Knowledge Medium
L4 (N)oNVOCAL +63
A tiny voice in the back of my head said "NONVOCAL takes an S" and I chose to ignore it because, well, it just doesn't seen like NONVOCAL should take an S
spoiler alert: nonvocal takes an S but we both didn't know it
#knowledgesadder
Mike Baron vs. Matt Canik (Game 33084)
Strategy Small
3F OKE +28
At the time, I was really conflicted about this play. I saw that if Alec hit a big -IC word at 2B, I was in a lot of trouble, but I also figured I was substantially more likely to hit the spot. I also considered KOINE at H1, which wins the sim. -2 #strategysmall
Carl Johnson vs. Alec Sjoholm (Game 34483)
Tactics Small
9H (S)H(Y) +22
Quackle picks the standard G8 JOHN, but I prefer SHY because JOHN opens high-scoring bingo lanes on rows 11 and 12 and sacrifices 4 points. But I didn't know TREADLES takes an S, and thus there was already a bingo lane on row 10. This may be a #tacticssmall
Alec Sjoholm vs. Mike Frentz (Game 33068)
Strategy Medium
2J GL(U)M +11
The last time I had an S, the only way I can get out of the bad rack was to score decently with it. I would have only scored so many more with it now that I didn't feel that it was worth it. 2J GLUMS I suppose would have been OK, I think I allowed emotions to influence this move too much. #strategymedium
Robin Lewis vs. Samuel Kaplan (Game 37173)
Finding Medium
K9 NEG +22
I did look for plays that would block Row 14 and the I in MANWISE nicely, but I just couldn't come across 14F CONGE. That's what I needed to do at this score. #findingmedium
Samuel Kaplan vs. David Poder (Game 36490)
Strategy Medium
13G BUT +16
i think this was a massive mistake. i didn't want to play 3C TAX for 29 because it keeps two Us, and i was worried that i was just going to have a very clunky rack the following turn and lose that way. my play at least sets up a lane. but, if he has WAX or TAX himself i'm dead. i really regret not playing TAX. i think i could survive with BLSUU and 29 pts. having the case S is awesome. i can also do E11 HABU, which i also like. -6 #strategymedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Matt Graham (Game 32681)
Strategy Medium
4B ONEYRE +29
Pivotal move. I saw the star equity move of 14F YGOE leaving the nice DENR; but that leave isn't particularly helpful for bingoing on this board. I felt it was much more important to blow through some tiles to get at least one of the four unseen esses for JIBERS. However, what the DENR leave *is* helpful for doing is letting me score with WEIGHTED, WEIGHERS, or WEIGHMEN with any of MSSSST, and in general good leave synergy/balance never hurts. #strategymedium
Will Anderson vs. Robert Linn (Game 34377)
Strategy Small
G3 J(O)LT +19
MM: Lots of mediocre choices here. C1 JET sets up DU-- plays but seemed too risky with DKR left to hook EF and AAUU left to hook UTE. I liked that JOLT saved UNFED, which is fairly unlikely to get blocked. Noah pointed out after the game that UNFED first might be better, as I have a chance of hitting 3G JAR next turn for a lot if I can pull one of the 2 remaining As. And DUNE as a leave probably doesn't have much potential to improve beyond UNFED. So going to call this a #strategysmall.
Noah Walton vs. Mack Meller (Game 37187)
Strategy Medium
4D YAR +26
if i play AOUDAD here, josh is just blocking and i lose. i don't think i have a realistic chance of winning this game. quackle is so optimistic. i was hoping to keep scoring as much as possible and maybe i'd draw some miracle pREX or kYAR bingo. lol. I think DOURA gives me the best chance, though. #strategymedium
Cesar Del Solar vs. Josh Sokol (Game 33833)
Strategy Small
13B BODICE +30
i strongly considered C2 BRO, which sims best, but i feel like i should stop screwing around. i'm holding on to a bit of a tenuous lead, both blanks and X are unseen, etc. it seemed good to kill a few lanes here and score and stuff. #strategysmall ?
Cesar Del Solar vs. Lou Cornelis (Game 39990)
Finding Small
A8 CuRvIES(T) +77
one of many ridiculous draws at the start of the tourney. I missed the two 8s that doubled the C after looking a bit less than a minute. I had already used a lot of my clock so I decided this was probably fine anyway since it blocks.
