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#player1 Deen_Hergott Deen Hergott
#player2 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
>Deen_Hergott: FIZ 8G FIZ +30 30
#note This was it. The most important game so far. If I win this one, I will have equalized my win-loss record against Deceptive Deen Hergott. If I lose, I will forever be a STEE in a 1900-player's skin.
>Joshua_Sokol: DDEGHNO 7F DOH +19 19
#note One of the rare times you will see my keep the G on my rack. That's how bad my options were, that keeping the G is correct here.
>Deen_Hergott: KOOT 6C KOTO +15 45
>Joshua_Sokol: DEEGNWY 5D GEY +28 47
#note I felt like this was an error after I played it. I'm staircasing the board, making two clear scoring spots, one of which is much easier to hit than the other, which is the same one that I'm trying to hit next turn. I'm unlikely to draw an A and be able to utilize the Z as a scoring spot, so why am I giving him easy overlapping points? C3 GEE(K)Y is an options I failed to consider, but that sort of sucks because it keeps three consonants. Still, it scores the most out of anything and doesn't give amazing counterplay, yet a reasonable amount of it. Quackle says go for this, but I'm more and more inclined to disagree.
>Deen_Hergott: AIV 4B VIA +20 65
#note Guess it could have been far worse.
>Joshua_Sokol: DEEEENW -EEEW +0 47
#note but he blocked really my only sane option of 4B EEEW. Anything now is just giving easy counterplay while keeping not so good letters. Still, Quackle classes this as a decent-sized mistake and suggests I play offense with B2 NE(V)E, creating definite spots for me to score in next turn. Deen's rack could be awful here, but it could also be quite good, so I would shy away from making a board-opening play here. I8 (Z)EE even seems reckless here. What do you think?
>Deen_Hergott: II -II +0 65
>Joshua_Sokol: ADENOPS 9H DAPSONE +81 128
#note Even with a good bingo rack inference, I still opted to take the points and give him a very good lane to work with. He really has an S or a blank like 90% of the time, but I think I still need to take the points, they'll make up for the danger ever so slightly I think. With AEINS inferred Quackle says this is 2 points better than 3D DAPSONE still.
>Deen_Hergott: ?ACEINN O3 CANINEs +87 152
#note Deen doesn't need to create another huge hotspot with the Q and X out. He can just play NANCIEs here. But I think it's wise to do this, as he doesn't want to leave me one spot to pounce on and none for him. Not sure, could go either way. I think I would rely on my opponent's body language for this one.
>Joshua_Sokol: ADHJOSU N4 DUH +33 161
#note I was just going to take the points with 8L JAD(E), but the more I looked at it the more I started disliking it. I'm still leaving both X and Q spots untouched, I'm leaving HOSU which really isn't great. That could turn sour fast if Deen takes N6, and even if he doesn't. I opted for a more substandard approach here with this play. I'm setting up at the worst SOJA for 42 at M3 or JO for 36 at L8, and I'm blocking his chance at a huge Q play at least. Quackle thinks JAD(E) is a point better but this definitely worked in my favor.
>Deen_Hergott: EEIQSU 10E EQUES +54 206
#note I blocked QI for 62, and forced him to unload his S, for a not-too-shabby 54, but if he gets QI, I start sweating. He might have to exchange next turn but a bingo is on the horizon for him in a few turns. This way the board is now decently under control and I can do my best to outplay Deen from hereon out.
>Joshua_Sokol: AEIJORS M2 RIOJA +44 205
#note JO or AJI on row 8 kept better leaves, but this board was not bingo-friendly, so I opted to score more and set up possible points at L1. If he has the X, I'm in bad shape regardless. RIOJA, AJI are very close according to the engine.
>Deen_Hergott: GIMR 11D GRIM +33 239
>Joshua_Sokol: EERRSTT N8 R.SETTER +72 277
#note I was honestly really afraid of making this play. It's a do-or-die moment and I'm not sure of the word, but I guess it's pretty hard for Deen to challenge because if he's wrong, he's really done for. It's good, and Deen doesn't even hold.
>Deen_Hergott: COT 15L TO.C +21 260
#note Deen had a bingo here IIRC, and was totally at a loss on what to do here.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?AILNOY 12H NOdALI.Y +80 357
#note The break I needed! But wait, I have the Y, so of course I'm going to miss the best bingo. LANOSITY, top 3000 8 that I know very well, scores 90 at K5. The high-prob misses continue! Accounting for board position this is probably a 15-point mistake. Good thing I draw so well and I'm in great shape regardless.
>Deen_Hergott: GIPR 12B PRIG +24 284
#note great play, setting up a phantom S-hook he may or may not have that's tough to block.
>Joshua_Sokol: EELNRUU B10 UN.URE +20 377
#note With this being my best equity play by far and it blocking S(PRIG) very well, I decided I needed to bite the bullet here. It may sting, but you have to take risks in this game.
>Deen_Hergott: DLW 15A W.LD +30 314
>Joshua_Sokol: AAAEELT 13K LAT.E +23 400
#note I bet Quackle is going to love A(R)EA or A(R)EAL here, but I think that despite being slightly suboptimal, keeping the scoring pressure on here is correct. Psychologically this does much more damage than a puny 15-point play.
>Deen_Hergott: OW 8L WO.. +22 336
>Joshua_Sokol: AABEFIL 7A BAA +13 413
#note ok, the moment of truth. The thing I'm most worried about is a huge bingo that doesn't give me anywhere to score, and that bingo is TAXEMES at 6A. I don't think I can outrun that. But I missed (WELD)ABLE for 42! If I play FA J14 for 16, then WELDABLE next turn, can I outrun TAXEMES? Let's see, 58 brings me to 458 for both moves, and then TAXEMES brings Deen to 458. Nope! He wins unless he draws the V and gets stuck! So my instinct was right to block TAXEMES. Now, how to do so and still outrun everything? I thought this made the most sense despite it being awful for spread, X plays scoring possible more than 60 points to almost tie the game up. But he could have IBEX for 86! Ouch! That beats me if he draws into a big outplay like L1 MATS. So this play was definitely wrong. I thought it was cute, but ABA is better. That was my first instinct, but I somehow played this instead, which doesn't even set up LIEF!!! I think I just had a mental lapse after all the calculations I was doing to ensure playing here made the most sense. But wow, I should have blown this one.
>Deen_Hergott: X I12 .X +17 353
#note Deen was virtually out of time here, but luckily he didn't have IBEX.
>Joshua_Sokol: ABEFIIL 8A ALEF +54 467
#note This was awful and I sort of knew, despite it scoring the most. I can't even go out in two after this! I ran Deen over by accident because of this weird fact.
>Deen_Hergott: EEMNSTV 2J VEE.S +32 385
#note (WELD)MENTS is cool, but his best play is F10 (QI)S to prepare a cool out in two of VE(X) followed by (WELD)MENT.
>Joshua_Sokol: BII K11 B.. +10 477
#note lol, can't even play BI off. This is -2 to 11M B(E) which blocks N(E)T
>Deen_Hergott: MNT L1 M.T +10 395
#note Deen went over time either here or for the next play.
>Joshua_Sokol: II N1 I. +2 479
#note -1 D14 I(D)... I was also out of time.
>Deen_Hergott: N 1N .N +6 401
>Deen_Hergott: (I) +2 403
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