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#player1 Toh_Weibin Toh Weibin
#player2 Dave_Koenig Dave Koenig
>Toh_Weibin: CDEOX H8 CODEX +46 46
>Dave_Koenig: HINOTTU G11 HOUT +22 22
#note A very interesting opening rack choice. In my opinion, the best options are my play and HUT I11. HOUT is quite risky, of course, because I open up the S hook to row 15 when I am not holding one. However, there were a couple of reasons I opted for it. One is that I am already trailing after CODEX, and I want the volatility. The other is that after HUT, I'm looking at a potentially blocked up board where I can't score all that much and can't get down a seven letter bingo if I don't draw an S. I liked setting up the T hook at F11 (among other letters,) to increase the chance of my bingos fitting. Your mileage may vary. Weibin preferred HUT.
>Toh_Weibin: BEY F12 BYE +31 77
>Dave_Koenig: ACIINTV 10H .IVI +16 38
#note 10H DIV is the best play from a pure leave and score point of view, but it makes things too easy on him with the A, E, I, and O hooks. This play, on the other hand, sets up potential double-doubles ending in -IC in a way that is much less likely to get blocked.
>Toh_Weibin: ?EEENST 15G STElENE +79 156
>Dave_Koenig: ACINORT 8A CRATONI. +89 127
#note Typical expert Scrabble player error: I missed the common word NARCOTIC and played the unusual anagram instead. NARCOTIC is much better, not just because of the six extra points, but because the S hook is valuable to me, given that I am still chasing.
>Toh_Weibin: MZ G7 M.Z +48 204
>Dave_Koenig: AARSVWY 14K WARY +29 156
#note I need to give myself optimal chances to bingo back quickly, so I don't like many of the plays that Quackle's static evaluator ranks higher, such as WAY/YAW at 7C or 9C, because they block the board too much, nor the highest scoring AIRY I9, which is too much of a slow play. However, AVOWRY E6 is a better play which I missed. Although it blocks up a few lines, it helpfully sheds all the high point tiles.
>Toh_Weibin: ABK 7C KAB +31 235
>Dave_Koenig: AAISTTV L5 ATAVIST +73 229
>Toh_Weibin: AEFLR 13I FLARE +39 274
>Dave_Koenig: DILNOTW M3 INDOW +40 269
>Toh_Weibin: ELMSU E5 EM..LUS +44 318
#note At this point, I noticed that I had not drawn a single E yet in the game, but that I still was hanging right with him and had a chance to get into the driver's seat with SPL(AT)TING, until he blocked the lane.
>Dave_Koenig: GILNPST N5 SPLINT +37 306
#note I didn't like getting too fishy here with a play like LIP I9, because the board is not that bingoable. However, I would have gladly held the S with PLING# N6 if I had known the word.
>Toh_Weibin: EEPR D3 REPE.. +24 342
>Dave_Koenig: DGJLNQR -GJLNQ +0 306
#note Still no E's, and despite drawing into a pretty good pool, I managed to get the worst of it and was forced to trade. Now it seemed like I was in big trouble, but right when I needed help, Weibin made a crucial blunder.
>Toh_Weibin: GIO O5 OI +13 355
>Toh_Weibin: GIO -- -13 342
#note ODSO#, GODSO#, and GADSO# are words, but not adso*
>Dave_Koenig: ?AADEOR 3B AE.ODARt +68 374
#note The only bingo.
>Toh_Weibin: GIO H1 GI.O +18 360
>Dave_Koenig: AGLNOUU K3 GULA +26 400
#note I thought of UNGULA in the same spot, which is pretty but worse for two important reasons: it empties the bag and lets him go first in a 7 vs. 7 endgame. Also, it is very helpful for me to hold onto the last U with the Q unseen. It defintely seemed like the right thing to do to hit this spot, as it was one of the more dangerous scoring spots for him. Also, leaving two in the bag here is ideal, because if he happens to hit JO 2B, as he did, it will leave me going first in a 7 vs. 7 endgame.
>Toh_Weibin: JO 2B JO +38 398
>Dave_Koenig: DEGHNOU B8 .OUGHED +28 428
#note I was getting short of time here and couldn't worry about playing a perfect endgame, but I was happy to be practical and take the simplest win I could find. The main thing is that I needed to take out FIQUE 10B and ensure that I go out in two.
>Toh_Weibin: EFIINQR 4A QI +31 429
>Dave_Koenig: N I10 .N +8 436
>Dave_Koenig: (EFINR) +16 452
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