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#player1 Jason_Li Jason Li
#player2 Joshua_Sokol Joshua Sokol
>Jason_Li: AAFV 8G FAVA +20 20
>Joshua_Sokol: ACDEEIU G8 .EU +7 7
#note iWith really nothing that separated itself from the pack, I was choosing between two fake x-setup fishes: (F)EU and E(A)U J7. The main issue with EAU is that it's not going to get blocked all that often, and someone will be able to cash the X. It did create more opportunities for bingos, but actually FEU gives me better chances next turn in a vacuum. Jason will be able to play more defensively after FEU, so I think EAU worked more often. Otherwise, there was the middling play of 7E CUE (better than 9E CUE because of bingos starting from the C and in general a more open board). I just hated CUE, and thought this might spook him into believing I held the X.
>Jason_Li: GPRY J6 GR.PY +23 43
>Joshua_Sokol: ACDEILW 11B WAILED +28 35
#note Leaving the C seemed significantly better than the lone I, but was it 4 points better? CLAWED did actually seem around 5 points worse than WAILED in terms of leave. I also liked setting up a phony S-hook. I gave some thought to a fishier 11E WADI, which seems OK, but I think my play is fine.
>Jason_Li: BDEEI 12A BEEDI +37 80
#note damn, that wasn't a good result
>Joshua_Sokol: ?ACGJUV I3 JUGA +23 58
#note Originally saw 10A JAG, but not only does that leave the awfully inflexible CUV? combo, it also makes it easy for Jason to dink down two tiles and score with HA(J), TA(J), RA(J), or even something like ODS 13A for 30. I didn't like JAG at all. I looked for other options, finally spotting I3 JUGA. It sets up an A I don't have, but that's not really a concern, since an overlap on column J, a 5-letter word from the J in JUGA are more likely than him getting to hook JUGA with something that scores a lot/doesn't leave me counterplay on row 1. I failed to see H5 JUG(A) for 12, which, despite scoring less, retains a significantly better leave, and does set up the A. There are only 5 left, most likely Jason doesn't have one. Still, I think I like scoring a bit more with my play, but I can be convinced otherwise.
>Jason_Li: AX F9 AX. +53 133
#note turns out he did have an A, but his focus was elsewhere. The negative aspect of FEU is demonstrated.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?ACELRV 2H CAViLER +101 159
#note But it's OK, a killer pull gets me back in it. It's a game!
>Jason_Li: HIKNT E5 THINK +31 164
>Joshua_Sokol: EILOOPR D3 ORIOLE +26 185
#note I'm glad I took the time to find this play. Although, I don't know if I saw F2 POLIO. I think I must have. That seems slightly better perhaps, although keeping the P rather than the bingo tiles has a lot of merit in this close game. Every point counts. Normally I would stop right at 1M POO to keep the best leave and take out the easy scoring spot, but turnover was important here, and EILR was going nowhere.
>Jason_Li: EFM 1M FEM +31 195
>Joshua_Sokol: AEEGOPR 3L AREG +27 212
#note I think I totally missed 3M EGO, which seems like the play here. Still a lot of O's to duplicate, and the extra 3 points is not worth taking here. AEPR is significantly better than EOP. Silly mistake that I can't afford to make in such a close game.
>Jason_Li: CINT 4H C.NIT +26 221
#note I give him 6 extra points for no reason.
>Joshua_Sokol: ?EEOPTW C3 WOP +33 245
#note C3 PEW is one less and retains a better leave, but not with all those lingering O's. The only thing that makes PEW better than WOP positionally is that it forms W(IT) rather than P(IT), and makes plays like the one Jason makes next turn less likely.
>Jason_Li: ANSTU F2 TUNAS +23 244
#note WITA* isn't a word
>Joshua_Sokol: ?EEINOT 13E EbONITE +61 306
#note now that I know that he has another S and a bingo tile, should I play the bingo? I'm behind if I hit my bingo and then he hits his, but what if I miss next turn, or he has something from the G. Those two scenarios seem just about as likely, so I think I need to play this.
>Jason_Li: MOS 10A SOM +20 264
>Joshua_Sokol: DHIIILR A6 IRID. +18 324
#note I figured that I had to address the threat, despite him being not too likely to be able to hit the S next turn. Because if he is able to score to the S, he will be well within range to beat me with a bingo.
Intuitively I knew that he was far more likely to hit a bingo hooking EBONITES than he was to play to the S in SOM, but I can't block everything on this board, and so it seemed like my best bet was trying to outrun him with this. I go ahead 60, but if he hits a bingo he leaves one in the bag. I didn't like the fact that I couldn't play 5 tiles here so that a bingo of his would empty the bag. The other issue is that HIL doesn't really seem that good on this board. I guess I should have gone with my original plan of 14K HILI. That blocks EBONITES and doesn't give too much back.
>Jason_Li: NSY 14E SYN +32 296
>Joshua_Sokol: EHILNOQ 12I QI +24 348
#note see, now I'm definitely losing to a bingo unless he doesn't draw an out and I can score very well in the endgame... I hated making this play but I can't necessarily afford to eat my Q here. If he empties the bag with something like (G)RAZED, I'm behind and I need to get rid of my Q, which leaves me no flexibility in the endgame. Jason will probably be able to block my outplay if I have one and score enough to win. Championship player's choice of 14K HELO is awful, as it gives Jason an even better spot to fish for a bingo, to score well and empty the bag on me, just anything that he would attempt to do to win. I have to play this
>Jason_Li: BTU 5K TUB +18 314
>Joshua_Sokol: EHLNOOO A12 .OHO +27 375
#note Great, the bag is empty, he doesn't have a bingo, I'm far enough ahead. BOHO+ENOL or ENOL first doesn't make a difference, since his best play is (G)RAZED, right?
>Jason_Li: ADERSTZ 15G ERSATZ +78 392
#note well, that's what we both thought, until Jason spotted this! I had 3 minutes of shock to figure out that this indeed won him the game by 1 point. After recount, it stayed. Joe Edley had been venturing around us to see if I would block ERSATZ, and when the game ended, another player peered over at Jason's scoresheet and said "Owuwuwuwuwuwuw! Did Joshhh just losee by one point?"
Jason promptly told said player to go away. I was beyond shellshocked.
>Joshua_Sokol: ELNO N5 ENOL +12 387
>Joshua_Sokol: (D) +4 391
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