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#character-encoding UTF-8
#player1 Laurie_Cohen Laurie Cohen
#player2 Josh_Greenway Josh Greenway
>Laurie_Cohen: LOX 8G LOX +20 20
#note some commentary by jackson
>Josh_Greenway: AEEOOSU 7I EAU +14 14
#note It's not a large error, but I would definitely exchange here, keeping ES. Next turn, Josh averages around 43 with ES and 29 with EOOS, and EAU raises Laurie's average by about 7.
>Laurie_Cohen: LUV 6G LUV +19 39
>Josh_Greenway: ?EEHOOS 5E HOE +14 28
#note TOESHOE is the only bingo here. This is a totally reasonable play, although I like some other plays more, mainly 9F HOE and 9G OE. The reason is that, if you think about Laurie's likely next play after 5E HOE, she likely plays at 4D or that area in general, which takes away the SHOE hook he just created. There are no other S hooks on the board or great places to bingo, which is unideal. HOE at 9F also creates an S hook, but if Laurie underlaps at 10F, that will likely create another S hook below. OE is also reasonable just because of SH synergy, and EHOS? being a more balanced and amazing leave than EOS?. Just a small consideration.
>Laurie_Cohen: CFIO 6B FICO +22 61
>Josh_Greenway: ?EINOSS 4F lESIONS +68 96
#note There are some better bingoes available. Most notably, LESIONS plays 5 spots over making OHO for 5 more points. Otherwise, there are two double doubles at K5, NEUROSES and ELUSIONS.
>Laurie_Cohen: ABETVWY -ABETVW +0 61
>Josh_Greenway: ?AFINPV 3G FA +22 118
#note The best play is definitely 8K PAVIN for 37 points, which is a word Josh might not be familiar with. Even with a lead of 35 points, it's totally worth it to open the board with that play, since it scores so much and his lead is fairly small. Otherwise, I would focus more on getting rid of problem tiles - VIFF at B3 is a reasonable play since it keeps a great leave. I might even take H1 VINS over FA, since VINP? is clunkier than AFP?, just cause the V sucks.
>Laurie_Cohen: DEIQR K6 Q.IRED +32 93
>Josh_Greenway: ?IJNPUV 10H JIV. +22 140
#note This is a pretty good play, though there are a few options that accomplish the same things but better. It is definitely a good thing to block the E and D with this moderate lead, though it's not necessary (still quite early in the game, the C column and 2 row are still open). I think JUVIE and JUPE are both slightly better than JIVE. JUVIE sheds the U, doesn't take as many hooks, and doesn't put the J in the triple lane, so the opponent averages quite a bit less than after JIVE. JUPE keeps the V of course, but it also hits JIVING quite often, which is a play Josh might want to burn the blank to make next turn. JIVE is decent, but slightly worse than both plays. Finally, C2 PUNJ(I) might be the best play, simply because it also blocks a lane and scores well.
>Laurie_Cohen: MPR J2 PR.M +14 107
>Josh_Greenway: ?AINNPU 6K .UIP +21 161
#note I think this turn was a key error this game. There is no need to set up an S hook with QUIP when he's ahead. A common misconception is that with the blank in hand, it's great to set up random S hooks, but that's usually not true, especially when you're ahead. Also, laurie just fished with PROM, so her chance of having an S is higher than normal. There is a playable bingo here, PINNULA, but I think a lot of other non-bingo plays are more reasonable than QUIP. Two of the best ones are JUN and JAPINg, burning the blank. JUN keeps a fantastic leave, while JAPING scores really well, putting Josh up by over a bingo. I think a few other plays are worth making instead of QUIP as well, like (P)INUP and H1 UP(AS).
>Laurie_Cohen: CDRU O5 CURD +37 144
>Josh_Greenway: ?AINNTT N6 .AINT +14 175
#note TAINT(I)Ng plays on column C, and INSTANT plays on column N. PAINT is a good non-bingo option, but definitely worse than all the bingoes.
>Laurie_Cohen: DNO 11G NOD +16 160
>Josh_Greenway: ?EGINTY 12F GEY +30 205
#note far and away the best play here is JOYING for 63. I think GEY is a decent option after that, though I would probably play YET/JIVEY instead. That scores 3 more points, keeps about as good of a leave, but makes hooks that you can use as well (YETI), instead of GEY, which makes the S hook more important, which he doesn't have.
>Laurie_Cohen: ADNORST C5 D.ATRONS +61 221
>Josh_Greenway: ?AAIINT 8A AN.I +15 220
#note This is not a bad play, but I would prefer being more aggressive now, keeping the better leave. AINT? is quite a big improvement over AIT?, so just AI(T) or D11 AI look good. It's worth noting that D11 AI lowers Laurie's average compared to AI(T), since the B10 hotspot is larger than the 8A hotspot, since not too many big letters can go after the T.
>Laurie_Cohen: EYZ L10 YEZ +51 272
>Josh_Greenway: ?AEIKTT O10 InTAKE +32 252
#note this is a second key strategic error this game. It's important to recognize here that a bingo is almost necessary to win the game, especially if he burns the blank now. 32 points brings Josh within 20, but Laurie will play for another 20-30 consistently, and that lead is pretty hard to surmount without a bingo. I think a few plays are reasonable here. KIST 12A doesn't leave you with any great bingo lanes, but it does save the blank, and any play down to the triple from the K will make a couple lanes, and Josh can reopen more lanes later. IKAT/SI, D12, does a better job of opening lanes immediately. KAAS H1 is also good, opening a marginal lane for LIKE words and keeping column A open. I think I would play KIST, or maybe IKAT. It's necessary to keep the blank here to retain good bingo prospects for the next few turns.
>Laurie_Cohen: NOW B8 .OW +29 301
>Josh_Greenway: BELORTT N13 BOT +28 280
#note REBOTTL(E) plays for 83. I think BOT is good out of the non-bingo plays, but it would be nice to do something more proactive towards bingoing. It's nice that BOT saves good tiles for the sneaky A column lane, making LOR and TWO.
>Laurie_Cohen: AHN D10 NAH +30 331
>Josh_Greenway: AELRRTW H1 TW.. +21 301
#note Really rough position here, not a lot Josh can do to convert this to a win. My mindset here would be to see which marginal lanes there are available right now, and open a larger lane elsewhere on the board with hopes of drawing something into one of the marginal lanes. The two marginal lanes open right now are the 15 row and the 2 row. TW(AS) is a nice looking play, but unfortunately AELRR doesn't actually hit any bingoes here. TWAS would be pretty good if it hit any bingoes, since Laurie doesn't always block row 1 (but she should quite often). I would probably play AWL at B12, hoping for RE(P)EATER or TAPERERS on row 2. This plan can legitimately work, even if it's rarely. The other option I would consider is exchanging keeping AELRT, going for ELATERITE or RETALIATE on the bottom row (you could also fish keeping WATER to go for WATERGATE). TWAS is close to the right idea, but ideally it's best to make a lane that doesn't interfere with the marginal lanes already on the board.
>Laurie_Cohen: AEM 3J .EAM +16 347
>Josh_Greenway: ABELRRT M5 R.B +16 317
#note don't imagine there's a win here
>Laurie_Cohen: EEGGILS 1A LEGGIES. +86 433
#note I think the main takeaway this game, besides "always look for more words", is to follow the "close+score when up, open+bingo when down" principle more strictly. Generally, most plays followed this, but QUIP and INTAKE definitely went against it.
>Laurie_Cohen: (AEELRT) +12 445
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