#findingsmall
Josh Sokol vs. Scott Appel (Game 33141)
Tactics Small
I8 STRIGAE +76
Another tank here as I evaluated as many placements as possible. The board after STRIGAE was pretty close to locked down, FOXIEST plays aside; maybe one or two more defensive moves would create a real problem for Dave. Quackle actually prefers 11A STRIGATE and I5 AIGRETS, both of which I considered; I'm not sure I thought of 14B SEAGIRT, which is also a play it likes better. #tacticssmall
David Koenig vs. Will Anderson (Game 34597)
Tactics Small
D10 (P)OOF +18
Q says she averages about the same after OOF and POOF, I'm surprised by that. I trust her plays are still a bit easier after OOF, but I guess I overestimated the difference. #tacticssmall
Sophia Ozorio vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 35361)
Tactics Medium
B6 UPO +16
i think POGO is better than this actually. i didn't want to block a lane with N2 POD, but maybe that lane is way too hard to hit anyway? 6E UP also worth a thought. tough position for sure. -4 #tacticsmedium
Richard Buck vs. Cesar Del Solar (Game 33791)
Strategy Small
C6 GRIG +19
Here I overreacted to my good 7s lane being blocked and grabbed at points. 9C LUG has the nice attribute of setting up a new lane for ING with GLUG hooks; but it's very hard to imagine Matthew not blocking it somehow. Instead I think I prefer the simple C7 LIG over GRIG, just to maintain much better leave synergy. I also get some draws towards GLIFT and GLIFF 8A, which would be annoying board openings for Matthew. #strategysmall
Matthew O'Connor vs. Will Anderson (Game 34607)
Tactics Large
E5 PIE +20
Plays on column B making EWE block all of Mike's bingos, and they even preserve column E for me to use next turn. Quackle chooses B4 POPE, followed by B6 PE; although I might have chosen PE just so Mike doesn't know my rack. E5 PIE allows AILMENT, ALIMENT, ALUMINA, AMENTIA, and VALIANT at B1. #tacticslarge
Alec Sjoholm vs. Mike Frentz (Game 33068)
Knowledge Unspecified
K10 TELLY +22
sick block, though I guess it was pretty likely. This was a huge blunder since TELLY takes an S! I would like to say that I knew this and it was an exploitative move, but it wasn't. Optimally TROLLY is the best play here despite hanging the Y. Or just CLOY or COLY for safesies. #knowledgequestionable #tacticsfail
Josh Sokol vs. Bob Frey (Game 35815)
Vision Small
7C B(ET)H +24
Definitely better than 7B KH(ET) as I keep a better scoring tile for next turn, but 10B BL(E)AK seems a bit better for 3 more, a little more balanced leave, and blocking the good floaters Eric has to bingo. #visionsmall
Samuel Kaplan vs. Eric Goldstein (Game 50712)
Time Large
G13 ZO +48
CP likes this, saying it wins 95%, but it's surely dependent on full confidence in CASTLINGS. Given that I did not have that confidence, a great option is 11D VOW/VAW, setting up SOZ/SAZ to follow up in the endgame, also winning 95% because the bingos Bradley does get down score so much less. Unfortunately, I burned a huge amount of time grappling with this position and somehow still didn't generate VOW/VAW, leaving me vulnerable to time pressure on my next move. #strategysmall #timelarge
Bradley Whitmarsh vs. Will Anderson (Game 34977)
Strategy Small
8E AGAVE +18
I thought that the leave for 8G VAX was too vowel heavy and guaranteeing and X spot would be worth it. But this caps my score next turn at around 30-something and bings a lot less, and is also less defensive. It probably isn't that different but in hindsight 8G VAX seems a bit better. #strategysmall
Joshua Castellano vs. Tim Weiss (Game 32559)
Tactics Medium
9B W(E) +10
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
Jonathan Lindh vs. Josh Sokol (Game 41950)
Strategy Large
F10 G(A)DJE +20
i don't know if this is an overreaction. do i just play Z(A)G? GADJE sacrifices a lot of points but gets rid of some ugliness. CDEJT doesn't strike me as an appetizing leave. i suppose if i draw another E i can get JETTED for a few points, or DEJECT, etc. i hate this and should have exchanged on my first move. quackle thinks the sacrifice from GADJE is not worth it as i only get slightly more points next turn with GADJE than ZAG, but i'm sacrificing 13 pts now. makes sense that this is such a big equity loss. -10.5 #strategylarge
Cesar Del Solar vs. Bruce D Ambrosio (Game 35339)
Endgame Large
C7 M(A)W +15
I have three wins, but they all involve WILCO, which I did not see. The best play is D4 UM, threatening WILCO in three spots and outrunning 9A OES with 3A WILCO. MAW ties. But remember the scoring error, two points in favor of Gunther: This game was counted as a loss for me because of that. I really should have recounted. #endgamesaddest (-6)
Gunther Jacobi vs. Alec Sjoholm (Game 33773)
Finding Small
2B M(O)ONY +36
failed to find plays here, many plays look good that I didn't see. This was the start of me thinking I was ahead, when Noah and I were actually around tied. DUNGAREE scored a lot. 13C MOONI(L)Y looks decent here. 9G O(T)IC is very nice, and M(O)ONY only does well because it keeps O(T)IC for next turn. N10 (D)OOMY is also a good play. #findingsmall
Noah Walton vs. Josh Sokol (Game 35563)
