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#player1 Jim_Burlant Jim Burlant
#player2 Dean_Saldanha Dean Saldanha
>Jim_Burlant: CGIINOT 8D COIGN +22 22
#note A rarity this tournament - I almost get an opening rack right. This is a strong choice, but CONGII is marginally better because it doesn't open an E back hook. But this is a minor nit.
>Dean_Saldanha: CENZ E7 C.ZEN +32 32
>Jim_Burlant: GILMOST F10 MOG +24 46
#note Took a while on this turn because I couldn't remember if MOLTING took the back S?, so I passed. This was one of a handful of good decisions I made this day since MOLTINGS* is phony. MOG is best. Too early to pull the plug on the S with GLOMS 12A.
>Dean_Saldanha: EFILNOT -5 +0 32
>Jim_Burlant: HILNRST -LNH +0 46
#note None of my options particularly appealed to me - HILT, HIN G11 looked like recipes for giving back a zillion, so I passed on thiem. I also thought it was too early to pull the plug on the S with HILTS 13B, so that was a no-go. Given that he had just exchanged 5 and was probably sitting on a random rack, I thought I would be better off throwing 3 back in and drawing to IRST. While I believe I'm correct in avoiding the G11 plays, it's not at all necessary to exchange. I should play NINTH H8. All that said, If I'm going to make a mistake, this is the time to do it, while it's still early.
>Dean_Saldanha: IILNU H7 I.ULIN +7 39
>Jim_Burlant: IJLRSTT 13B JILTS +31 77
#note Now it's time to pull the plug on the S and score. If he doesn't have an S, any bingo he plays down the I column will probably score 62, or he's going to have to open all sorts of nice lines for me if he plays an 8 in the southeast. This is clearly best.
>Dean_Saldanha: AW B13 .AW +26 65
>Jim_Burlant: BHHORTT A14 HO +35 112
#note Horrendous leave, but 35 points is still 35 points. I'll deal with the garbage on the next turn. This is best.
>Dean_Saldanha: AFY D12 F.AY +28 93
>Jim_Burlant: BHIORTT 15D .IRTH +33 145
#note Best play, and it's now 68% to win. Next best play is HOT I9, which scores 10 fewer points and wins almost 4% less often.
>Dean_Saldanha: AB G6 BA. +10 103
>Jim_Burlant: BEEIOTX 10H .EX +26 171
#note I disagree with Quackle. The duck wants me to play I4 BOITE for 21, leaving EX. LEX puts me up by 68 points, and if he doesn't have an S his only lines are row 14 (which will give me 15O counterplay), row 12 (not the best row) and the I column (which will yield air balls). I'd make this play again.
>Dean_Saldanha: ALMT I9 M.TAL +22 125
>Jim_Burlant: ABEEIOT F2 BIOTA +21 192
#note Now I feel like I don't have a choice. I didn't like OBE because I saw him extending to O15 from the E while AEIT leave was too vowel heavy. In excellent shape, 74% to win.
>Dean_Saldanha: PRU 3C PUR. +12 137
>Jim_Burlant: EEERSTY E3 .YE +21 213
#note Best - 92% to win. Next best play is YET 5D.
>Dean_Saldanha: AVW J12 VAW +25 162
>Jim_Burlant: EEIRSTT I1 TESTIER +63 276
#note I almost considered passing this up due to board position. But I don't have any real choice here - the rest of my options are a bunch of fishing plays for chump change. I still score 63 points and Dean clearly is not getting anywhere with the garbage he's drawing.
>Dean_Saldanha: AQ 1G QA. +36 198
>Jim_Burlant: ?EEKNOO H3 OE +8 284
#note I took a while looking for an 8, and Zyzzyva confirms this set of tiles does not make an 8 with any letter in the alphabet. I figured there were worse things that I could do than shut down the northeast (unless he's got an S or the case L) while I balanced the rack and forced him to open up - if he could. No matter what I chose - my first 10 options (of which this is one) win 98%.
>Dean_Saldanha: IPSV 15J SPIV +20 218
>Jim_Burlant: ?DEKNOO 14J .OK +20 304
#note Best. 99% to win.
>Dean_Saldanha: DE M13 DE. +25 243
>Jim_Burlant: ?ADENNR 14J ....N +24 328
#note Sad, but true: I never saw NARDiNE, which plays for 64 at N7. Having said that, even if I had seen it, I'd have passed it up in favor of this play. The board position with NARDiNE is so poor that it isn't worth it for only 64 points. This play still adds to my lead, keeps a dynamite combo, and he still has nowhere to go without an S or the case L. Quackle agrees- a sim has NARDiNE way down the list, and the bingo doesn't even show up on Championship Player's radar. I'd make this play again.
>Dean_Saldanha: EF J2 FE +29 272
>Jim_Burlant: ?ADEENR 7G ...N +4 332
#note Simply blocking 7's. I'm expecting him to play to 8O, and hoping that I should be able to bingo back through whatever he opens up. Quackle's suggestions are L12 plays like RAKI or 12H NAVAR. Those admittedly do look better than what I did, though this worked for me.
>Dean_Saldanha: OU C2 U.O +5 277
>Jim_Burlant: ?ADEENR B4 DERANgE +64 396
#note Now it's time to finally bingo. yEARNED or lEARNED are slightly better, and his next play makes clear why:
>Dean_Saldanha: EGILORU A1 LIGURE +33 310
>Jim_Burlant: ?ADDERS 5H S.DEyARD +71 467
>Jim_Burlant: ?ADDERS -- -71 396
#note Doh! Right after he swatted this off, I realized my mistake: the legit word was SIDEWARD. <> While it didn't cost me the win, there's still nothing like wasting an opportunity to add 80 points or thereabouts of spread.
>Dean_Saldanha: O 12C O. +7 317
>Dean_Saldanha: (ADDERS?) +16 333
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