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#player1 Paul_Sidorsky Paul Sidorsky
#player2 Matthew_Larocque Matthew Larocque
>Paul_Sidorsky: EEKPS 8D KEEPS +32 32
#note If I win this game I get second place, otherwise I get nothing. Let the choking begin!
>Matthew_Larocque: ELOSTTW E5 TOW.L +16 16
#note OWLET, obviously. I was frustrated at not seeing anything good.
>Paul_Sidorsky: AGZ D4 ZAG +31 63
>Matthew_Larocque: DEEGSTT F4 GED +21 37
#note Stupid things like keeping two Ts on my rack tend to disrupt my thinking and then I waste precious minutes looking for other plays. Then I decide that GET isn't worth scoring 6 less points. A long simulation agrees that GED is a little bit better than GET.
>Paul_Sidorsky: UUU -UUU +0 63
>Matthew_Larocque: EEIRSTT 10C TESTIER +68 105
#note Didn't know GRISETTE, but I'd still go with this.
>Paul_Sidorsky: BEHR 11H HERB +25 88
>Matthew_Larocque: CEEOOOR H3 COOEE. +9 114
#note Don't like keeping the S wide open - and it lets me dump without having to exchange.
>Paul_Sidorsky: ?AINOUX 7H .XONUmIA +72 160
#note Sim likes his chances more after ANXIOUs L5 - 66% vs 61%.
>Matthew_Larocque: AFGMORR O4 FOR.M +42 156
#note Paul didn't know FORAM, but also didn't like his position if he lost a challenge. I did not know FARRAGO!
>Paul_Sidorsky: NPY J6 P.NY +15 175
>Matthew_Larocque: AAAGILR M7 .ALARIA +14 170
#note I did question whether this was taking turnover too far, but decided that I needed to draw some letters I could keep scoring with. I also know the L hook, which Paul may not. Sim is indicating that K4 LIA(N)A and K3 AGAI(N) are the best plays, which win 37% to only 33% for (m)ALARIA. I think the stakes of the game changed how I played, opting for less fishyness and more scoring/trying to grab good letters faster.
>Paul_Sidorsky: ENSTT N10 TENTS +24 199
#note He hesitated before deciding to play this. Guess I was lucky he didn't have a bingo here.
>Matthew_Larocque: AADFGIL L12 FLAG +35 205
>Paul_Sidorsky: IIIII -IIIII +0 199
#note Suddenly I'm in a lot better of a position than I was a few turns ago.
>Matthew_Larocque: AADEINN 15F DEANIN. +27 232
#note It's easy to say this play was a mistake in hindsight, but really, there's only like 4 letters that can hurt me here - the worst being the H and the Q. Simulation says this is best with 60-61% chance to win. A word I did not know in NANDINA plays at K2 and is the runner-up.
>Paul_Sidorsky: HNO 14H NOH +31 230
#note Too bad.
>Matthew_Larocque: ACEIIIU -ACIIIU +0 232
#note Now I am in trouble again, and unfortunately I did not see Quackle's favourite play of CUI(F) which is the only scoring play anywhere on the radar. Despite my vowel heavy rack, there's not a lot of vowels left unseen, so keeping AE or ACE might be better. Under 40% to win now.
>Paul_Sidorsky: IMSW N2 SWIM +27 257
>Matthew_Larocque: DEIOTU O12 DUIT +37 269
#note I think my last letter was an R. I know I saw DUO before seeing this. It's still not the highest scoring play, that goes to OUTKEEPS for 42, a word I was not familiar with. Apparently it makes a huge difference, winning almost 10% more often than DUIT. Still only 40% after DUIT.
>Paul_Sidorsky: AILR M1 LIAR +26 283
>Matthew_Larocque: ?BEJORY L6 J.BE +25 294
#note I had almost 10 minutes here to decide what to do. One of the first plays I saw was JaY 13G, taking out a potentially big play for him. Then B(U)Y or B(U)YER, but I questioned what good keeping the J would be. I know I can dump the Q for sure if I draw it, with the blank in hand. But it could still get in the way of scoring. I frankly couldn't decided what play looked "right" here. I decided on this just because it keeps ?Y that I can use to score overtop NOH. Simulation says dumping with 3L J(AW) is the best play by far, followed by L2 BY for 21 points. Another option I missed is BaR(KEEPS) for 45.
>Paul_Sidorsky: DIQU D10 .QUID +30 313
#note I wasn't expecting him to be able to play the Q off for 30 points here - this is where I start panicking that I blew the game.
>Matthew_Larocque: ?EIOORY 14B RO.EO +21 315
#note Here it is, the choke you were waiting for. For starters, I completely chicken out of putting an S on EQUID. I recently lost a game where I challenged a valid 4, and then proceeded to put an S on EASTERN and lose my turn again. It also happened to be the last game of that particular tournament. It was one of the worst blown games I've ever managed to concoct (I should get around to posting it). Because of THAT game, I tried to find any play that might win that did not involve EQUIDS. The problem here, is that I saw V(I)VA as an obvious play for him - but for some reason I did not see VAC. I know that sounds impossible after I kept ?Y for exactly that reason, but him playing EQUID kind of put my mind into a twist where I didn't even know what was going on. All I knew was that I was blocking VIVA and I had (C)ItY to go out.
>Paul_Sidorsky: ACUVV 13G VAC +26 339
#note I mentally imploded.
>Matthew_Larocque: ?IY 3H .ItY +9 324
#note In order for a blown game to truly stand out from others, you have to be given a second chance and then still blow it. I'm sure we are all aware that going out is almost always the best course of action unless you can score huge points, or your opponent is stuck. Or...... you can make a play that causes your opponent to be stuck. Y(AW) 3L is the play that un-explodes the game.
>Matthew_Larocque: (UV) +10 334
#note A well-deserved loss, worth 80 dollars I believe. I didn't look at the prize thingy.
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