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)
Time Unspecified
F3 DEITY +24
With 90s left, I played this quickly, having noted it as the best out-in-two that I saw. I had been looking for out-in-twos because I figured Joey was going to bingo. There's actually one better sequence: DOSED J14, threatening TIDY N12 and TYIN J1. (-2) #endgamesmall #timemanagementmedium
Joey Mallick vs. Carl Johnson (Game 34481)
Knowledge Medium
B2 A(GI)N +12
This is the first of several turns where I miss VIBRION plays after convincing myself that it's just VIRION and VIBRIO but I feel like the F hook will freak him out and force a weak play to block the top line
still, fml #knowledgesadder
Matt Canik vs. Peter Sargious (Game 33064)
Finding Small
7G AWA +24
never thought of AHA, which bingos just about as much as AWA next turn, but is far more scoring-restrictive for Karl, as there are no vowels that can re-overlap HE. AWARD does a bit better than AWA as well, and I had definitely considered it. #findingsmall
Josh Sokol vs. Karl Higby (Game 40525)
Knowledge Large
A8 CHOI(C)ERS +0 (Lost challenge)
oops. I thought this was good, but if I had given it any thought, it really makes no sense for CHOICE to be a verb. #knowledgelarge
Darin True vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 33104)
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)
Time Large
D4 TOLLiN(G) +14
Quackle says I can win 1/4 times with but I'm pretty sure it's lying to me beacuse I played them out and I don't see it. I have no idea if I have a win here or what the best play is. Regardless this play is terrible and I had no time. #strategylarge #timelarge
Edwin Roth vs. Joshua Castellano (Game 33154)
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)
Knowledge Large
B9 (BA)IRNS +21
I missed the R hook on JAKE and the L hook for PATAGIA (which I straight up just didn't know, I thought it maybe took an S or nothing). Once I saw that B9 (BA)IRNS guaranteed the win I didn't really think too hard. #visionsaddest #knowledgesaddest
Joshua Castellano vs. Alec Sjoholm (Game 49566)
Finding Large
15I (L)UCK +17
bad! by far the best play is the excellent 11J AMUCK. i have the case S, score 28 pts, and go for letters like the Z to score a lot with. i thought of AMUCKS/AMUCK on my rack, but didn't quite look hard enough. LUCK is very weak and is the type of game-losing play i make way too often. the fact that it takes a Y makes it even worse. 9J MUCK is ok if i don't think of AMUCK. -15.5 #strategylarge #findinglarge
Cesar Del Solar vs. Joel Sherman (Game 33553)
Tactics Small
6F FU(N) +14
ahhh CONVENTED! #visionlarge I also kinda regretted playing FUN, it lets him overlap sometimes when he has MNX tiles. The sim is kinda weird cause it has him opening a lot after FUN, but realistically I think I should play (E)NUF to be more defensive. CO(N)N is super defensive but also blows up my rack. #tacticssmall for ENUF.
Mark Pistolese vs. Jackson Smylie (Game 35241)
Strategy Medium
7H FOLD +21
10G MODI scores 5 more points and doesn't give back a floater or a TWS. It also spends both my vowels. But Quackle likes it. #strategymedium
Alec Sjoholm vs. Sid Murali (Game 32990)
Finding Unspecified
K5 WAME +29
this was very tough. (B)I(Z)E comes to mind. I really didn't like my position here, and felt the need to score. However, this is just a terrible leave, more terrible than WU would be. Just play BIZE. Tunnel vision. #findingmediu
Seth Lipkin vs. Josh Sokol (Game 35827)
Finding Medium
C3 ROOMiES +74
Spent a while on this turn looking for bingoes starting at C3 ending with -MOS or -MES, and there were none. 15H (A)cROSOME is a hard find, but nonetheless a miss for 6 more. #findingmedium
Samuel Kaplan vs. Ed Liebfried (Game 39658)
Strategy Large
J10 Z(O)O(I)D +39
this move symbolizes everything that is wrong with my scrabble game (i know that sounds hyperbolic, but hear me out). of course i should try to block, but the only thing that looked halfway decent was ADZ. still, the most important thing here is to ask myself how I can lose this game, and it is by him hitting a huge bingo afterwards, and me drawing poorly to RTVY, and him bingoing again. can that happen? absolutely. if i play ADZ, i force him to bingo at the top; row 2 or 3 most likely. I can then overlap his play, blocking any potential bingos, and i'm still up by a lot, and should be heavily favored to win. i even thought about something silly like VIZSLA being possible but if anything i have the V. ZOOID sims best of course. the biggest mistake i made here, and one that i make often, is not having enough empathy to put myself in his shoes and realize he's likely keeping an extremely strong leave. of course i thought the leave was probably pretty good, but it also seemed desperate enough that ZOOID might just block whatever he has, and that there's a decent chance he missed his fish as well. i didn't think he would have the blank. if i give him AEIS? as a leave ADZ DOES sim better than ZOOID, lowering his average score by about 24. with 4-ply ADZ is still on top. the only issue is that the win% diff is so tiny, yet i'm convinced this is a massive error. #strategylarge
Matt Graham vs. Cesar Del Solar (Game 33552)