| Player 1 |
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#player1 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
#player2 Steve_Grob Steve Grob
>Joshua_Sokol: AEGIINR -I +0 0
>Steve_Grob: ?EGLOOT 8C bOOTLEG +66 66
>Joshua_Sokol: AEGINRS 9E SEARING +73 73
#note Steve chose the more defensive positioning of BOOTLEG due to my exchange. THEOLOG also played, I liked his placement.
>Steve_Grob: IIPRTUZ K9 .RIZ +28 94
#note Steve graciously provided his racks. This seems a tad risky for me. I might go with 10I TUI instead.
>Joshua_Sokol: AEFGNPW L11 FAWN +47 120
#note Should have possibly just gone with FAG to be more defensive here, but I figured he was pretty unbalanced to have to settle for (G)RIZ, so setting my P up nicely was quite the bonus.
>Steve_Grob: IOOPRTU M12 POUT +38 132
#note Good thing Steve drew those O's, but his chances are still not looking amazing. He's a slight underdog at this point.
>Joshua_Sokol: EEGJPTX 10D TEG +19 139
#note Happy to search and come up with this. It looks weird, but it's better to keep the P. I am pretty likely to draw a D, R or S for EXP(OSE)? plays next turn. This move allows me to average more than any other available play, 7 points more than JETE at 10B, the middling play. It really just seems like a race between this and JETE, which also sometimes hits EXP(OSE)? words, but leaves me in far worse shape if I don't get lucky. GPX. Ugh. Stray away from leaves like that when you can, and you might come up with a play like this! PEG in the same spot is not even worth considering when compared with TEG!
>Steve_Grob: DIIOORY D10 .IDY +16 148
#note Ugly options here for Steve, as he's falling more and more behind with his draws. He probably has to play (T)OROID instead of this, open the board up and dig for an S. Otherwise he can keep things a tad more closed with (T)OY. But this play ended up working out much in his favor for a reason no computer could predict.
>Joshua_Sokol: EEIJPRX 13C P.REX +50 189
#note he blocked a monster EXP(OSE)R. I got what I was going for but he put the wrong vowel at D11! If I had drawn an S or D instead I would have hit the double-double. So instead of 64 I have to settle for a slightly more volatile 50.
>Steve_Grob: AIOORSV 15H AORIS. +33 181
#note things are beginning to clear up for Steve, but I've taken a strong lead. He is still trying to keep the board less friendly for me, hence why he chose this over more aggressive plays, but once again I think he needs to try and get into the driver's seat with 12G OVA. That hook on FAWN isn't like to go anywhere if Steve misses a bingo, and is not something to be considered if he hits a bingo, which he has a decent 1/4 shot at.
>Joshua_Sokol: DEEEIJN 14F DIN +26 215
#note this looked absolutely bizarre, but it seemed like my best play here. Save my J, which goes well with the E's, and possible JEE 14A next turn if need be. This board isn't going anywhere and saving a big scoring tile to respond to openings is a good idea here. 12D (D)ENE is more balanced but not seemingly worth the 8-point sacrifice. D4 EJID(O) is much less dangerous than 14A JEE is, but still not what I'm trying to do here. It's a close game, I don't want to give back easy stuff. Worrying about (ZAP)S is obviously my primary concern, but maybe he'll use his S up with a 6 at A15 some of the time, which isn't so bad.
>Steve_Grob: ABNORTV D4 BRAV. +20 201
#note E6 AV(OSE)T looks a bit better than this, it scores a bit more, sets up the board to be more open in a few turns.
>Joshua_Sokol: EEEHIJL E3 JEE +28 243
>Steve_Grob: IIMNOTT F2 MOT +25 226
#note was hoping that he didn't have something making A(JEE) this turn, which increases the chances that the hook will be dealt with later on with this sort of play, and that I wouldn't have to worry.
>Joshua_Sokol: CEEHILU 15H ......IC +30 273
#note looking back I may have done G3 EH. I didn't like it because it gave back easy plays sometimes, but that's not a big consideration at all. I think I was too eager to use the extension, but I can wait until next turn. This was a significant mistake to put the pressure on at my own demise.
>Steve_Grob: AADIINT C4 AID +16 242
#note G1 DITA is 11 more, but allows me to continue to increase my lead. Though it forks the board in Steve's favor. Hm. Tough call between that and this.
>Joshua_Sokol: EEFHLUW G1 FEW +34 307
#note I don't remember if I considered EEW in the same spot, but I believe I did. It is better than FEW or HEW (both of which are just about entirely equal, amazingly). I overvalue the danger of putting an E out there like that. It's not a good bingo-starting tile at all.
>Steve_Grob: ABILNOT 3A BAL +20 262
#note I think Steve psyched himself out here a bit. He clearly needs to play from the F here. I would have been pretty worried if he had played (F)OB
>Joshua_Sokol: AEEHLNU H1 EH +38 345
#note And then I go ahead and block the wrong spot as well. I should play UN(B)ALE, NE(B)ULA or NE(B)ULAE here surely. We were both messed up at this point!
>Steve_Grob: EEILNOT A1 LO.E +21 283
>Joshua_Sokol: AEELNNU O12 ALE. +7 352
#note time to shut down that lane that's been annoying me for many turns... Can I keep the board shut now?
>Steve_Grob: EINQTVY 14B QI +26 309
>Joshua_Sokol: EKNNSTU 15C NUN +9 361
#note now my biggest concern is if Steve has the last I.
>Steve_Grob: EMNTUVY H7 V..Y +10 319
#note good play, setting up his E! Still looking quite bleak
>Joshua_Sokol: CEIKOST 14L ..K. +28 389
#note From my perspective I thought I had the last E, but I didn't check, because I can still just outrun anything with this, it would seem.
>Steve_Grob: ?EMNSTU 1G ..NESTrUM +92 411
#note And then he plays this, and I'm shellshocked.
>Joshua_Sokol: CEIOOST B5 TO +14 403
#note I played EH over AH because I knew that Steve had it in him to hit a 9. FE seemed much less likely. But I was unable to recall that FENESTRUM* was not a word. FENESTRAE being good didn't mean anything, you really have to KNOW. This was such a brilliant phony that even the one who played it also thought it was good! Steve was low on time, and I worked out that I could win here if a) he mistracked, b) he made a blocking play that allowed me to still go out in two next turn and outrun him or if c) he goes over looking for a way to win for sure. I didn't like my chances after him making a blocking play, but it seemed more likely than FENESTRUM* being invalid. Wow. Quite the precursor to our next game, in which one again both of us blow the endgame. I think there was a score correction as well that put me further ahead than Steve thought, but it was too late to change his last play.
>Steve_Grob: AADHRU 2N HA +24 435
#note I just gave him a spot for H(ODA)D for 22! His best win. Otherwise, as I saw AD and AR might win, if he sees (S)URAH or (S)ADHU to go out...
>Joshua_Sokol: CEIOS A6 COSIE +28 431
>Joshua_Sokol: (ADRU) +10 441
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