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#player1 Ross_Brown Ross Brown
#player2 Mark_Pistolese Mark Pistolese
>Ross_Brown: CLNNOTT H8 CLON +12 12
#note I had bagged Mark in our earlier game, and this last game in the tournament came after I had been outdrawn in the first half of 11 straight games, so I was expecting some fireworks from him.
#note Starting low to use the C in defense.
>Mark_Pistolese: ?ELRSTW 12D WeLTERS +78 78
>Ross_Brown: AHNNTTT 13J HANT +19 31
#note No good reason not to play 11B THAN/THAT here, which would have blocked Mark’s next play. I think I was frustrated to see yet another slow start and didn’t take the time to find the best choice.
>Mark_Pistolese: DEGNORV E6 GOVERN.D +74 152
>Ross_Brown: AAINTTW 14J AWAIT +37 68
#note Best.
>Mark_Pistolese: AEENT 15H EATEN +35 187
#note Mark took a lot of time here for what seems a relatively obvious play. I had hoped he would leave this row (maybe bingo again?!) and let me play something here.
>Ross_Brown: ADINSTV D3 DIVAN +23 91
#note Not sure why I didn’t play O12 VAST +42 here.
>Mark_Pistolese: AEE D11 A.EE +12 199
>Ross_Brown: BLPSTXZ C11 PST +33 124
#note I keep ST and draw this! Well, at least this was a decent find.
>Mark_Pistolese: EIRS O12 RISE +24 223
#note *sigh*
>Ross_Brown: BLMORXZ C2 BOX +39 163
#note I can’t exchange and hope to come back, so I resolve to plug away with the big tiles as I can.
>Mark_Pistolese: EFINORU 9G F.UORINE +67 290
>Ross_Brown: ?EJLMRZ 8L MERL +38 201
#note This is me being clever and setting up my Z for the new Z(EN) hook! Distracted by another shiny object.
>Mark_Pistolese: FOU C6 FOU +18 308
>Ross_Brown: ?AAJOUZ 7M ZA +46 247
#note You know, there *is* a better spot for that Z…
>Mark_Pistolese: EY 6N YE +28 336
>Ross_Brown: ?AEJOQU 8A JE. +30 277
#note Again, tunnel vision, planning a gentle rollout of my big tiles. I didn’t notice the ...QU(E) potential until after I made this play. :(
>Mark_Pistolese: HM 10H .HM +29 365
>Ross_Brown: ?AGGOQU B1 GAG +23 300
#note Oh yeah, ???QU(E) would be nice! But not with these G’s.
>Mark_Pistolese: CDIKU O1 DUCKI. +54 419
#note I am all ready to pull the trigger on PuLQU(E) for 78, and Mark plays this. I have to challenge, I think, or I may be sunk. Even if I’d come back with 2J QUIpP(U) +72, I’d be a mile back and with no blank; I need to have these 54 points back, too.
>Ross_Brown: ?ILOPQU - +0 300
#note [lost challenge]
>Mark_Pistolese: A 1A A. +9 428
#note Interesting! Not trying to block nor to run away with the score. However, this does hint that he has the case S and is fishing for a bingo. In fact, he is after one of the three unseen O’s. Out of 13 tiles unseen, adjusting for the likelihood that I’m not holding more than one of them (else I would have dumped one), he has about a 25% chance of getting one.
#note Scored as 6 rather than 9, though it doesn’t matter in the end.
>Ross_Brown: ?ILOPQU 3M PI. +14 314
#note Quackle prefers 14F LOP +11 with a couple of O’s unseen.
#note This seemed best for a few reasons:
#note There is a chance of drawing the S and one of the unseen I’s for (J)OnQUILS +122 on a line that he is unlikely to block, thus, possibly my only shot at a surprise out-play.
#note It makes another line for a possible bingo on Row 4.
#note It leaves open the top row for a massive ????QUe(D) bingo.
>Mark_Pistolese: DEIORSY A8 .OYRIDES +110 538
#note Mark hits on his fish and scores big to put the game out of reach. He later confides that, had he not got an O, he would have gone for points with a play such as F2 YIRDS +29, putting him up by 140 (143 after recount) and emptying the bag. Which would have been fatal…
>Ross_Brown: ?BILOQU 4G OBLIQUe +93 407
#note OBLIQUe(D) plays here for 137 plus deadwood bonus. With the game not on the line, I go for the certain out-bingo, but (referring back to his previous play) if he’s up by only 143 and holding EIOOT, I would certainly try this for the win by four points, 461–457 (after recount).
>Ross_Brown: (IOT) +6 413
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