaddest also #knowledgesad for challenge
Hated to not play on row 14 but those plays just get smashed compared to RIB. But there's a cool nuance I didn't really appreciate here; while plays like sim-winning 14E BITTED surely give up a few more points than RIB does, they actually decrease Tijan's bingo% quite a bit compared to RIB. That's because row 14 after BALDY is much easier to hit than row 15 after BITTED, and RIB also gives him a bonus floater of a B to play with. Quackle is pretty emphatic that this is a #strategymedium.
yeah i considered playing 5H VAT (and chickened out of FRATER for J5 VARS), but played kinda loosey goosey bcuz my opp had just exchanged #strategysaddest
looks like WAND or exchange here (CNS or CST are both fine, going for the COBIA hook). CDNST is really lane cause I don't even bingo often, and when I don't I'm not in a great position. WAX also encourages COBIA to be blocked. I think I should exchange. #tacticssmall