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#player1 Matt Matt
#player2 Mack Mack
>Matt: AAHLLO H4 HALLOA +26 26
>Mack: AEIMNRS I3 REMAINS +81 81
>Matt: ANY J4 NAY +39 65
>Mack: BEEGISU G9 BEIGE +20 101
#note Considered BUG to give less back but decided the leave was too vowel-heavy. Sim agrees narrowly.
>Matt: DILV 11D LIV.D +18 83
>Mack: ?OSUWWY H13 WOW +32 133
>Matt: ADEFORT D8 DEF.ATOR +80 163
>Mack: ?IQSUUY 8A QUI. +42 175
>Matt: BOU 13A BOU. +12 175
>Mack: ?DPRSUY K6 SYRUPeD +81 256
>Matt: EE A13 .EE +15 190
>Mack: AEENRTZ L11 NERTZ +55 311
#note 8K RAZER is an option, but I'd rather give back a 40-point Z play than all those floaters given Matt's play of BEE signals a strong rack. NERTZ is also 10 more points, so looks right.
>Matt: CEIORRS E2 ORRICES +83 273
>Mack: AEEIKNT 15L .EIN +39 350
#note Liked this over AZINE due to the conconant-heavy pool, and over ZETA to save 14L TAKE next turn. But I'm probably unlikely to want to play TAKE anyway given I'm likely picking up consonants, so that setup may have little value. Sim likes ZETA by a bit, which I believe -- KINE seems a bit more flexible than TAKE. Likely a small mistake.
>Matt: EPV 4C PE.V +18 291
>Mack: AEKNSTT C7 K.T +16 366
#note Came close to cashing in with 14J KETAS. 44 is a lot of points, but TTN is a pretty lousy leave on this board, and I didn't feel a 100 point lead was that safe if Matt hits the X bomb at F2 while setting up another big bingo lane on row 1. KIT hits a lot of bingos which end the game on the spot, and leaves me much more flexibility to respond to any new openings Matt may create. 28 is so much to give up though, and sim slightly prefers KETAS.
>Matt: GGI M9 IGG +9 300
>Mack: AAENSTU 14J NU.ATE +24 390
#note The problem with KIT -- when I don't bingo, I'm not going to score much. This looks right.
>Matt: JMNO B10 JOM.N +64 364
>Mack: AAIISTT N9 TI +11 401
#note Really tough position and one of the most interesting of the tournament. I considered my play of TI, K2 AIT to block CREMAINS, and F1 AI to block X bombs. I ultimately decided my risk of being outscored was too great after either AIT or AI and I needed a counter-threat. After AI I lose to tons of CH- plays with CREMAINS and things like COAXED, as well as occasional bingos. After AIT I 'll often lose to X bombs or CHA- plays unless I pick up a bingo or the X myself.
The problem with TI is, like AIT, I pretty much always lose unless I draw the X or a bingo. Plays like TAFIAS are not going to score enough to outrun Matt in most cases if he hits the X bomb or a big CH- play as he'll still have another turn. My counterthreats are bingoing and drawing the X, not scoring on the O column, and I already have a bingo line on column N. And I should bingo more after AIT since I keep a more balanced leave and give myself another shot at the blank, and I also give myself another shot at the X. True, some plays like CH(A)FED still block bingos on column N after AIT, but that should be offset by my larger bingo percentage and increased chance of drawing the X, which should outrun CHAFED in most cases.
Champ likes AIT best by a bit, which makes sense given everything mentioned above. In second it has F10 AVAST, a counterintuitive play I didn't consider -- it addresses none of the threats but instead scores well and aims to outrun Matt if he hits a big play. It also plays off four tiles, which empties the bag but maximizes my chances at the blank or X. The blank and X are so important not only for my own use but also to deprive Matt of them, and I underestimated the importance of playing more tiles here. The problems with AVAST, of course, are that it empties the bag and keeps a weak leave, so Matt has full rack knowledge and if I don't pull the blank or X he is going to win the vast majority of the time. With AIT there are a decent number of situations I can win without the blank or X as I have good bingo potential with stuff like DACOITS, HALITES, CHITALS, etc.
TI looks like a pretty sizable mistake here. Very instructive position!
>Matt: OX F1 OX +50 414
>Mack: ?AAFIST O3 AnTIFAS +80 481
#note Bailed out here. Wasn't 100% on TAFfIAS and missed FAjiTAS, the latter of which is quite embarrassing given how many I've eaten in my life.
>Mack: (ACDEHLO) +26 507
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