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#player1 Panupol Panupol
#player2 Will Will
>Panupol: IIIII -IIIII +0 0
>Will: ADIMPTV 8D VAPID +30 30
>Panupol: BCKS E7 B.CKS +26 26
>Will: EHIMRTT 7G HIM +27 57
#note Didn't think of TIEBACKS, though this is probably a smidge better.
>Panupol: ERX 6H REX +34 60
>Will: AEORTTZ 5G TAROT +29 86
#note Definitely prefer this play here, scoring well and retaining the Z. I was thinking about what fun it would be to draw WI!
>Panupol: GGHO F11 HOGG +18 78
>Will: AEEITTZ 4D ZETA +28 114
#note ...but TIEBACKS hasn't occurred to me, which is a real shame, because it sets up ZETA D1. Huge mistake. For his part, Panupol did just miss HOGBACKS for 40 as well.
>Panupol: ABEITW 4J BAWTIE +38 116
>Will: AEEINRT 13F .RATINEE +72 186
>Panupol: LUW H12 W.UL +33 149
>Will: DDEEINS M1 DES.INED +72 258
#note I was 99% sure that GRATINEES was good but I could only remember GRATINEED for sure, because I once won a challenge on it. If it were my only bingo I would have played it, and of course I was a bit apprehensive about opening another triple lane with both blanks unseen, but if I could just make it one more turn I figured I'd be okay.
>Panupol: CERY 8K CY.ER +45 194
>Will: AALNORY 1L O.YL +27 285
#note No excuse to not play LANYARD. Again, both blanks out...every tile pick counts, not to mention undoubling A's and scoring 9 more points.
>Panupol: AIMNOS 15A AMNIOS +37 231
>Will: AAADGNR N10 GARDA +33 318
#note And here, I was fully aware of the QUIT/JOIN possibilities hooking GARDA, but blithely went ahead anyway - I don't seem to be learning my lessons! I saw GRANDAM B9 but didn't appreciate that it set up the case A for AG plays. My play wins a 4-ply sim but I can't imagine that it is the best play here.
>Panupol: ?EEFORV 2G OVERFr.E +91 322
>Will: ?AENOOU H1 A.O +18 336
#note Well, I had thought OUZO was probably the best play, but it is nice to guard against the Q by holding onto the U, even with two more unseen. D4 ZOO also bingos a ton.
>Panupol: INTU 15L UNIT +23 345
>Will: ?ELNOQU J10 QUO.N +36 372
#note Not thrilled to empty the bag but I couldn't find anything else worth playing.
>Panupol: FIILOPS 14A FOIL +31 376
>Will: ?EEJLNU 5B JEaN +34 406
>Panupol: IPS 9G PSI +26 402
>Panupol: IPS -- -26 376
#note Panupol played this with a knowing shrug...no reason not to.
>Will: ELU L8 .ULE +7 413
#note Well, overall, hard to be too upset with 3rd place, but I've never really been in contention before, and as a result I've never felt what it's like to be in contention and then not be. That was disappointing, but congrats to the finalists and to our new lord and champion Tun Tun. For my part, I can take some solace in the fact that I am still the only player to come in top 5 more than once in the past 3 years, and I have done it all three years. I was a bit surprised to discover that I drew "just" 24 blanks (in 31 actual games), because it felt like I drew at least a bit above average with respect to timing/luck and also benefited from many uncharacteristic opponent mistakes. In 2013, I drew 40 blanks in 31 games and played much worse to also come in 3rd. Anyway, the Scrabble landscape is so confusing and I am so torn between taking up Collins and continuing to focus on winning the TWL Nationals, because I think the evidence strongly suggests I can do it. Not sure yet one way or the other, but even if I don't play in tourneys for a little while, I ain't going anywhere. Hope you all enjoyed the games.
>Will: (IPS) +10 423
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