Good thing I saw the only 7 in this rack. I needed to see the SEDGY hook on this and play this at 6D for 2 less not giving back nearly as many points. #visionsmall
With all other power tiles gone except the Z, I was thinking that drawing it would be crucial, which is why I favored B9 Q(U)ARTO over J6 Q(i). However, 3I YO is probably just better, saving B9 Q(U)ATRE and J6 Q(i) for next turn. Honestly, I'm not sure what is really best here. #strategylarge
This was a very interesting turn. Sim slightly prefers exchanging town to OT and/or exchanging down to ET to this -- I felt like keeping an O was necessary, and given the makeup of the bag, I wanted to keep an E for vowel/consonant balance. #tacticssmall
Huge mistake. Probably my biggest of this tournament. I didn't realize 1) How many bingos were in the pool starting with PE and ending with some IN pattern and 2) That I could most likely outrun these scenarios. I was concerned about a refish after I made a play like K2 QAD(I) and only wanted to give him one shot. I just assumed the bingos would score too much and that I would always lose. A play like J3 DA(F)TLY is really strong here keeping 1 in the bag and saving QI. #strategysaddest
i need to keep fishing. 9G D(I)F is totally fine. mistake here. #strategylarge -10 (fetid at 13I is a lot better, i didn't even think of it because i was not focused and playing like garbage)
Her only out play is A6 LE(AR)N, so this scores while blocking her only out. But come to think of it, J11 D(E)VS gets more stuff off my rack. So it's better to allow her to go out. #endgamelarge
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
I think I had 10 seconds left here. I did not have time to track and didn't realize how good the pool was. 10N (P)O wins 5/8, this wins much lesser than that. #TIMESADDEST
The sim likes I2 W(I)T but she can just play 2 tiles at H1 leaving 1 in the bag, so I'm not sure it's as winning as the engine suggests. G1 BR(O)W seems reasonable but I guess there's probably something better. #strategysad
I had well under a minute here and the fastest math I could do indicated that this move would win without needing to risk CASTLINGS (I scored it right but added it wrong) - it turned out that it actually tied instead. Then I insisted on recounting the game, even after Bradley offered me a tie, and discovered multiple plays I had overscored, and ended up losing by 3. Tough loss, but I've had worse. #endgamelarge
a bit of a hard move here. i had a feeling this wasn't quite right, but it seemed worth it to go for the small chance at IKEBANA/ABELIAN (~12%), score 22, and if it doesn't work i can fish next turn too. quackle likes D3 ABA for some reason, ugh. or BAIT 6B. i don't know. -3 #strategymedium
now I figure I can't play (REJECT)IONS because he just opened a 3x3, but I guess I can still play D(E)AF and save the 60 points for next turn. #tacticssmall
missed Q(A)NAT in the same spot, which is technically better, but I thought it was unlikely he would be able to overlap on row 11 all the way #findingsmall
15D (H)UcKSTER is a cool one that is much better than this, and J1 TUR(N)KEyS is something that would have taken away the entire bottom right for him! #findingmedium
I had spent probably half my time at the point of making this play. But I just couldn't spot REIGNED. Again, I felt like I was falling into my old patterns this game and couldn't escape. No excuses. Couldn't even spot DE(R)INgER or anything that didn't open a 3x3 or score too low. I knew this was wrong but my time was ticking so fast. #findingsaddest
Very happy I saw this play. It's easily more sound than L12 T(O)MB. I think this is a great time to get some high pointers off my rack and wait to score again with the X. #visionspoton
Apparently FOX is better, but it seemed like it gave back sooo much and I can score with the X next turn, but DHNR can turn into something as well. I could hit INHOLDER or something #tacticsmedium
#knowledgelarge for GOITERING*
I thought this was a decent try, considering there were already 7 E's in play and 3/4 of tiles unseen. He's still at like 41% to have an E though. I should probably just play E7 TE(E)PEE and brace. Thought there was a chance Noah would miss EPEE? But he's a young player, why would he miss that? #questionable
Q actually recommends SOH at J8 for 42 points here. I suppose it holds JEAN at J2 next turn. This and JEON are neck and neck, I suppose it's a matter of how volatile I want next turn to be #findingsad
7H (C)RIBLE sims best, setting up RIZ but 1) i dont know it so #knowledgesaddest and 2) idk if it works. M12 BLEE seems okay even though the thought of opening a trip-trip after two 2-tile plays gives me the hives
This isn't terrible since I'm not scoring much and it's definitely safer than F1 LILI(E)D. But the standout play is B2 NIT(R)ID(ED) which is worth it despite keeping the unfriendly LL combo. #visionlarge
spent 54 minutes looking for something that wasn't N1 AdHESIO(N) and didn't spot N4 ApHO(N)IES. #knowledgesad you know who needs to spend more time on StudyCade? This gal <-----
