| Player 1 |
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#player1 Eric_Tran Eric Tran
#player2 JD JD
>Eric_Tran: BEILLMY 8H BLIMY +32 32
#note if I had opened this rack I likely would've put the B on the double-letter to give me a shot at GORBLIMY. Eric didn't know it.
>JD: EEHJORT 9G JO +21 21
#note this may have been the craziest game of the tournament for me.
>Eric_Tran: DEEEILU I8 .EU +15 47
#note thanks for adding your racks eric!
>JD: EEHIORT J10 HOE +27 48
>Eric_Tran: DEEILNN 13J DENI +18 65
#note After two short plays, I put Jesse on a strong rack. Didn't want to play long. This play also makes it much more difficult for him to bingo.
>JD: EIIRTTT L4 TITT. +16 64
#note I don't love opening it here, but none of my other plays accomplish much.
>Eric_Tran: AEEILNU K4 EAU +14 79
#note Missed a very nice K4 ILEUM. Too focused on dumping vowels, didn't look for other plays
>JD: EIINRSX 12M XI +18 82
#note this is a pretty major gamble, but if he doesn't have an S he's going to have an extremely hard time blocking. I almost played JINX, and thought about JIN to set up the X, but he is just about a lock to cover that spot if I open it.
>Eric_Tran: EIIILNO 11N OI +4 83
#note was just about to exchange, but blocking is very necessary here.
>JD: EGGINRS 6J G.. +8 90
#note I can hit some bingoes through the E on row 12, and maybe a 3x3 through the I with RERISING/REMISING/REVISING (I only had thought about the first) - it seemed worth a shot.
>Eric_Tran: EGIILLN O7 GENI. +18 101
#note This scores a little bit, and keeps the board closed. Also strongly considered (J)ELLING.
>JD: EGIINRS G9 .IG +11 101
#note it was time to create a new spot.
>Eric_Tran: ILLOOPT 12H LI. +4 105
#note continuing to block is paramount. debated LI(E) and H11 OI. I did like undoubling my L's, and didn't like how OI made it easier for him to parallel at F10. Either way, I hope to cash TOP(I) next turn.
>JD: AEINRSY 11J .Y +10 111
#note quackle is often not the best for evaluating these closed board situations. I figured I'd take a shot at hitting INSNARE/SIERRAN/SENARII/RETSINA. I could also play LINY, but in such a tight game I have little to lose by continuing the fish - in fact, the worst case would be me blowing up my rack and eric bingoing. I am happy to be patient. That said, the pool looks really good, so a play like YA at 7G that creates a new lane that's hard to block may be worth considering.
>Eric_Tran: LOOPPRT 10L TOP. +23 128
>JD: AEINORS 10F O. +4 115
#note I figured I would keep fishing and block the potential cheap scoring spot. again, a sim is unreliable because he's been grooming his rack for so many turns that his leave is likely to be rather good. That said, even with 5 Rs left, maybe quackle's choice of AI is worth a shot - but if he hits the easy new lane, I am sure going to regret it.
>Eric_Tran: ELMOPRR E7 ROMPER +25 153
#note Pivotal play here. PROM looks nice, because it continues to make it hard for Jesse to bingo. My thinking was that IF he does bingo, he'll be up 40 pts, and the board will be so closed I won't be able to come back. So, I opt to blow up my rack, open the top left, let him bingo, and use the open board to try to mount a comeback
>JD: ADEINRS D2 RANDIES +73 188
#note I could've passed up RANDIES because of the B hook, but all the other plays have problems too.
>Eric_Tran: CEFLNUV 3C C.NFUL +24 177
>JD: AEEOSSW H1 WA.E +24 212
#note quackle prefers SEESAW or dropping the S for WALES. Turnover should be valued with two blanks unseen. a sim gives it to SEESAW by 4 points, but I think it should be a little closer because the Ss have a lot of uses (say, scoring on row 14 and then creating a new S hook for myself). In any case, SEESAW is an extremely tough play to find here.
>Eric_Tran: DENNRVZ 2H .DZ +33 210
>JD: EEOSSUV 5D .OVES +26 238
#note VENUE looks pretty good seeing that it blocks the B hotspot for BRANDIES. on the other hand, there are very few Es left, and holding onto one here with DOVES is nice. There are also no more Us to be drawn and a general dearth of vowels. DOVES wins the sim, which surprises me a bit. I was also starting to try to get Eric into time trouble here, so I may have played this a little bit fast.
>Eric_Tran: AEKNNRV N6 VAN +19 229
#note Completely blanked out on (L)ANK. I liked keeping KER to draw for KERB.
>JD: AEQSTUW 13B QUEST +39 277
#note quatre is my biggest flat-out miss of the tournament so far. I actually had no idea that was a word. I must have forgotten it at some point. this play drops me from being a heavy favorite to a 2-to-1 favorite.
>Eric_Tran: BEHKNOR 1A KERB +53 282
#note OMG. Trying to fastplay Jesse, and I miss RHEBOK and KNOB.
>JD: ?AAESTW D11 WA. +21 298
#note it sounds insane, but I was ready to throw down WiT here burning the blank to set up ES for next turn for 32. It seemed like a sequence that would guarantee me the win - however, I changed my mind when I realized he could block by playing UTA. WAE looks obvious, but quackle also quite likes WEET to set up my S and WEES to set up my T - but I think either of those plays would give eric the win if he has the blank, since he would just take that spot and score, which quackle is failing to do in a sim. WAE looks fine.
>Eric_Tran: AACHNOR 2A AH +26 308
#note Champ player prefers CAN(SO), which I didn't see. I also miss HO(R)A. Either way, I was low on time, and just wanted to continue to score, while hoping a blank was left in the bag.
>JD: ?ADEFST 14A DiT +28 326
#note I spent more time analyzing this position than any sane human being should want to. I had a pretty good idea here. This play scores a lot and sets up good scores for me next turn with SAFE or LEAF. I can lose in one of three ways: If he bingoes (AREOLAR/ACEROLA/ANCONAL, 4/36), if he has the letters for OsAR and then can go out afterwards, or if he has too good of a play from 15C. In all I win 24/36 endgames. Here are ways I could've upgraded my play: If I play FiT instead, I threaten ASEA, I score more, and keep the more useful D, allowing me to outrun Eric more often if he plays on row 15. However, I still only win 31/36 (losing to the bingoes and one other random endgame). However I considered the best play and discarded it - playing DiTS wins no matter what I draw!!! DiTS scores 7 extra, prevents comeback plays on row 15 and keeps LEAF at H13 for next turn. Other plays appear to win most endgames, but DITS/FITS appears to be the most controlled way of guaranteeing a win, especially under heavy time pressure. My suboptimal play gave Eric a chance.
>Eric_Tran: ACLNORR 8A CON..L +24 332
#note this is a great play by eric! He only has a couple of outs that I can block, but I am so desperately low on time that I may not be able to figure out how to.
>JD: ?AAEFS H12 .EAF +21 347
#note My best play here is to play FAQir blocking both his outs and setting up ERAS as an unblockable out. However, under duress I just tried to find a guaranteed win. I could even go out here with FACADES/FASCIAE.
>Eric_Tran: ARR B8 .RRA +6 338
>Eric_Tran: (?AS) +4 342
#note the wildest game of the tournament for me!
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