| Player 1 |
|
#player1 Josh Josh
#player2 Mark_Edelson Mark Edelson
>Josh: CJMTVYZ 8G MYC +20 20
#note I had this intuitive idea here to play MYC one spot to the left to block more 7s, as I don't remember any of my 11 previous opponents getting off a first-turn bingo on me, so it seemed that it was time.
>Mark_Edelson: EFILMPR 9A PREFILM +77 77
#note Unfortunately this means that results orientation had gotten the best of me and had seized my subconscious. I would have at least held this phony in any other circumstances, but I doubt I would have been able to challenge so early in the game. I had no idea, and this seemed to make enough sense.
>Josh: DEGJTVZ E8 J.VED +32 52
>Mark_Edelson: AKOY A7 YA.OK +42 119
>Josh: ?AGNTVZ B6 ZA +36 88
#note D11 TAV is the other option here. It limits scoring by a lot, but makes an S, that I am not a favorite to draw or have within the next few turns, very valuable. Both plays have mostly downsides, as I can't overlap ZA next turn most of the time, and I can't use the (TAV)S hook that soon either. Mark seemed like he was not keeping all that well, so I decided overlapping ZA was not favoured for him either, and that was enough to take the points.
>Mark_Edelson: DTU H5 DUT. +8 127
#note Interesting play. I wonder what he kept.
>Josh: ?GNNRTV C8 V.NT +7 95
#note DUT(Y) was very alarming for me. It seemed Mark was very strong, or at least that's the impression the play gave me from my previous, albeit short experience playing him. It also sort of got to me that my opponents had been making 6-10 point plays with 2 or 3 tiles and drawing into a bingo without fail. Hopefully this was not the case here! But I wanted to make sure I didn't give him something.
>Mark_Edelson: AEIRRST J5 ARTSIER +72 199
>Josh: ?BGNORT K2 BONG +20 115
#note Things are starting to look very grim.
>Mark_Edelson: AHIO C3 OHIA +25 224
>Josh: ?CNORST 3G CONT.uRS +76 191
>Mark_Edelson: AIO 4B O.IA +14 238
>Josh: AILORUW D12 ALOW +28 219
#note Not sure if this is right given Mark's apparent vowel-heaviness.
>Mark_Edelson: AEEFI 11G FAE.IE +18 256
>Josh: AEIPQRU H11 .QUAE +72 291
#note Wow, I somehow managed to get back in the game.
>Mark_Edelson: ?EEEORT N3 .TEREOEd +59 315
#note N3 (S)hOETREE (61) is the only other bingo available
>Josh: DINPRUX O7 NIX +47 338
>Mark_Edelson: GGNO 12L NOGG +20 335
>Josh: DDLPRSU 14B PR.UD +24 362
#note He blocked PUDDL(E)RS, but given that my chances of winning were strong enough, I was not going to attempt that. It's a word, but I couldn't risk the tournament because I was relatively confident in its validity. I think I should have played UPS(O)LD 14A here. It leaves 3 in the bag, which is much better than 4, as 3-letter plays down O12 are bad for me. They leave one in the bag and come within striking distance in the endgame. This way Mark can't score that well and leave tiles in the bag, and I therefore have an advantage. This was a costly mistake I think, although there is definitely merit in keeping the S.
>Mark_Edelson: BEI O12 .IBE +21 356
#note Mark played this almost immediately. He most likely has another I and an E.
>Josh: DHILLSU 13G D.LLISH +41 403
#note At first, I saw DISH at 13J, then I saw SIDH for one more. I had time and I tried to see if I had outs with some of the tiles in the bag. It looked bad, as Mark would most likely be able to bank 50 points in the endgame if I can't go out. I missed LUSH in the same spot though, because I then noticed this play. I was very confident in its validity and it seemed like my best chance of winning. Other things seemed grim. LUSH 13J wins with every draw too. A few other plays seem to be 100% wins as well, and SIDH loses to only an I draw if Mark finds his winning endgame sequence of H2 WE and an unblockable NEATS/TWO/SEN to overlap. Mark challenged this, obvious decision unless he is 1000% sure
>Mark_Edelson: AEEINST - +0 356
>Josh: UW 10L WU. +12 415
>Josh: (AEEISTN) +14 429
|
