Finding Small
13B MULLIN(G) +22
I think it's fine to turn over more tiles here to try gunning for a hook to CIVILIZE. I think PULLING is a better version of MULLING so that I can keep the M for the 8L scoring spot. I don't like LUMPING because there's still an S unseen for the SLUMPING hook, which could basically end the game on the spot if Noah hits a bingo there. #findingsmall
Noah Goldstein vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 60744)
Strategy Small
I13 YU +23
Supposedly 10B AY(I)N here and bingo. I bingo like 10% of the time after this (maybe I draw the L?) which is three times as much than after I13 YA. I wasn't even thinking about bingoing here because of the state of the board. Another advantage of playing off one more tile could be getting another shot at the F or P so I can score #strategysad
Nitya Chagti vs. Ather Sharif (Game 59594)
Strategy Large
N11 EWT +24
I thought I needed to score with N11 EWT but something like 12L (JA)GG or 12L (JA)GS is probably the best attempt. His plays from the Z might not outrun bingos at 2B. #strategysaddest
Lucas Freeman vs. Joshua Castellano (Game 61216)
Tactics Small
F6 PAA(N) +20
didn't like that 14I APLITE would give back high-scoring bings, and didnt even consider fishing for my own bing with 9L A(T) or 7I A(V)I because i was trying to still score decently. #tacticssad (ish--gimme some credit, it's still within 1.5 points)
Carson Ip vs. Nitya Chagti (Game 59492)
Knowledge Large
A10 VU(M) +8
thought for what felt like an hour, didnt know A7 VISCU(M) and didnt generate A8 LOCU(M). even B9 VIC(I)OUS (which i saw) is better than my play #knowledgesaddest #strategysaddest
Adam Logan vs. Nitya Chagti (Game 61559)
Knowledge Large
H12 CU(I)T +27
#knowledgesad for challenge and #Knowledgesaddest for chickening out of CITROUS (i felt like my impulse control was shot on Day 2 from lack of sleep and wanted to rein hallucinations in)
Jeremy Jeffers vs. Nitya Chagti (Game 58978)
Strategy Small
G13 QU(A) +22
Maybe the most interesting position of the game. I (and macondo inference) agree that Eric is far likelier than usual to be holding an S or blank right now. With inference, sim gives eric an average of 12 (!!) points after QUA, compared to 40 and 50 for 13C QUIRES and 14B QUIRE respectively. But my predicted score next turn is now only 14. I need some 2000+ analysis of this position #strategysad
Eric Goldstein vs. Emmett Brosowsky (Game 57746)
Knowledge Small
8B RAMTILS +74
Sterling, April 2026, Round 6. I wasn't 100% sure of 8D MISTRAL but if I knew how much worse 8B RAMTILS was (~4 points) maybe I would have played it. #knowledgesad
Joshua Castellano vs. Rob Robinsky (Game 59506)
Strategy Medium
D1 XERUS(E)S +48
Truly hated giving up both esses, but felt I needed the space in the upper left quadrant...I could've done O1 ASSURE for 52, hoping for an X bomb underneath JOEY to follow up, or just fish my X there and try to hit ASSURE bingos for a zillion. Both seem like better ideas than XERUSES. C8 EXTRAS also scores well and keeps an S for OILS. #strategymedium
Matt Canik vs. Will Anderson (Game 33560)
Finding Small
D1 AUTUM(N) +18
YUM 7A #findingSAD #strategySADDER. Instead I opened up another possible triple triple (SUNSHADE was there already, and now ENDASHES), just really wanted to get rid of those Us
Danielle Barker vs. Peter Maas (Game 35342)
Strategy Medium
B13 (O)RF +12
The engine wants me to block the open U with J12 (E)RF or 14G T(U)RF which I immediately rejected, but it reduces her bingo % and I guess it thinks I'm the favorite to hit the DAWNS hook. I dunno. #strategysadder
Sujana Somasekar vs. Joshua Castellano (Game 60801)
Strategy Medium
N6 VIEW +23
Not bad, but VIEW M1 accomplishes a lot of the same things while also devaluing Row 1 and scoring 6 more points. One upside to the N6 placement is that it neutralizes threats like RITZ N7. (-5) #strategymedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Carl Johnson (Game 34496)
