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#player1 Michael_Fagen Michael Fagen
#player2 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
>Michael_Fagen: DEEEINS -E +0 0
#note I forgot to ask what he kept and what he had.
>Joshua_Sokol: EEIIRRV H2 RIVIERE +78 78
#note I tried to find an outside the box placement of this, but nothing made any sense.
>Michael_Fagen: DEEGINS 8A DESIGNE. +83 83
>Joshua_Sokol: AAEKTWW C3 TWEAK. +36 114
>Michael_Fagen: LNOOY D2 LOONY +35 118
>Joshua_Sokol: AAARTTW 6A AW.. +18 132
#note This was a weird spot. I wanted to get rid of the big lane in A1, as Michael is a bingo leave-oriented player. Nothing else was appetizing here. I could have played G5 TWA(E) for equity and to block a few lanes, but I'm positively behind after that play as well. I waffled many times between AWAY and TWAE. I didn't consider 2F WA(R)T. Is that play worth considering? My leave is definitely a weak bingo leave, so perhaps I should be opening up lanes? In any case, I went with my gut here, and as usual against this opponent, I wasn't paranoid enough.
>Michael_Fagen: ?AEENPR A8 .AmPENER +83 201
>Joshua_Sokol: AACFRTT A1 FRACT. +42 174
#note And as it happens, this is also a common occurence in our games. Michael bingos, pulls ahead while I have nothing, so I play a phony to stay within range. Too bad there was nowhere for ART(E)FACT or ART(I)FACT.
>Michael_Fagen: GOT E3 TOG +25 226
>Joshua_Sokol: ABEIIJT F6 JI. +26 200
#note Not the best of draws here, but with a bit of luck I might be able to hit something next turn.
>Michael_Fagen: ALQU 12A .QUAL +28 254
>Joshua_Sokol: AABEITZ 11D BAIZA +40 240
#note Between this and 2F ZA(R)IBA I have quite the interesting choice. Both plays use the same tiles, but ZARIBA scores 3 more points. I didn't see ZARIBA at all, as I was very much focused on the spot Michael just opened up. Given that BAIZA opens up two huge scoring spots, vs. ZA(R)IBA opening but one, slightly less dangerous spot. My biggest fear would be the X, but knowing the way Michael plays, he would have cashed his X last turn if he had it, and kept the QU in his arsenal for next turn. ZARIBA sets up an X too, just to a lesser extent than EQUAL. Given that factor I am more comfortable setting up X spots, although Michael still might have a better chance at drawing it than I would. What tips the scale for me in this postgame analysis is the possibility of winning the game without out-bingo-ing Michael that BAIZA seems to grant me more easily than ZARIBA does. But it also allows me to bingo more often than ZARIBA. I think it's extremely close, and the 3 points make a very significant difference. I am unsure what I would do in hindsight. BAIZE is interesting as it leaves me (Q)AT B12 next turn for 30, but the E is just so much better for bingos.
>Michael_Fagen: FMOU 2F FO.UM +24 278
#note Seems I might have chosen right, although perhaps this was his best play by far, and he would have had nothing if I had played ZARIBA. Still quite the interesting position.
>Joshua_Sokol: DENPRTT H10 P.NTED +30 270
#note Lots of plays score 30, this one has the best/most flexible leave. No need to fish at this score with 3G P(I)T.
>Michael_Fagen: DINS 9D DINS +26 304
>Joshua_Sokol: ?HILNRT 3G H.N +23 293
#note So I know he has another S, but there is still one to come. Come to think of it, I don't think that it's important as a factor. I missed 3G N(I)HIL, and that's definitely a mistake. I always miss that word... Also, it seems like H(I)T is a better play, which is bizarre, because ILNR? seems more unreliable than ILRT? here. I think Quackle is wrong about HIT>HIN.
>Michael_Fagen: CDRSUV 14D CURV.D +14 318
>Joshua_Sokol: ?GILRTT 13A .IT +21 314
#note Blocking my bingos! This is getting complicated...
Was angry about my draw here of a second T with a G. It seemed I was very likely to bingo this turn after my play of HIN, and in reality the number was at around 80%. I regretted not playing HIN, and then I remembered to keep my cool and to forget about hindsight. But now that Quackle tells me HIT was a tad better, I wonder...
>Michael_Fagen: EHMOSY 1J HOMEYS +58 376
#note Huge play for Michael.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?GILORT N1 .OGI +16 330
#note Didn't even look for bingos here, as pulling ahead by less than 15 in an endgame with 6 tiles to get rid of and all of those vowels in the pool is a horrible idea. Actually there are no bingos here. It doesn't look like I can get outscored after this play, and it looks very good for bingo prospects, so I don't understand why Quackle thinks I am only a 1/3 favourite here. I missed the better play of 4H (V)IGOR though, which is clearly a large mistake...
I only played this quickly because the three consonants left in the pool besides the already valuable S could not capitalize on my opening. Unfortunately, I am setting up AX, which leaves one in the bag and scores enough to outrun me. This is why YOGI is fallible, despite its merits. Other than AX I don't see many ways to lose, though.
>Michael_Fagen: EI O1 .EI +8 384
#note Here Michael makes a huge mistake, though, and leaves one in the bag. He cannot outrun a bingo here, so he must block as much as he can and empty the bag, in the hopes that I miss. Michael is a formidable opponent, but in terms of pre-endgame and other meticulous strategies, he has a lot to learn.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?BELRTX B8 .X +18 348
#note With perfect play by Michael, I lose if I draw the L and the E after this play. Championship player suggests throwing away the B instead, which I considered. I was unsure if DEXTRAL took an S, sure enough that if it was my best shot I would go for it, but not sure enough to give up sure wins. This hits more stuff than fishing the B anyway, but if I don't hit, keeping the X is much better.
>Michael_Fagen: AAELOSU I9 LOSE +28 412
#note Oh, I spoke too soon!!! Quackle was right, I stand corrected. Michael had an out bingo here! Wow... I saw nothing in the tile pool. I kibitzed, after he was taking forever (rightly so) that he was just looking for a way to lose. I am clever.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?BELORT M4 BROThEL +64 412
>Joshua_Sokol: (AAU) +6 418
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