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#player1 Jackson_Smylie Jackson Smylie
#player2 Quackle Quackle
>Jackson_Smylie: DELORTY H4 YODLE +26 26
#note YODLE is almost certainly best here, but YODLER and DORTY are very close behind. RT is slightly bingo-synergistic as a leave, and is worth the 2 point sacrifice. As well, YODLE takes an R back hook which we keep. DORTY and YODEL are a few points worse because they each slot a vowel next to a double letter score, which allows for higher scoring overlaps (because consonants score more than vowels).
>Quackle: ADMNNTU 9H DUN +16 16
>Jackson_Smylie: CDOORTU K5 COURT +19 45
#note The "equity" (some people call static, basically just simple points + leave valuation) play is OUTDO also making DUNT, but a play like DUN implies Quackle is cleaning up her rack and keeping fairly well - D-U-N are low scoring tiles, and quackle won't open up the dangering DUN-G DUN-E DUN-T hooks in the double lane without a strong leave in hand. Because of this, I want to play defense (my rack is certainly less bingo prone than hers). OUTDO leaves a juicy lane because many letters will go after the O in outdo to make a 2 letter word, as well as an S hook (outdos). By playing COURT, I close the bottom of the board by making another right angle (closing the bottom doesn't mean long term it's closed, it just means it's inaccessible for the next couple turns and it will take efforts to open it). Other considerations are OUTCR(Y) and DOCTOR/DUNT and COR(N)UTO and COROD(Y), but they all open the board and I want to avoid that. The equity of COURT is about 3 points below OUTDO (meaning 17 points for OUTDO + the valuation of its leave, CR, is worth about 3 points more than 19 points for COURT + the DO leave. So DO is worth 5 points fewer than CR). A lot of players won't play COURT, but I stand by it. by itself, O is worth about -2, and C and R are worth about 1 each. CR has some synergy (CR is a decent 2 tile combo for bingoing, and most consonant blends have a bit of synergy).
A deeper strategic point here is that Quackle has much better word finding abilities than me (perfect word knowledge + perfect board vision, so I'd rather play a tighter board and try to beat it with strategy). This is worth smallish sacrifices, but I wouldn't go overboard sacrificing 10+ points of equity.
>Quackle: AEHMNTY 8K .HYME +51 67
>Jackson_Smylie: ABDEFGO 7M BED +26 71
#note RHYME hurt, and it gives very little insight into Q's rack (because RHYME is the best play with a wide range of leaves because it scores so much). BED felt strange to make, because typically the E is a much better tile to hold onto than the O (BOD usually would be fine). I'm further trying to close the board, although the Y in YODLED will be easy to open the left side with because the Y will easily end words.
a play like FOGE(Y) is probably fine and what I should have played - balanced ABD leave (worth about 0). Nothing is great here. BED/BOD/BAD are nice beause they close that part of the board and restrict the options a lot. Closing the board right now isn't a huge deal, but if I can restrict scoring options I will gladly do so. I elected for BED because it sets up AGO right above it for 30 next turn - there is no guarantee the spot will remain, but unless Q has an obvious 30 point play there it may stay open. This being said, I think had I thought about it more I would have gone with FOGEY. if AGO gets blocked, the AFGO leave is very clunky and doesn't have many options (unless I draw an E for FOGEY).
>Quackle: ?AFINPT N6 F.. +16 83
>Jackson_Smylie: AAEFGOS I3 OAF +17 88
#note OAF plays for one more point next to the DLE in YODLED, but that sets up a scoring spot hooking OD. OAF where I played it gives up a lot fewer points (the L hook can't be used for a lot of points so isn't very worrisome). OAF is nice because it holds the nice AEGS leave, for reference worth about 8 points, although since it's a bingo leave it's not worth nearly as much on this board because there are no real bingo lines available. Still, it's balanced and has nice tiles.
>Quackle: ?AINPRT 8A TRIPlAN. +86 169
>Jackson_Smylie: AEEEGSZ 6D GAZE. +36 124
#note Now down a bingo, I end my efforts to slightly close the board and now have to force it open. Quackle is smart enough to close the board some, so I have to open it up to take risks back into this game. The general strategy is that when you're down you want to limit scoring options and increase bingo options, and when you're up you want to increase scoring options and decrease bingo options. This is only for 50+ leads or so - when you're within 20 points, the score can too easily swing to worry too much about board control.
options here are G(R)AZE, (R)AZEE, GAZE(D), ZE(D), GEEZE(R). I didn't see GEEZE(R) but I'm not sure I would play it if I did. All the plays score similarly, so it's the board control I wanted to go for. (R)AZEE really opens the board but also opens a huge scoring spot at the triple that can easily be used for 40-50 points, which I don't like. GRAZE is what I would have played had I seen it, because it doesn't open as big a scoring spot, and still keeps the board open. closing the T in triplane (the G there prevents it from being used for most bingoes) isn't ideal, but GRAZE is otherwise a nice play. GAZE(D) partially closes the IPLA lanes, but most P bingoes start with P so I wasn't too worried about that. It also prevents quackle from making a parallel play off of triplane completely destroying the lanes. I also really want the TR in triplane to stay open, as RT are great lanes for bingoing (good bingo letters). GAZED makes it a bit harder to close those two lanes while scoring nicely. I don't mind GEEZER much at all, but still prefer GRAZE. Ask someone else and they may have a very different opinion on this turn.
