| Player 1 |
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#player1 David_Koenig David Koenig
#player2 Femi_Awowade Femi Awowade
>David_Koenig: AGIIKTZ 8G KAZI +34 34
>Femi_Awowade: CIY 9E ICY +25 25
>David_Koenig: EGINSST K4 INGESTS +84 118
#note Hmm... I saw the double-double STINGIES, but I miscounted the score as 82, as I can see from my notes on the scoresheet, which is why I chose this instead. There's no great advantage to either placement here. Just take the points. (After scoring the plays properly, of course.)
>Femi_Awowade: ACEGRW E5 GAWC.ER +52 77
#note Very nice play by Femi.
>David_Koenig: AEEMOPX F5 OX +53 171
#note Close between this and POX, but in the end I decided to keep the more balanced leave and the potent MP combination. Also, the fact that both MAX and PAX play at 6D gives me versatility for column D plays on the next turn. It is interesting that Quackle disagrees with my judgement here, favoring POX by more than the three point difference in score. Perhaps this is because the greater chance of bingoing by shedding a high point tile here offsets the rack imbalance.
>Femi_Awowade: OPRU D9 ROUP +25 102
>David_Koenig: AEEEMPR D2 AMEER +28 199
#note My play is not bad, but I just missed 4F PREEMIE which is a significant improvement.
>Femi_Awowade: FIR L2 RIF +22 124
>David_Koenig: EHIIMPW 2F WHIMPE. +31 230
#note I love making plays like this, and I am frankly hesitant about explaining it, because I think this is where I get an edge on many of my competitors. This is not a play for raw equity that a sim would like, but instead a play based heavily on the score and an inference from his last play. It is likely that Femi just played off his only scoring tile of the F on RIF and left a strong balanced bingo prone leave, including at least an R. For that reason, I am happy to make a play that blocks as many bingo lines as possible and that creates the H1 opening. It is often a good idea to create big scoring spots for the high point tiles when you think your opponent doesn't have them and wants to lay down bingos elsewhere. His chances of bingoing are significantly reduced. Bingos he hits are likely to score less than before. And even if he does get one, it is likely that I will get a big scoring play at H1 in response and keep pressing the lead. I also turn over six tiles to try to win the race to the blanks and expedite the end of the game, thereby making comebacks harder. In comparison, C1 PHEW scores more, but helpfully for him it creates a new bingo lane on the B column and keeps a double I leave, which might slow me down on the next turn. Even though a computer might prefer that play, I think his comeback chances are better after it.
>Femi_Awowade: GLL H1 G.LL +18 142
>David_Koenig: ?AABDII 13B BAsIDIA +76 306
>David_Koenig: AAEEINN (challenge) +5 311
#note I won the race to that blank.
>Femi_Awowade: ?EIORTV 12H TORsIVE +73 215
>Femi_Awowade: AUY (challenge) +5 220
>David_Koenig: AAEEINN M9 NAE.I +18 329
#note I didn't think of ANTAE which scores three more points and keeps the I instead of the A, which is helpful considering that it is the last I, there are two more A's unseen, and the Q is still out. All of that said, my play is a better blocker as it both blocks up the row 14 bingo lane and doesn't give him the 8M-O lever to create another opening. They're both good plays, but in retrospect, I'd probably still stick with NAEVI. Note that the column N bingo line he gets after NAEVI is exactly the kind I want him to have if he must have one. It doesn't hit a double word and gives back good scoring plays on the triple line to me.
>Femi_Awowade: AUY C1 AYU +25 245
#note A good play by Femi opening another lane that is nontrivial to block.
>David_Koenig: ADEENNO 2F .......ED +40 369
#note Not only my highest scoring play, but also helpfully cuts down a bingo lane.
>Femi_Awowade: OS 7E .OS +28 273
>David_Koenig: AELNNOT 6I LO.AN +8 377
#note I decided at this point that it was far more important to take out the bingo lines on row 6 and column N and turn over some tiles than go for points or fish for a bingo here. I did consider TANGELO, and while I do like the tile turnover, I decided that I didn't like it quite as much for two main reasons: giving the hook for the lone unseen S at O7, which could be used not only for bingos but also something like JUSTED O4, and also because the bag was getting a bit low on vowels, and I didn't want to play all of mine off. I'm not angling for a bingo in particular, but the ENT leave gives me enough insurance against a bad rack and flexibility for the next turn that I am likely going to be able to keep the pressure on even if Femi hits a bingo right now. It's exactly by getting myself into a seven consonant situation that I might most improve his chances. All of that said, I didn't think of LONGAN which looks like a better version of the same type of thing.
>Femi_Awowade: EO 3G O.E +16 289
>David_Koenig: BEFJNOT B3 BENJ +36 413
#note This play was a godsend, as I both score very well and make the board significantly more difficult for him.
>Femi_Awowade: DEHS N10 HE.DS +52 341
#note A big play for Femi just when he needed it. He's got just a hair's chance of an -ABLE bingo on column B now or one ending in -AL or -AN on column O.
>David_Koenig: FOTTTUV 10C V.. +6 419
#note Suddenly I have a tough rack, and care is needed. The main thing I need to do is block RUNNABLE and TURNABLE on the B column. Also holding the U importantly insures me against the Q draw here. Finally, it looks like if he draws the Q, none of his possible bingos will fit. So there is something to be said for taking only one tile and increasing the chance that he is the one who gets it. If QUANTAL on the O column were still a possibility it might be a different story, and I might have to think about taking it out and outrunning a bingo on the B column.
>Femi_Awowade: O H12 ..O +3 344
#note This seemed like a very strange play to me, as the hook is useless with no blanks or S's remaining. It is possible that Femi mistracked or was trying to deke me into making a mistake. If playing off the O is best for him, I would have at least given some thought to playing IO in either of two spots to make the ION hook to row 15.
>David_Koenig: FNOTTTU M2 .F +20 439
#note It is very important that Femi's previously play telegraphs that he is most likely not holding the Q. So I want to take only one tile and increase the chance that he gets it. If I avoid it, even if he hits a bingo, he will be stuck with it and I will be able to milk my rack for points. Even if I get it, I have some insurance with my U. My play achieves all of these things and also usefully pads another 20 points on my score. I have to admit, I failed to spot Femi's bingo possibility here, but this play should still guarantee me a win.
>Femi_Awowade: D 1B D. +3 347
#note Femi fishes for his bingo one more time while taking away QUA.
>David_Koenig: NOQTTTU K12 .UQ +11 450
#note This is a bit embarrassing. I tracked correctly and wrote Femi's rack properly on my scoresheet. I of course had thought about the -AL or -AN ending possibility on column O for several turns. But I somehow completely failed to see the common word bingo in his tiles, even though it is one that has come up in countless games. While it is true that blocking it allows him to Q stick me, the points he will gain from doing so aren't close to what the bingo gives him here, so I should have just blocked. At least I still win.
>Femi_Awowade: AELNRTU O5 NEUTRAL +80 427
>David_Koenig: (NOTTT) -5 445
>Femi_Awowade: (NOTTT) +5 432
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