wow this is awful! I def overestimated EEESX and underestimated EIQ. Us are out, I have QI as backup, and QUIN? plays at the bottom right can hit hard. M1 EXES looks like the play here. I also didn't realize K6 QI is better than this cause I set up EXES next turn for 51!! well worth the 2 point sacrifice, but EXES still kills that in a sim #tacticslarge
Quackle loves 5K MU, which has better equity and a good chance of drawing a bingo at 10A. I don't remember whether I considered plays at 5K. MOB is also good. #strategysmall
Seemed a worthwhile gamble; if Tim doesn't have an E or blank it's just so annoying. Quackle slightly prefers M8 PEZANT, 2A PATZER, and 13J GATED. PEZANT opens two lines at once on a board without many good ones; PATZER creates a moderately annoying threat on column A. Marlon noted that GATED sets up both ZAG and ZIT as potential overlaps on row 11, which I didn't consider. All three plays draw more tiles towards a blank with both unseen than ADZ does. Upgrading this from small to #strategymedium. 11:14
tough call here, definitely a weird position that took me a while. AX D12 is aggressive and certainly considerable, but it gives back a lot on an otherwise dead board, and then CIRTU doesn't go so far here. BRUX also gives back more than I'd like, I imagine he has X plays fairly often (though I draw EXACT and such quite often). XI/QI just seemed to not do anything proactive for me, whereas ACQUIT cleans out the rack that isn't good for bingoing or scoring. Q seems to think ACQUIT gives back more to him, and BRUX is better for me than for him. #tacticssmall
I didn't see NONHErO which I would have been more sure of, and also sure that it doesn't have an S hook. The R placement makes G8 NONHErO the move. #findingsmall
#knowledgesad for challenge
M1 Z(E)X #endgamesaddest #timesaddest I need to pay better attention to what my opponent has. Hopefully, by some miracle, they don't see 14B ANDR(O) and C6 DRAN(T) and I get another turn to go out with 7A JEDIS.
missed all the other bings here. Sadface. RECYCLER I should see, RECOVERY I should see. mERCERY I don't play because it opens a 3x3, I'd best play CE(L)ERY for 28. Also thought he might challenge this. #findinglarge
The board is nearly completely bereft of scoring spots after this move (just ZA hooking plays); Quackle calls for K7 LUREX, but I'm very content to stay turtled up here. LAMER badly outperforms all other candidate moves defensively. However, I missed L8 RAMEAL, which is a better equity version of my move. #findingsmall 16:41
Y setup! I could be more defensive with H11 EMU or something, maybe that's the call! with the 3 row and such I like setting up a scoring spot, but maybe it gets taken organically too often. given the deliciousness of the 3 row for the Y already, I think EMU is fine cause I score a lot, only a few less than after swum. #findingsmall
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
Pivotal move. I balked at VETCH because I felt that I was in control of the game and saw no reason to create a massive-scoring K hook along row 1. However, after I played, I realized that I should have played FECHT instead of FETCH at the very least because I was holding an S, and adding another S hook would help me dump some bad draws. Looking at it now, though, it might actually be a good thing for me to add the K hook with a slight tempo advantage; given that the X already scores well on top of DUNAM and that the J could score decently paralleling BELAY, adding the K hook to the board makes it more difficult for Winter to draw each and every one of those tiles to stay ahead. As long as I can draw some of JKXS?, I should be able to use them to preserve tempo. Sim prefers VETCH by about 4 points of valuation. #tacticsmedium
I'm far ahead that I can sacrifice over ten points of equity to avoid allowing triple-triples. In this case, I should play 10D SIKA. This play got probably the longest hold of my career, because Michael was directing the tournament and a bag of tiles was spilled. #tacticsmedium
Everything wins 100%, but M1 POLIC(E)S wins the sim by ~8 points of valuation, and many other plays making (FANE)S are favored over H(O). #strategylarge
I saw O10 FAKEER as I entered this rack into Quackle. Surprisingly OMA is only about 7 points worse, but that is likely because it keeps FAKEER for next turn. #findingmedium
I don't think I was mentally present during this game because so far I've 1) EXCHANGED MY S and 2) fished OO for 4 (not even 8!)
Also 11E COO(R)IES #VISIONSADDEST #FINDINGSADDEST and #knowledgesad for the challenge
there are no scoring spots on this board, and the pool is clunky. Therefore this is actually a really poor decision over U(K)E or (K)UE. KUE was my other consideration, but I liked how this kept a bunch of things open and allowed me to sscore well next turn if I couldn't bingo. #tacticslarge
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
i probably didn't even see M11 GEY. i'm out of focus again, and making steam plays, instead of looking at the board and considering my options. WYTE O1 is fine too. BEWRAY is bad. -8 #findinglarge #focus i don't need to drop everything and score as much as possible, this isn't duplicate. find the best play depending on the situation. i still have a good shot after GEY.
I think I didn't consider FLABS but I kinda remember considering FLAB and not liking that C- bingoes wouldn't play. I think FLABS is def worth it though, this is badddd #findingmedium
from this position arises (edit: what I thought was) the most amazing endgame sequence I've ever seen a sub-1000 rated player play. I genuinely thought I was Q-sticking here. (edit: And I was)
Quackle's choice is N1 NU, and it seems to win by 209 according to its endgame analysis, so at least that's consistent with its estimations here. Still don't know if I should trust this.
#endgamesaddest
was unsure of GAJO being still there. This is a huge problem. But I could just play OWT A1, never saw this. Considered A(D)AW mainly. This was bad. #findingsaddest
NOOOOO I FORGOT THEY ADDED A THIRD WORD TO THE ADEIINOT RACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -50 also maybe 3F ION. #knowledgelarge
big miss, ANNEXES, surprisingly I get a chance to play ANNEXES a little later too.
don't know why I thoughty ADA was good.
#findingSADDEST #knowledgeSADDEST
I did see POTTERED on Column I until Richard blocked it. But H1 DEPORTER scores enough to make it worth blowing up the rack as opposed to this bingo-friendly leave. #findinglarge
I super regretted this over WAX. Never considered that him overlapping FAX is significantly easier, even though it's easier for me too. Quackle thinks this is around a point worse. #tacticssmall
not good enough. 12A SWIVED scores more and i might be able to score next turn too on the S. VICED though sims best, for 38 vs 33 and keeps the W to score with. -6 #strategymedium
totally lost my mind here and thought I could block her bingo. Turns out she was holding the nuts. Well, actually, quite the opposite of the nuts. #strategylarge
there's a bunch of plays that sim better again, but i thought it very important to go for the X. there are at least two large spots for it, and it seemed like this was the way to win. macondo likes being more measured with F2 CUI(N)G or 7C AULIC, 7D URIC, etc. am i deluding myself and just getting super lucky? #strategymedium
The most important line for me to be able to hit is the NAPERIES/JAPERIES hook on Row 1. I don't mind a move like this with 4 Ns left, but 13H (I)NCU(D)AL keeps the entire top open nicely. #visionmedium
I think 3I WUD could have been done here to open up a 2nd lane. The extra points immediately were not worth it. Gotta love new themes sometimes, right? That's the beauty of Scrabble. #visionmeh
wtf... never considered just OE, only DOE. Opening bingo spots is slightly worse than usual, but definitely not worse enough not to do that. Unbelievable. #findingsaddest
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