Finding Large
5E HO +22
missed mate in one. somehow I got so bogged down in being able to play 14B GLAZE with an A draw that I missed GLOZE until the second I hit the clock. Absolute game-losing mistake. this was ridiculous #findingsaddest
Evan Chester vs. Emmett Brosowsky (Game 54930)
Finding Large
O11 F(A)ENA +24
The 1st 4 turns were all reasonable. Missing 8J ENFACE is just very bad. 2nd significant mistake I've made this game with the other being accepting PLOWN*. From the 2 FAENA placements, I chose this one since doing O8 FAENA allows Sam to score using the N10 spot. Yes, this is better than O8 FAENA. But I'm not using that to rationalize against a play I clearly missed. #findinglarge
Samuel Kaplan vs. Samuel Moch (Game 60745)
Vision Large
6F VA(R) +14
Right idea to ditch the V and hang onto the Z. For some reason I only spotted the INFANTE hook later on but not the INFANTA hook at all. 11H OVAL is just too good here to fork 2 S setups in 1 play. #visionlarge
Susan Bertoni vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56518)
Knowledge Large
K7 (F)AZING +38
I did not know O1 BANZAIS here. But BAZINGA and BIZNAGA were both blocked. If I don't know BANZAIS, I should have at least seen 4A BAZAR, which is a very strong gerund leave on a wide open board such as this. I suppose I had the right idea by passing up O4 ABA(S)ING since at this point, the Z is holding me back if I need to bingo. #knowledgelarge
Samuel Kaplan vs. Scott Appel (Game 59714)
Vision Medium
M3 PILAF(S) +30
This isn't bad. But at nationals, a good move isn't exactly good enough. L8 (C)APFUL was missed for 4 more and sets up my S so well. For only 4 less points, CAPFUL is absolutely worth it and would have created a more favorable board for me. #visionmedium
Mark Miller vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56935)
Finding Medium
13J PINE(R)Y +31
This is a good play, however, O7 YEN(t)E for 40 is clearly better and was missed. IIP isn't that bad of a leave with only 1 more I to draw. #findingmedium
Jeremy Hall vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 54926)
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)
Finding Medium
L2 MObSTER +77
It would not have been necessary to take advantage of the DAWTS hook since I did not see 1H (G)OuRMETS for 89. Also a cool bingo which I did not know was 1H (G)ROmMETS. #findingmedium
Michael Early vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56802)
Finding Small
D10 (R)OW +14
I'm shocked at how well this play sims despite it being poor on equity. Even so, I think I need to be more desperate by doing 2M WA(B). It only plays 2 tiles just like ROW does, but it makes a much higher scoring threat on Row 1. I'd do WAB in a do-over. I didn't see A8 (C)UBOID, but I really needed Column A open since any vowel can go after the C. #findingsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Evan Chester (Game 59832)
Strategy Large
15J AUDITS +31
thought i needed to score but this is too dangerous. If I draw two Is, im toast. Maybe I go for M6 SI and draw into DAUTIES or GAUDIEST. #strategysaddest
Nitya Chagti vs. Yvonne Lobo (Game 60892)
Strategy Medium
F13 OF(T) +29
expecting my oppo to find BISCUIT and give me a U to play through. C12 FEE(R) is better even though it scores less #strategysadder
Nitya Chagti vs. Terry Kang (Game 61569)
Vision Medium
7H TOADY +23
Holy defensive board after 9H IOTA! That might even force him to exchange occasionally. I was not fond of a super tight board early on since my ADY leave wouldn't have served me that well. But IOTA sems to sim ahead of TOADY because Brandon averages 7 points less after IOTA. #visionmedium
Brandon Randall vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 56148)