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#player1 dacrON dacrON
#player2 Mack Mack
>dacrON: ADENOOO -OOO +0 0
#note I'm posting this game because it was a humbling experience for me. I think I'm a very good Scrabble player, but there are still games where many of the positions leave me befuddled. This game was one of those examples, where I'm reminded that there's always more work to be done. Conrad of the past would have shrug it off and say, "oh Mack got better tiles," but that's irrelevant to making good decisions. Even with perfect play, I may well have lost this game, but I didn't do all that I could. Anyway, I hope you find these plays as interesting as I do. I've provided some commentary from Mack along the way (paraphrased, not quoted). As for this rack - I think I got it right.
>Mack: AAGLMNR 8D MANGA +22 22
#note Mack's thoughts: considered ALARM leaving NG, but the setup didn't seem strong enough.
>dacrON: ADEFNOT 9C FADO +21 21
#note Sometimes you don't even realize you're on autopilot. This play seemed very straightforward to me - score decently, keep a decent leave, don't give back too much, etc...However, 7D OF appears to be the play here. After OF, I am maximizing my bingo percentage, and keeping the leave which bingoes most next turn. But the hidden benefit that appears to bring this play over the top is that it gives so little back. Even though I'm sacrificing many points now, it's going to pay off immediately in his average score next turn. The goal, of course, though, is to bingo as soon as I can.
>Mack: ELLORSS G6 LO.S +17 39
#note Mack: Wasn't sure of this play, maybe LESSOR underlapping beneath. Conrad: SOL E10 locks the board down well, especially while he retains an S...
>dacrON: EHLNORT 10D NOH +37 58
#note Whew, I think I got this one right. Always have to take the time to look for those farsight double-doubles, though.
>Mack: AEELRSY 5G SEALERY +76 115
>dacrON: ELNPRTT E8 ...PT +16 74
#note First issue here is not knowing PENT(Y)L. Apparently, it's AMYL, which means, like many -YL words, it's a univalent radical! That aside, the main candidate plays here are PENT(Y)L, PL(Y) and this play, (ADO)PT. I didn't like my bingo chances after PL(Y), didn't know PENT(Y)L, as previously mentioned, and this play seemed to keep the board more open - especially as I need to bingo ASAP. That said, I think PENT(Y)L gives me more to work with, and keeps a more flexible leave - ELNRT is unideal on a board with no spots for 7s.
>Mack: AEEILOR 6J OLEA +19 134
>dacrON: ELNRTWY 7M WRY +26 100
#note Lots of options here: WYN 7M, TWEN(T)Y 12A, WE(T)LY 12C, NE(T)TLY 12C, YEL(LO)W J2. My thought was that plays through the Y might either sacrifice points/leave for Mack, or open me a 7 lane. I also might get to underlap WRY next turn for some cheap points. YEL(LO)W seems to constrict the board too much with an inevitable play from H1 at some point soon. NE(T)TLY keeps the ugly W, and WE(T)LY just clogs an already closed board. TWEN(T)Y has some merit, but seems to give up a bit too much of a good leave. The other contender would be the similar WYN, but the N seems too easy to score with. Basically, this play keeps tempo, and doesn't put me any further behind. Do you see a play here another play that accomplishes more?
>Mack: EFIIRRU 12A FRUI.IER +82 216
>dacrON: EILNTUX A12 .LUX +42 142
#note UN(F)IXT scores 6 more, and opens the T as a viable bingo lane. The X isn't very useable in that spot. This play is again too much of an autopilot play, with too many Es Is Ns and Ts remaining.
>Mack: AAEGOQV O5 VO.AGE +39 255
>dacrON: BEHINOT N10 HENBIT +51 193
#note Gotta score, open the board. This play keeps me in it.
>Mack: ACNOQTU L1 QUAT.. +50 305
>dacrON: EIIJORT 12K JOI. +22 215
#note Seems to either be this play, JI(A)O, or JOI(N)T in the same spot. JI(A)O gives back less, but I still need to keep the board open. I figured I might be able to capitalize on a scoring play making JOINT down the road, and that the EIRT leave was much nicer than EIR, especially as Mack is more likely to block off the T in HENBIT. However the volatility of drawing an extra tile may be in my favor here, with SS?? still out, and two triple-triple lanes open. Somewhat relatedly, an H1 play still seems inevitable.
>Mack: ?CDDGNO H1 DODG. +30 335
>dacrON: EIIRRTW 15K WRI.E +27 242
#note Some plays to consider: This one, 15L WI(T)E, H10 WI(R)IER, H11 W(R)IER, D4 WIRE(MAN), 3K W(A)IR. I pretty much need to bingo twice to win, and need Mack to have an awful rack here. In that vein, maybe WIRE(MAN) is best. But I'm stumped - any wisdom from the crowd?
>Mack: ?CEENSV 3K C.VE +18 353
>dacrON: IIMRTTU 1L .UIT +39 281
#note I picked up a bingo on this weird draw, but nothing doing.
>Mack: ?AEINOS 1A AStONIE. +77 430
>dacrON: DIMNRST 15H MIS..... +39 320
#note The game is over at this point, but 11M M(E)D scores 25 and keeps a much better leave. I saw the play, but then forgot about it for some reason - I think I was low on time.
>Mack: ?ABEIKZ 14G ZEK +26 456
#note Mack: Only real miss of the game: B10 ZI(R)Am. May have been a result of time pressure.
>dacrON: CDENNRT B1 .CEND +16 336
#note Correct endgame by both players.
>Mack: ?ABEIPT B10 PE.ITi +40 496
>dacrON: NRT 2G T.RN +8 344
>dacrON: (AB) +8 352
#note So there you have it. Little things, like OF vs FADO can change the entire outcome of a game. I can't really point to a lack of good tiles this game because I have no way of knowing what would've happened. Thanks for watching and playing along! :)
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