>Quackle: AEEIIOR 7C OI +12 181
>Jackson_Smylie: EEENNOS 10I NE +10 134
#note this may have been the most difficult turn of the game - I didn't see many options I liked. the board is in danger of being quite closed - luckily the LOAF hook can bail me out if I draw the L. NE where I playled it makes a new lane for my S, and unless Q underlaps making UNI, the S lane will stay open (if he hooks NE with a B or W or something, that will make a new S lane). I am banking here on drawing a bingo through the T, drawing an L, or hoping the UNS lane stays open. EN plays making FEME for 5 more, but the positional advantages of my placement are worth a lot more.
>Quackle: AEEIRTU 5K .UE +5 186
>Jackson_Smylie: AEELNOS 11D ENOLASE +70 204
#note missing LOANEES which would have really helped. LOANEES plays making LOAF for 5 extra points. ENOLASE in both spots opens big scoring spots, but my placement scores 2 more points and at least opens a couple different options (playing on top of the ENO, or playing down from the A), rather than the LOAF placement which opens just one spot on the triple. It's better to open two scoring spots than one because ideally you and the opp can split them and it's not too uneven.
>Quackle: AEILRTW H11 .WAIT +36 222
>Jackson_Smylie: DEGHMRV F10 H.MED +23 227
#note difficult play. OI and (C)UE are totally fishing plays, and very often keep reallly nice bingo leaves. (A)WAIT sort of blows up the rack, but I can still see a balanced bingo leave of ERT, ENT, IRT, and the like in quackle's range (range is the range of tiles you expect your opponent to have based off their plays). A blank is also in quackle's range. Because I think quackle has slightly bingo prone tiles, I am okay sacrificing a few points to play HOMED which really obstructs those lanes. Normally I would play MOVED but an E or I draw (which is very likely) gives me VIG or VEG beside OAF. MOVED only scores two fewer so perhaps the flexibility of the GHR leave (it's not a good leave, but less bad than GRV) is worth the sacrifice still. there is something to be said for HM beside COURT, as it scores 32 and the game is very close. I still prefer the moves that block the lanes.
>Quackle: AELLRRT M7 ..RL +10 232
>Jackson_Smylie: CGIRSVX J2 VIG +24 251
#note Missing C(E)RVIX through ENOLASE. drat! The other option here is CR(U)X, but even though it scores 11 more I believe I will make up more than that next turn. VIG also closes the L which is a bonus - BYRL implies a bingo leave (she played off only two tiles, which keeps a good leave most of the time), and also implies an L more often than regular, so it's nice to take out that lane. CRSX is usually not a great leave cause it's consonant heavy, but with the CR(U)X option and many words that play making EX in enolase, I am ensured at least 35 points, but more likely around 40. CERVIX is way better though cause it scores 52.
>Quackle: AAELRTT 12D TA. +16 248
>Jackson_Smylie: ACERRSX L3 CR.X +35 286
#note kind of a scary position - the board isn't great for bingoes, but there are a couple places to bingo - the TR of triplane and the AIT of AWAIT. the T in triplane is definitely the most dangerous. I missed (UNS)EX parallelling AWAIT, which closes at least the AI (which aren't big bingo threats though). CR(U)X I played because we are stilll very close in score so I want to ensure I can "outrun" if neither of us bingo, and AERS is a very very very nice bingo leave, so there is a decent chance I can bingo through the T next turn, or AERS could help me counter bingo if Q bingoes next turn.
>Quackle: AEGLNRT O7 ..TANGLER +89 337
>Jackson_Smylie: AEIORSW 3L .OW +16 302
#note My odds are not good right now. A human player will very likely block the T in TRIPLANE next turn, cause that's the last bingo lane and a 50 point lead is usually good enough to coast at this point. So I play COW to open a scoring spot, baiting Quackle to play there. If quackle has an S, she might just play there, and I have to hope for a bingo through the T. The other option is that quackle does block the T and I luck into a big play like BOSK or QIS and score my way back in. AEIRS is a slightly vowel heavy leave, but still a wonderful bingo leave, especially when trying to play through the T which helps balance the leave.
>Quackle: IIOOSTU 14B OOTI. +12 349
>Jackson_Smylie: AEIINRS A1 RAINIES. +77 379
#note I don't know for sure if this is best but I don't see anything else worth playing. OOTI(D) is fairly confusing. It leaves 7 tiles in the bag though, so my bingo now will empty the bag which puts me down a "tempo". In an endgame (endgame being where there are no tiles in the bag left) it is a big advantage to have the first move because you can often make an "out in two", meaning you play a word such that you can ensure an outplay the next turn, which very often outscores your opponent in close games. So since there are 7 in the bag, my bingo now will empty the bag and Quackle will have first move. Since the bag is very scoring heavy with JKQV, I have to hope that quackle has a very clunky rack (not too likely after ootid though cause ootid would never keep something like BIV), or that I draw a big play with COWS, or I draw the blank and pull it out. My chances aren't great, but better than nothing.
Luckily rainiest puts me up 30, so I could outrun an out in two if I get a nice scoring play and not too many clunky consonants I get stuck with.
>Quackle: ?IIJPSU O1 JUS +39 388
>Jackson_Smylie: ABEKQSV C13 K.B +18 397
#note not the rack I was hoping for. kob isn't the best play (I played it to block the piLi I out underneath ootid), but I lose regardless.
>Quackle: ?IIP 12J PIkI +16 404
>Quackle: (AEQSV) +34 438
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