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#player1 Noah_Slatkoff Noah Slatkoff
#player2 JD JD
>Noah_Slatkoff: ACMOPRY 8H CAMPY +36 36
#note Noah plays fast and scores a lot - a formidable opponent!
>JD: AEINQST -Q +0 0
#note I decided to throw back the Q since I have a shot at drawing so many nice 83-point bingos to the C. I compared the exchange to CINQ, but Q likes QAT at I7 much better, which makes perfect sense - I block a ton of cheap plays, and set up my rack to hook QATS next turn. I'm only bingoing 53% after QAT, but the 4 points of improved defense is basically its margin of victory.
>Noah_Slatkoff: DORRUVW L4 WORD. +24 60
#note DYVOUR would be a great way to dump the UV combo
>JD: AEINOST H8 .ANOEIST +83 83
>Noah_Slatkoff: BINRRUV 5J VR.U +14 74
#note Noah gets rid of the VU; the fancier way is ERUVIN at 12H which scores a bit more.
>JD: EGHILUZ G9 ZIG +49 132
>Noah_Slatkoff: BEEINRR F10 BEER +27 101
>JD: EEHLOOU 7I HOO. +29 161
#note nothing great, this just scores much more than any alternative.
>Noah_Slatkoff: ?EIKNRT 15H .RINKETs +98 199
#note nice!
>JD: EEILOTU 13B OUTE. +10 171
#note suddenly, I'm in tough shape. Even with the SHA hook available on row 6, I felt that I needed to open the bottom-left so that Noah can't just kill the bottom-right of the board and played defense. I also liked this play because Noah might not be confident in some of the front-hooks of OUTER.
>Noah_Slatkoff: BFHLLOS E11 BH.L +37 236
>JD: DEEEILS A12 IDEE +25 196
#note now that I have an S, I'm OK with cashing the bottom-left of the board because I can hit a SHA bingo.
>Noah_Slatkoff: FGLORSV I7 ..G +24 260
#note Noah described his fish as "Nigelesque" which is a pretty awesome adjective. With that said, this only bingos with an A or I draw, and GROOF at B10 is too many points to forgo.
>JD: ADELOST O8 TOADLES. +77 273
>Noah_Slatkoff: EFLORSV N8 ELF +31 291
#note FLOOR at B10 is more points, and there are also only 3 Es left so it's important to hold onto the one he has if possible.
>JD: ?EIILMX 14J XI +52 325
#note great draw gives me the upper hand
>Noah_Slatkoff: AIORRSV M2 VRO. +19 310
#note Can't play VISOR here because it's too important to hold onto the S for the last lane on the board, row 6. Quackle thinks VAIRE at 13K does a slightly better job of interfering with my scoring plays (QIN/JIN).
>JD: ?EILMUU K7 ..IUM +18 343
>Noah_Slatkoff: ADEIRSY J10 YA +30 340
#note wow, EERILY at 14A would've been incredible!
>JD: ?AEFLQU 13K QUAL. +40 383
#note the moment of truth - cash the blank for QUAVER or score 40 with QUALE and hold onto the blank? I really agonized over this choice. Ultimately I decided to hold onto the blank, because I thought I could lose if Noah plays a SHAG bingo and I draw a bad rack - the blank gives me more flexibility. I also risk never being able to block the SHAG hook at all if I don't draw an S, and losing to an out-bingo if Noah bides his time! However, the counterrisk with not playing QUAVER now is that I may never be able to use the blank to score lots of points. In hindsight I would take the points for QUAVER.
>Noah_Slatkoff: ADEIRST 6C TARDIES +70 410
>JD: ?EFGJNN B10 JEt.N +59 442
#note this is exactly the kind of rack where keeping the blank paid off - I almost certainly lose if I have a rack of FGJLNNx this turn
>Noah_Slatkoff: ACFINNO H1 CANIN. +27 437
#note I'm not sure how often he can actually win, but I think he needs to fish here. I'd be tempted to go for INACTION/ENACTION on column C, perhaps dropping WOF at N4 as a distraction?
>JD: AEFGNPS D4 SP.NG +20 462
#note not that close to being right, but good enough. Best is STEP at D12 after which Noah can never block all the outs.
>Noah_Slatkoff: AIOTW N4 TWO +25 462
>JD: AEF C9 FAE +21 483
>JD: (AI) +4 487
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