| Player 1 |
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#player1 Josh Josh
#player2 Siri_Tillekeratne Siri Tillekeratne
>Josh: ?GIIMNN H4 MINdING +74 74
#note And yet again the first tile I draw is a blank... Let's see how this game pans out.
I think MINcING would be the best option here, unless I'm trying to bait a challenge. I doubt that would ever work here against most players. Perhaps I should be going for spread this game, in which case maybe MININGs is the right play. This doesn't look like the right play if I'm going for the win nor if I'm going for spread. But it's not more than a half a point of an error if it is one.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: OPW G3 WOP +20 20
#note If an 1800+ player played WOP I would think they have an S more than not. In the case of Siri I had no idea. But I knew that it was something to be worried about.
>Josh: AEEKOWZ 9C AWOKE. +15 89
#note A few plays that I didn't see look like strong options here. KEW(PI)E looks like the strongest, as it scores and keeps a very good scoring tile, something that's a very good idea with an early lead such as this one. F1 AZO doesn't look that good, since Siri could have very good tiles and so I want to reduce as much variance as possible: if Siri 3x3s after AZO I will lose a lot of those games, whereas there is less of a risk of that happening with a play that doesn't open a 3x3, even though that risk is small. 5F E(PI)ZOA looks pretty decent, although it does open up the right side of the board and induces EPIZOAL* and EPIZOAN* plays by Siri some of the time. It also opens up an X hotspot, which I don't really want. So the variance factor comes into play here too. What's good about my play, although it doesn't score, is that it shifts the board's action toward the left side, really reducing Siri's options in the long run. It reduces mine too, but I'm find with that since I'm ahead, and I'm comfortable on a closed board. This also sets up my Z at C8 if I can draw LLLLFF or BI, or some 4 or 5 at 8A. I can also draw into ZER(K), which would be a good continuation of the control I wish to exercise on this board. But I don't know if it's a good idea to have sacrificed so many points here.
Finally, perhaps I should have considered AWOKE at G10. It beautifully sets up my Z and forks with two or even three scoring spots. But the variance factor is greatly at play here too, so I don't think it's the best of ideas.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: ?EINRST E4 gENIT.RS +78 98
#note And yet, he still had IN(G) bingos! STEERING and STREWING play at 10A! Wow! Siri also missed RES(PI)TINg for 90. Good thing I didn't consider playing AZO...
>Josh: AEINOOZ 8A ZOA +38 127
#note On this turn there were really two considerations after a few seconds. D1 ZOEA or 8A ZOA. I chose ZOA because I felt like a lot of the time, ZOEA would increase Siri's average score by around 20 points since he could hit the Z on the triple for at least 42 points. That would bail him out of a lot of racks. As it stands the board is bereft of easy scoring spots after either of the plays save the spot I don't take. So a good portion of the time Siri won't really have much an option next turn. This is why I don't like handing him two spots with ZOEA, despite the leave and scoring advantage it has over ZOA. Bingo spots are at 2G, C9, 8H and the really unimportant N, d and G in MINdING. I'm in no hurry to open the board at all. The only bingo lanes that are likely (I should worry about) are through the A and 7s forming SWOP. The former is a tad more problematic in my view since it doesn't allow me to make a scoring comeback. This is another reason I think ZOA is a better play than ZOEA.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: AAAAAAS -AAAAAA +0 98
#note I don't know what he exchanged but he likely kept an S here, I think.
>Josh: EHINNOR 10E .IN. +17 144
#note Not entirely sure this was my leave, but it makes sense. I took a really long time here. I missed a very interesting NONHER(O) (I didn't actually know the word unfortunately). That play seems quite decent since it uses up more tiles, therefore shortening the game, which is a good idea with a lead. Unfortunately it gives back a few great scoring spots, which could blow Siri right back in the game in an instant. That's not a huge deal though, since I think I can outplay him during the rest of the game. NONHER(O) also blocks a ton of S(WOP) bingos. Unfortunately I seem to be in sort of a sticky situation if I don't draw an S (I imagine he has at least one), because that S(WOP) hook looks like it's there to stay. I probably should have played ZOEA last turn, given that. I want to get rid of that spot. Another option is D5 NOH. That blocks another scoring spot and gives me a good leave. If Siri opens, EINR may come in handy.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: CDEHNS 5G ..NCHED +30 128
#note still holding him to an S
>Josh: EHINORU 4L HOUR +29 173
#note Do I play UH 4K? I don't like it at all cause I don't think I have any options next turn. I want to keep scoring to hopefully outrun anything he could draw into. But this is kind of a change in style, and maybe it's not a good idea to let the board open further.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: QU M2 QU.. +28 156
#note As it stood it seems I bailed him out by making an aggressive play.
>Josh: DEIJNPU 2K PI.UE +32 205
#note J2 JUI(C)ED for sure. Other plays that get rid of the J look good as well. 6B JIN(N) looks good too. I failed to consider these plays as my time was getting low. This seems like around a 5-point error.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: ELS 6M SEL +20 176
>Josh: ABCDJNT D3 JAB +30 235
>Siri_Tillekeratne: ELS A6 LE. +12 188
>Josh: CDDNTTX L1 X. +17 252
#note Starting to look like trouble here. I think this is an error, but not a huge one, since 5s ending in X are not something Siri will see/draw into too often as he's focusing on drawing a bingo with his S or both of his S's. I should play T(I)NCT at 8G.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: AST 3B TA. +20 208
>Josh: CDDNOTT 8G D.COT +12 264
#note seems like the only feasible option.
>Siri_Tillekeratne: EFRS 2A REF +21 229
>Josh: ADLNTUY O6 .UNY +21 285
#note no comment
>Siri_Tillekeratne: AFRS B5 FAR. +15 244
>Josh: ADEGLOT 1H DETO. +43 328
>Siri_Tillekeratne: AELMSST L8 SAMLETS +80 324
>Josh: ADEEGIL 10J GA.E +11 339
#note even less than no comment
>Siri_Tillekeratne: ABORV N9 BRAVO +29 353
#note Thank you. *bows*
>Josh: DEIILRY O13 YID +26 365
#note D9 (W)IELDY
>Siri_Tillekeratne: AEGIIOT D11 IOTA +10 363
#note he made the best play
>Josh: EILRV 14G LIVER. +11 376
#note I almost chickened out of this.
>Josh: (GIE) +8 384
#note Not worthy.
Not worthy.
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