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#player1 Jason Jason
#player2 Betsey_Wood Betsey Wood
>Jason: AAEINOY 8H NAOI +8 8
#note Betsey (rated 1059), remarking on my contestant number of 10, said: "You must be pretty good. What's your rating, in the 1500s?" Mustering up all the false humility I could, I told her after the main event it was estimated at 1801. When I looked at this opening rack, I had a feeling it might be one of those games. Picked this because I thought she might -S hook it later. Overthought ... the simple AYE, YEA or passing are better. (-8.4)
>Betsey_Wood: DELZ I7 L.ZED +26 26
#note Wow, I didn't notice at the time that she had LEZ for 46. Boy, I dodged a bullet this game.
>Jason: AADEERY J10 DEARY +31 39
#note I can't remember where I read/heard this (Feinstein), but a line about how to act as the favorite has stuck in my head. The number one job as a heavy favorite is to eliminate hope. They're already partly doubting if they can beat you; confirm they can't. Early. For whatever reason, I can't grab a game by the throat and choke the life out of it. Last open before this, 800s Michael Bassett ... Sub-1100 Pat Hardwick ... And Q likes the fishy YEA at H10. (-0.5)
>Betsey_Wood: EEW K11 WEE +30 56
#note Betsey finished 5-5 (same as me), nearly hit 1100. KOTH round she played Koenig. "I lost by about 140," she said. "I thought I did good to stay within 140 of Koenig." I'm thinking: "Lady, my rating's still comparable to his and I only won by 19!"
>Jason: AAEIOOP -AAIOOP +0 39
#note Toto, I don't think we're in the main event any more... And look at how ugly this board is already! Didn't know PE(RE)IA at 13H, which would let me solder on. (Must. Review. Four-vowel. Sixes.) (-1.7)
>Betsey_Wood: DEIILOS L2 DOILIES +74 130
>Betsey_Wood: DEIILOS -- -74 56
#note The trap works. "I didn't think it was good, but I had to try," she said. With none playable, it's understandable.
>Jason: ?ELRTUU K5 ETU. +8 47
#note Knowing Betsey's rack, plays like TU(I) won't work. Handful of plays finish ahead of this: UTER(I), TRU(ED), LUR(ED) and exchanges involving both U's. (-14.4)
>Betsey_Wood: DEIILOS 7G OI. +6 62
#note Fine play.
>Jason: ?ILORUV 5D RIVULOs. +70 117
#note Accepted without a peep. Made me wonder if I could -S back hook it later without a peep, too ... although it sounds adjectival and she might have realized something was up. Should I start pushing the envelope after this play?
>Betsey_Wood: BDDEILS D4 B.IDLED +24 86
#note Again, a fine play; only 2.3 back of Speedy's pick of BI(R)DED.
>Jason: CCINRST 6B CR.T +14 131
#note C(Y)NICS or C(Y)STIC would've been sweet. (-7.9)
>Betsey_Wood: AIX 8A AXI. +33 119
>Jason: CFINRRS 9A RIF. +31 162
#note Shoulda put the other R on, too. Did I want to keep it as a hook, since only one other left? (-1.1)
>Betsey_Wood: S B8 ..S +12 131
>Jason: CINPRST 13I C..PT +24 186
#note Was happy to see this. Clearly best.
>Betsey_Wood: AJ 4B JA. +12 143
>Jason: GGINRSV J2 VIG. +15 201
#note GGV? Really? OK, OK, I'm overdue for draws like this... Took a long time here (this, (VIG)A, pass GV, pass GGV); happy Q concurs with my play.
>Betsey_Wood: ?ELNSST F7 TiNSELS +62 205
#note SoL(V)ENTS is the only 70-pointer.
>Jason: AGGNRSW 13B GNAW. +18 219
#note GNAWS at L1? I can't stomach losing a turn here, given the game situation. Whiffing on W(I)GAN at 3I to give me an -S hook. (-)
>Betsey_Wood: BEO 12D BO.E +25 230
>Jason: GKOQRSY - +0 219
#note Hmm ... why'd I pass here? It certainly because I challenged BOLE on the sole basis that it wasn't immediately recognizable and I couldn't believe a 1059 was playing something I couldn't immediately recognize. Why'd I pass? I'll figure it out eventually. (-37.6)
>Betsey_Wood: MN 11E M.N +28 258
#note Where IS that panic button? I'm about ready to hit it.
>Jason: GKOQRSY 3I Q. +21 240
#note For her part, Betsey said on the way to the computer, "Yeah, I don't think it's good." As we returned to the table, I hoped against hope that Winter (sitting next to me) missed this exchange. (Alas, as you'll later see.) GROKS/(RIVULOsE)S* is still there if I get desperate.
>Betsey_Wood: AAAA -AAAA +0 258
#note I can breathe again ... momentarily.
>Jason: EGKORSY L9 GOY +18 258
#note "Tie game?" Betsey asked after this play. My first thought was: "Not so loud! People will hear!" Again, GROKS*? But now I have a little momentum, I really don't want to risk ceding it. This or GOERS at 14A, which I prefer. Though this leads in valuation and is a dead heat in win %.
>Betsey_Wood: AEOT 14A TOEA +21 279
>Jason: EKMOORS 15D SMOKER +46 304
#note OK, NOW I can breathe, esp. since I draw decently after this. A little surprised Q likes ORES at 15A, though I can see it. (-4.5)
>Betsey_Wood: AN L6 AN +6 285
>Jason: AAFIORT 15A AT +16 320
#note Don't overthink! FO(Y), which I saw, is fine! This can't be blocked either! Don't risk getting stuck with biggies! Stop using exclamation points! (-13.2)
>Betsey_Wood: EEHINPU M2 UNHIP +25 310
#note Nice play by Betsey; I wasn't seeing an out in two. Said she wasn't sure, but of course she's correct. (V)ENUE is two better, though.
>Jason: AFHIORU N2 HAO +29 349
#note For a panicked second or so, I thought I might lose since FOH at M8 gives up (F)EE. Then I saw where that U was and relaxed. After the game was over, Winter turned to me and said "I could smack you! BOLE?! BOLE?!?!" ("I don't want to talk about it," I said.) "This guy finishes third in the main event and he challenges BOLE!" he exclaimed to opponent Denise Mahnken. "I never said I DESERVED third!" I exclaimed. Betsey seemed to enjoy the exchange.
>Betsey_Wood: EE L13 .EE +6 316
#note Some amateur mistakes at the end, but overall I thought Betsey played fairly solidly except for NAOIS*. After the game, we filled out the winner's slip. Our contestant scorecards had a spot for our opponent's signature. She asked if we needed to sign that; I said no, the winner's slip sufficed. "Unless," I said grinning, "you want my autograph." "Ooh!" she exclaimed and put her scorecard in front of me. "Seriously?" I asked. She nodded. "OK," I said, signing. "I don't want to see this on eBay tomorrow!" Again, stories like that make up for the ratings hemorrhage.
>Betsey_Wood: (FIRU) +14 330
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