Quackle plays TOWIE J8 or the unorthodox EMU 9H. (-2) #strategysmall.

JIG is better because I can parallel it with the O. (-2) #strategysmall

Knowing that Cesar still has ESS on his rack makes this a tough decision. Quackle being Quackle, it still takes the points with the 14H placement. (-4?) #strategysmall

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

Too many ways this can go wrong. Just play JUICER. (-8) #strategylarge

What a horrible position this is! PED was such a scary play, and I can do very little about it. KIWI is dangerous as hell, especially since Mike almost certainly has bingo tiles after PED. But that means that oftentimes Mike will bingo on Row 1 next turn, and I'll get a big score at O1. Quackle exchanges here, and I don't blame it. I had half a mind to do so myself. (-2% win chances) #strategymedium

I didn't want to do BIO and offer a new bingo lane for Mike that gives back nothing that I can use. If Mike bingos, I want him to do so at B1, opening up lanes I can use for a comeback bingo. BIO sims best by a mile, but I'm skeptical. #strategylarge?

(T)ErEBIC 5B is good for one point more. (-1) #endgamesmall

The right play here is to just go for it with FUG 11H. If I had done that, I might have won this game. (-4) #strategysmall

Sid pointed out SNUG J8, which sims even with FUGIO, but is probably a little bit better. Quackle always underrates defensive moves like that. Another option, which I didn't see, is OUZEL C11. OUZEL wins the sim, but I like SNUG best. (-1) #visionsmall

The commentators liked this play, and I was disappointed by how badly this sims relative to REVISAL/SERVAL/VERSAL. I suppose turnover is important with both blanks unseen, but I figured Will probably had one by now. Also, I acknowledge that VIS is better than VIA, except that Will would know that I have another S. (-16) #strategylarge

DEBS > DEBT. -3 #strategysmall

Best play here is OWSE M6, setting up the X. It works because Kenji will probably bingo elsewhere. #visionsmall

SEROW wins the sim instead. I would have thought that slating the R (the first R, at that) would be less dangerous than an S, and harder to parallel besides, but I guess not. Or maybe SEROW is better precisely because it's easier to parallel, taking out the lane. (-1) #strategysmall

Quackle tries to outrun with LAH 11C. Not sure how I like that. The sooner Kenji bingos, the sooner he bingos again, and the fewer lanes there are, the less likely that happens. Then again, sometimes the best defense is a good offense. There are plenty of lanes to deal with, and I probably won't get to all of them. Also, notice that RHINAL isn't even that good for defense. It's not too implausible that it could get paralleled with a bingo. (-12) #strategylarge

VOYEUR 5A is the play here. (-9) #visionlarge

I had seen the 9 before Josh played ADOPT, but then spent way too long trying to find a decent bingo on Column M. There aren't really any that don't allow comeback plays on column N. I saw that TROILUSES was vulnerable to X plays, but if he didn't draw one after ADOPT, I like my chances. The sim winner here is OUtSETS M9, but I'm skeptical. (-4?) #strategymedium

This was an echo of the MUL(ATT)O/MO(G)UL position against Kevin Fraley at California Open 2018. JEW 4J is way better because FIDS M1 is unblockable. And I even saw it too! But I worried that I had mistracked and thought that Josh might play out and win if I was wrong. After JEW I'd be up 41 points but he'd get 16 from me, and his tiles look like they could score 25 points if there's a spot for them. With more time, I would have retracked the game to be dead certain that Josh can't play out, because that being the case, JEW/FIDS is best by a large margin. (-29) #endgamelarge #trackinglarge #timemanagementmedium

This was an echo of the MUL(ATT)O/MO(G)UL position against Kevin Fraley at California Open 2018. JEW 4J is way better because FIDS M1 is unblockable. And I even saw it too! But I worried that I had mistracked and thought that Josh might play out and win if I was wrong. After JEW I'd be up 41 points but he'd get 16 from me, and his tiles look like they could score 25 points if there's a spot for them. With more time, I would have retracked the game to be dead certain that Josh can't play out, because that being the case, JEW/FIDS is best by a large margin. (-29) #endgamelarge #trackinglarge #timemanagementmedium

I saw enough that FOX allowed REP, but didn't see that he had REM B13 as well. -1 #endgamesmall #timemanagementmedium

I saw enough that FOX allowed REP, but didn't see that he had REM B13 as well. -1 #endgamesmall #timemanagementmedium

Conrad recommended SORA here; it does sim a little better. At least I didn't try OASISES* against the great Wanderer. (-1) #strategysmall

I considered sim-winners OE/AEON 7K, but it seemed like Will would be able to control the board after that, whereas OXO ensured that I would have a place for my bingo if I drew one. Quackle says this gives up too much. (-7) #strategymedium

I figured I needed a bingo to win, but apparently not. LAY/NAY 6D wins the sim easily. (-8) #strategylarge

PALER is 3 points better because of AHING K11. #endgamesmall

Straight up missing HM F9. So weak! (-15) #visionlarge

LIS D1 (-9) #timemanagementmedium #endgamelarge

LIS D1 (-9) #timemanagementmedium #endgamelarge

Missing NOWAY (-5) #visionmedium

Everyone hated this play, and so did I. But I couldn't figure out what to do, and MOI actually sims decently. The correct play is probably SINOPIE B8, which I didn't see. It's the highest scoring play, keeps the R, and goes for turnover. Turnover is not usually that important this early, but sometimes there's nothing else to do. (-5) #visionsmall

This sims way, way back: I didn't see EH 10A. No one mentioned this in either the commentary or the chat, which vindicates me slightly. SHH must be difficult to spot for everyone. (-12) #visionlarge

I spent a long time on this rack but still missed INGESTED. So annoying! (-4) #visionsmall

I was surprised to see NOTCH H8 outsim CLOTH-- probably due to the CLOTHE hook, as well as the possibility of the Q at J6 after NOTCH. (-2) #strategysmall

I saw APE C11 but figured I was closer to a bingo than Josh, and didn't want to block D13. This turned out to be a pretty costly mistake. (-3) #strategysmall

Quackle burns the S for an extra 5 points with STELAI. I'm not sure why that is. Another superior play is OILCLOTH 8A, which I never would have seen. I'd find it as a bingo every time, but not as an extension. (-2% win chances, -10 valuation) #strategysmall, #visionlarge

Quackle burns the S for an extra 5 points with STELAI. I'm not sure why that is. Another superior play is OILCLOTH 8A, which I never would have seen. I'd find it as a bingo every time, but not as an extension. (-2% win chances, -10 valuation) #strategysmall, #visionlarge