| Player 1 |
|
#player1 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
#player2 Norma_Lovett Norma Lovett
>Joshua_Sokol: ?AGRRUW H7 WAUR +14 14
>Norma_Lovett: ?BBDKNU I2 BUNKBeD +73 73
>Norma_Lovett: ?BBDKNU -- -73 0
#note I warned her before she played that I was going to challenge BUNKBED*. She didn't listen...
>Joshua_Sokol: ?EEGIRR 8C fERRI.GE +59 73
#note Couldn't see GERMIER for some reason. To be fair I was playing two games at once, but still, GERMIER should be instantaneous! She almost challenged this at least, and was not going to hook it.
>Norma_Lovett: ?BBDKNU D4 BUNK.D +26 26
>Joshua_Sokol: ELMNSTV 5C V.M +16 89
#note Probably L(U)V to be safer. LENTS may run into trouble, and it did
>Norma_Lovett: ?BEW F7 B.EW +17 43
>Joshua_Sokol: ELLNNST J7 L.NT +6 95
>Norma_Lovett: ?PY J6 P....Y +17 60
#note nice play!
>Joshua_Sokol: AADELNS E7 A.EAL +28 123
#note A few interesting options here. C3 NA(V) to keep well and open nothing, fishing plays, which are probably fine since Norma was complaining about no vowels, just A(PLENTY), which is cute but relatively useless given the situation I'm in, and my play. I liked scoring, setting up a potential hook only I can use, since AREALS*, and blocking the most dangerous lane for me, 11A, since that gives back virtually nothing in terms of comeback bingos if she hits it.
>Norma_Lovett: ?INY 7J .INY +11 71
>Joshua_Sokol: DELNSTT K5 LE.S +21 144
#note being super defensive here, which makes sense since she has stopped complaining about her draws, and has the blank.
>Norma_Lovett: EO K10 OE +16 87
>Joshua_Sokol: DENORTT L9 DOT +13 157
#note not sure about this one. I think it makes sense, but she can overlap it sometimes. Still, I think it prevents her from bingo-ing as much as I can. The B lane is still a large issue though. Not sure if I'll be able to block it, which again, is an argument for L(U)V instead of V(U)M
>Norma_Lovett: AIR 8M AIR +14 101
>Joshua_Sokol: ADILNTX O8 .ADIX +21 178
>Norma_Lovett: AA N12 AA +11 112
#note this is getting out of hand!
>Joshua_Sokol: GILNOQT L4 QI +24 202
#note I was close to being able to block her here, but nothing quite worked. Had to give up. Perhaps B2 TIGON is a healthy alternative to this. Hmm. Think the Q is problematic to keep though, especially if I anticipate a bingo coming forward.
>Norma_Lovett: ?CEOORR B1 CORROdE +75 187
#note Only bingo. I would be in trouble if...
>Joshua_Sokol: GILNOOT A7 TOOLING +79 281
#note I hadn't gotten this insanely lucky draw!
>Norma_Lovett: DFI M3 FID +29 216
>Joshua_Sokol: EEFMSSV 14J FEMES +42 323
#note After this play, I can lose to two bingos or a 3x3, but whatever she can pull off, it's now or never!
>Norma_Lovett: ACNOSTU 1A A.COUNTS +167 383
#note WHAT!?!!!
She didn't see ACCOUNTS instantly, which gave me a great amount of ease. I told her and Ella, whom I was also winning against, that they couldn't expect to beat me after losing a turn... Bit my tongue!
>Joshua_Sokol: AIINOSV 13I VINO +22 345
#note When I saw this, I played it, which was a huge mistake! I thought it must have been the best I could do, but I missed the far superior VIA in the same spot. After VIA the lane I create can only be partially blocked by a play down D11, of which there aren't many... In the shower this morning, before looking at this game, I realized that I had missed VIA. Heartbreaking!
>Norma_Lovett: EEEHJPU K13 ..E +3 386
#note Norma started to panic here, and made this blocking play, which I would expect almost anyone to make.
After the game, I took it upon myself to analyze her position here. I told her that her play made sense, but that it wasn't infallible. I explained that it's important in these positions to look at things as methodically as possible, and demonstrated:
Out of the 8 tiles in the pool, Norma must worry most about AGHISTZ, as that is the only combination that gives me GHAZIS for 63 at 15E. So if she sees that she can only block with (NE)E, she must see if that play wins in the endgame. It does not. Seeing NEE as a candidate play is not a problem, but rather not seeing anything else.
Norma has a clear mathematical equation here to look at, because she has to fear GHAZIS + T: She is ahead 38, GHAZIS scores 63, and T(AX) scores 10. My endgame total of 73 minus her lead is 35 points. She therefore has to either go out in two, or score more than 36 points including the points she gives me from her remaining tiles.
She cannot go out in two unless the S in in the bag. If the S is in the bag she could make just about any play and still win. So forget about that.
Therefore, she needs to find some sequence that banks enough points. N1 JEE and A1 (A)JEE pop up as possibilities, and in fact both of those plays are winners, since she can score decently enough with HEUP to outrun me. In my demonstration, I looked for a setup play, as those are quite useful in this type of endgame, where your opponent has also just made a setup.
N1 PEE doesn't work, since although it sets up JU(P)E it gives me ZI(P)S or ZA(P)S for 75. But 2H HUE, despite looking weird at first, sets up JEEP for 30 next turn at a bare minimum, which is more than enough to win. I can however block JEEP with my T and keep GHAZIS to go out, but in that case she can counterblock with her T or E with (NE)T or (NE)E. HUE is foolproof. Other plays are winners too, but I wanted to make the situation as clear to Norma as possible.
>Joshua_Sokol: AGHISTZ M10 TIZ +42 387
>Norma_Lovett: EEHJPTU A1 .JEE +26 412
>Joshua_Sokol: AGHS 2H HAGS +17 404
#note 14A SHAG does better, but I was only 99.9% sure of TOOLINGS and would only play it if I really needed to.
>Joshua_Sokol: (HPTU) +18 422
#note Conclusion: Don't lose turns against an expert!
|