Drat. Still not rock solid on finding the 30k-40k probability 8s like UNFIXITY, which plays at A8 for 89. I'd have had a shot of seeing it if the X had been a natural tile as opposed to the blank designation. #findinglarge
Fishing is not the right play here, for I do not hit often enough, and once Orry makes his play of M13 LEU I have to start blocking again. I should take the points with 10D GIBES, the sim winner. #tacticsmedium
I got very fixated on the N column lane now, but I think I can do better by just outrunning. I missed the 7I Z spot, AZ(I)NE is good there. I also have ZEIN(S)/MOWN, which is probably best to take out that marginal high scoring lane as well. UNAI has a bit of defensive merit and can still outrun if I find the BIZ spot, but I think ZEINS is wholly better cause I can outrun next turn. #findinglarge
amazing. RI(S)EN M11 wins 100% of the time. i suppose this was a standard out in two, combined with trying to find his best play, and i should have figured it out. i didn't think i'd be able to outrun him though, and was trying to draw a challenge on this word (not knowing it's CSW only :/ ) #endgamelarge
Quackle prefers 8C OY, which, unlike BOYS, leaves lanes for sevens ending in S. OY blocks columns C, D, and E, which may be a downside; but BOYS blocks them as well. K6 BOY may be best because it doesn't block any lanes and it even sets up a lane at L1. #tacticssmall
I'm so damn lazy. i saw sherbet, and freshet, then i thought hey freshet looks cooler, so i laid it down, then halfway to hitting the clock i realized sherbet is better positionally, but i couldn't be arsed to change it!! wtf? come on cesar! -2 #tacticssmall
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
I can't afford to keep two of BPV here. B9 BE(S)POT# is best; it frustrates column A and row 15, unloads two of my clunkers, and maximizes turnover for the blanks. I did not know BESPOT#. Next best is the equity play, A6 BOPO#. #knowledgelarge
an unaggressive, lame move. BOW at H13 is probably better. but BROWS/CROWS at 14B for 39 pts is best. i didn't even bother counting the score. i think if i had counted it i would have realized that's the play i want to make. it's really really hard to focus when you're 1-5. i was probably on autopilot trying to keep the RS combo etc. instead of thinking about the game situation. -8.5 #strategylarge
While I did like CORE over COLE because of more remaining Rs than Ls, I did miss a bingo here- 11G RELOC(AT)EE. I gotta work on finding 9s. I realize they're not easy sometimes, but that could use some work. #findinglarge
It's a strong D setup and S setup in 1 move, but not exactly worth the 15 point sacrifice. I didn't see D4 DEFU(Z)E, which looks quite a bit stronger. #findingmedium
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
BIRO at 4I sims so much better, partly because of the leave, but also because BROOK gives up significantly more pts. i thought i had a strong chance of playing BROOKITE next turn. -9.5 #strategylarge
OK, I drew some A's - that was lucky. I have to play AI over AIL here; for one fewer point I get 15% of bingo. Why do I keep making this mistake over and over? #tacticssmall 20:10
wow!! i really, really must have been out of it. i was 1-4 for the day, having just ruined my nationals, and i suddenly got demoted to table 22 for some weird reason. it's more crowded, less comfortable, and i somehow doubled the C instead of the Y for literally no reason. the higher scoring CHOKY is even more defensive. -3 #tacticssmall
Bad mistake! I was only 80% sure N10 MUTTS was spelled like that and I thought this was okay, but literally anything holding Z and leaving 8L open is better. #knowledgesaddest #strategysaddest
I am aware that Arie has played plenty of Collins games before. I needed to call this off, and I didn't. That's a big mistake since ASWING# is only valid in Collins. #knowledgesad
I did what I thought was essential--block M7 JINGLED/JINGLER while guaranteeing an out--although I didn't see my backup out, C1 ASKOI. But there is so much more scoring potential! 14M YE sets up O11 OBIAS for 36, with a backup of A1 COBIAS, and Matt cannot both block OBIAS and use the J. M11 AIYEE blocks all of Matt's 30+ point J plays while saving K2 SORB for 25. Both YE and AIYEE are 19 points better than this. #endgamelarge (-19)
Damn, I could have played a whole ass valid word and wont the game. Even 6B V(u)LN at 14 or 5B T(R)ONS at 10 lets me go out in two. I didn't even need to bingo. #STRATEGYSADDEST and also #knowledgesaddest for the phony
7I OUR is also cool, the U isn't super parallelable so it's kind of a board fork. GURU doesn't give much back, and I chose this one for 1 less point because it doens't allow h11 plays. h11 plays aren't so bad for me cause they give more lanes, but they still score better than most other plays on the board. I also like leaving a bit more distance from the E column in case a LEGGY play comes down, partially inhibiting my lanes. although EORS > ERSU, the better board position makes OUR bingo almost as much as GURU. #tacticssmall
maybe TITHE keeping the R hook for next turn? quackle likes 12A TITLE, which seems counterintuitive to me, but i think i need to keep scoring spots open for myself too. -2.5 #strategysmall