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#player1 TB Tim Bottorff
#player2 JJB John J. Bulten
>TB: EIOTW 8D TOWIE +18 18
#note 0:44 [24:16] At one game each, TB returns to a half-game ahead of JJB as the two remain locked in contention for first prize. Many racks in this game just play themselves.
>JJB: ?EGGNNN G5 ENG.NiNG +62 62
#note 1:23 [23:37] This rack looks hopeless but something about it suggests to persist. Genning is valid and does not bingo; but there are enough vowels free to keep twiddling, and after several indescribable maneuvers it appears that engining looks like a word. JJB is thoroughly unconvinced and thinks he's putting out another phony, but it rightly stays put. Both placements are 62.
>TB: DEIIV H1 IVIED +33 51
#note 2:09 [22:07] TB accepts the play silently and gets to work on clearing his Is, yielding a two-turn total that is comparable to opponent's bingo.
>JJB: HMOSSUW E7 W.OSH +22 84
#note 3:56 [19:41] Endangering time again, JJB selects an acceptable leave but then does not find any version of that leave higher than woosh 22; he looks at i5-i8 but does not spot hows 30. The directed S hook here is the only bait, but it is not valuable.
>TB: DFU 10B FUD. +16 67
#note 1:37 [20:30]
>JJB: EEIMNSU D10 .UE +13 97
#note 1:03 [18:38] Presto, the rack is clear again.
>TB: EORY H12 OYER +28 95
#note 1:52 [18:38] Another premium, another good middling tile.
>JJB: AEIMNOS 15H .OMANISE +83 180
#note 0:30 [18:08] It's shocking that anomies does not play and equally shocking that opponent has just given an anagram hook for it. Just when he had caught up too.
>TB: ABDU C12 BAUD +18 113
#note 2:11 [16:27] Also playable as daubed 5c 20, or as bud 14m 23 (4.4 greater partial value).
>JJB: DGKOTUV K11 VODK. +26 206
#note 0:58 [17:10] Vogued is close but there is no wonderful rack clearer like vodka.
>TB: AIP L12 PAI. +29 142
#note 3:18 [13:09] TB's reply is almost as straightforward, but there is a little vowel heaviness indicated in the bingo hunt.
>JJB: EGNNTTU M11 GEN +21 227
#note 2:32 [14:38] Neg is 1 better. The points are grabbed with nudge 15a (9.2 diff) since you don't need vowels in your leave. Row 5 accommodates notable plays, in order: nutted, tuned, gunned, untented, gutted. JJB also spots tungsten and the -en participle he seeks is actually grutten.
>TB: ET 15A TE. +12 154
#note 2:38 [10:31] Following the "overlap beats triple" rule, te i12 13 might be preferable.
>JJB: BLNOTTU O8 UNBOTTL. +83 310
#note 0:38 [14:00] JJB constructs another word out of unlikely pieces that turns out to be accurate. This time he convinces himself he's seen it before he plays it, but it still looks questionable. Right as rain though, and in fact it should have been obvious from the list of "Bulten plus two blanks". JJB obtaining the half-game lead is quite likely now.
>TB: EILT 14B T.ILE +18 172
#note 4:27 [6:04] TB soldiers on as bingo tiles do not synergize nor yield high returns.
>JJB: ?ACOSTZ 3G Z.T +23 333
#note 2:22 [11:38] This looks like some strong play is available, but JJB determines that zacatons (the only bingo) does not play, and he settles cheap. One nice play exists, azoted 32. It ranks behind za/zed 30 in column F (where azo or coz plays), which has the best-looking leave and a diff of 8.9 over JJB's choice.
>TB: EJ 5E JE.. +24 196
#note 0:25 [5:39] Ed finally gets put to purpose, but almost as weakly as the Z was used.
>JJB: ?AACOSY I12 YA +19 352
#note 2:07 [9:31] Respectable overlap; and here the best value is to throw onto the board what you just drew.
>TB: EF D6 FE. +11 207
#note 2:17 [3:22] Just as in last game, TB dumps into squares 7e and 8d just prior to a bingo. Few 7c 15 scores but does not open.
>JJB: ?ACMOSX 9A COX +42 394
#note 0:37 [8:54] The search for a longer word is tempting, but cox 42 is standout enough.
>TB: EILORRS C1 LORRIES +78 285
#note 0:30 [2:52] The setup works, but is largely just a catharsis now.
>JJB: ?AAIMRS J3 SAMuRAI +71 465
#note 1:38 [7:16] JJB is sure there's another common bingo but plays the one he sees. The 7s are difficult and worthy of remembrance as the mnemonic air-mas: bundt. The playable 8s are also crazy: the near-grams marasmic/samsaric (up to 92).
>TB: AACHILR 5J .ARCH +24 309
#note 2:29.4 [0:22.6] Resigned to achiral/rachial not going down, TB again has plenty of outplay choices, and JJB must usually dispose of the Q rather than block. TB composedly gets the best pair almost right; but, instead of march 24, starts with roach 36. From there both players' last plays are optimal.
>JJB: APQR 9I Q. +21 486
#note 1:08 [6:08]
>TB: AIL A6 LAI. +18 327
#note 0:07.0 [0:15.6]
>TB: (APR) +10 337
#note Both players sail through with few inaccuracies, the difference being that TB has a circuitious road to get to a bingo while JJB picks up lots more power and synergy. JJB also wins a big gamble on the first turn, though he then misses some hooks, a triple, and an obscure bingo. Known points available: TB 19, JJB 30. Overall points available: TB 21.4+, JJB 47.1.
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