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#player1 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
#player2 Michael_Fagen Michael Fagen
>Joshua_Sokol: AGILOUU -AGILOUU +0 0
#note I normally do not like to keep a balanced but very close to neutral leave on my first turn. I considered keeping AL, but even though I do draw into more bingos with AL, AGIL or AGL, if I don't draw into a bingo, I won't have much to play. So I enjoy keeping my options open. It's a style thing, it may be wrong.
>Michael_Fagen: OVX 8G VOX +26 26
#note keeping AL, AGIL or AGL would have likely been troublesome after this play.
>Joshua_Sokol: DEFINWW 9H WIFED +28 28
>Michael_Fagen: AEPRTZ K5 TRAP.ZE +72 98
#note ouch
>Joshua_Sokol: EIKLNWY 8K .INKY +49 77
>Michael_Fagen: EPV 7J P.VE +20 118
>Joshua_Sokol: ACDEELW 11E LACEWE.D +78 155
#note I had a feeling I needed to make something happen here. This is a very plausible word, given that LACEWOOD and LACEWING are good. I wasn't convinced this was phony, either. It could have been a word. The problem is that Michael doesn't likely know LACEWOOD or LACEWING, so he's more likely to challenge in that respect. I think this was a worthy risk, especially since I had him on a pretty decent rack.
>Michael_Fagen: ADEGORT 5F GAROT.ED +60 178
#note I also blocked DEROGATE, but given that Michael had this available, he decided to let it go, coffeehousing that he was a favorite to win. He may be a slight favorite, but if I am the stronger player, that slightness sort of disappears.
>Joshua_Sokol: AIMOOOQ M2 QAI. +28 183
#note This was a very awkward position. In hindsight exchanging looks pretty good, but keeping the game close has that psychological advantage that is worth considering.
>Michael_Fagen: MNT 4L M.NT +22 200
>Joshua_Sokol: GIMOOOS N1 GI +28 211
#note Very bizarre overlook of OI in the same spot. That is clearly the play.
>Michael_Fagen: FNOS 12H FONS +46 246
>Joshua_Sokol: BIMOOOS 12C BOOM +22 233
#note After playing this, I wondered if I should have instead played BOOM at 6D, to keep the bingo lane open. But the game was close, and I think I like reducing Michael's chances of an easy bingo to basically seal the game, with SS?? out still. The board can wait. If I need to open it, I can.
>Michael_Fagen: ADEU C9 DAU.E +20 266
>Joshua_Sokol: IIJORSU H1 JURO. +39 272
#note So the two choices here are N8 (K)OJI and H1 JURO(R). I enjoyed the extra points, and figured that IIS isn't bad at all considering the pool, and the U should go. I stand by this play.
>Michael_Fagen: AEILN 3C ALINE. +14 280
#note he doesn't have the blanks yet!
>Joshua_Sokol: CHIINSU 4B CHI +25 297
#note Here, I was trying to decide between CHIN and CHI. I missed an interesting opportunity to burn my S though. D1 HI(L)US looks like a very good play. Not only does it imply to Michael that I have another S, which will usually get him quite scared, it also gets rid of my U, which is very bad news for me to keep. Furthermore, I want to play as many tiles off as possible here, because I don't want Michael to get the blanks and the esses. So it's a good idea to play 4 instead of 3, which was why I was considering CHIN over CHI for a while, despite the inferior leave of ISU over NISU. Looking longer, I might want to play something like CHUN(J)I* here. I did not consider that. If I think I will get away with it, that is by all means the play. I think I should have gone with it! It's so ridiculous Michael would have to either think very long and hard or just imagine it's a word he doesn't know.
>Michael_Fagen: IR N6 IR. +19 299
#note it did not seem that Michael had the blanks here, despite how this play may appear. My reads are usually good in these situations, so this was quite good for me. He also muttered that "I had all the good stuff" after I played CHI, which also made me think he didn't have much of anything.
>Joshua_Sokol: EINSTUU -UU +0 297
#note With this draw though, I was in trouble again. I overlooked UTE 13G, but I don't know about that. INSU looks really bad next to the pool, and I'm making it a "first to get a bingo wins" game, whereas if (when) a bingo goes down on row 14, there is at least going to be another lane. I liked ensuring that I could bingo at some point most of the time and keeping a very strong leave. Although, since I have inferred that Michael doesn't have much of anything, maybe UTE makes sense. I don't know, I'm gonna go with my gut feeling about snap exchanging UU. UTE is too much to think about for me, especially since I have a lot more time left than Michael at this stage.
>Michael_Fagen: ALY B8 LAY +30 329
>Joshua_Sokol: EINRRST A8 ERR +25 322
#note Not the draw I wanted! I think I need to score here and go for the blanks, but Michael's reaction to his draw said it all. He couldn't hold in an "Oh my God". Either S? or ??, most likely ?? were drawn. So I have to score and hope for a bingo comeback!
>Michael_Fagen: ??ELOST 14B iSOLaTE +69 398
#note Missing a whole bunch of superior bingos... He was down to around 2 minutes.
>Joshua_Sokol: INSTTUU 15H NUTSUIT +80 402
#note And I was pretty sure it was over. Oh wait, I have a relatively plausible word on my rack! I'd better attempt it... If anything it will save me a bunch of spread. Michael doesn't have much time to spare, and unless he snap challenges, he is going to go through a lot of stress while holding! Especially since I have done this before... If he has the S, he will probably have to decide to play it or not. He had also mistracked! Perfect scenario to get this to fly... But will it be enough to overcome?
>Michael_Fagen: BGHINOS 14M HIN +21 419
#note I had also mistracked him, but it really didn't matter... I couldn't win with what I drew out of the bag, unless Michael messed up bigtime or went over!
>Joshua_Sokol: AAEE 13M AA +19 421
#note 6I EA(R) if I track correctly, he might mess up after that, thinking RADS is invalid or something. I thought he couldn't go out with what I had him with.
>Michael_Fagen: BGOS 6E BOGS +30 449
#note -1. Damn!
>Michael_Fagen: (EE) +4 453
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