| Player 1 |
|
#character-encoding UTF-8
#player1 Trey Trey
#player2 Carl Carl
>Trey: BDELN 8D BLEND +22 22
#note Earlier, in what felt like a paralytic nightmare, I just couldn't wrap my head around what was ultimately a very easy endgame. Then, my brain betrayed me against Rafi and I lost two challenges. This final game of Day 4 was perhaps the most surreal of all, although it won't manifest itself over the board.
>Carl: EKLOVXY I5 LOVEY +28 28
#note As an aside, I was really happy with this play, setting up the X. This does win the sim, but the more straightforward VEX/VOXEL on Column I sim about as well.
>Trey: GGUY D8 .UGGY +24 46
#note Anyway, what makes this game surreal is that, right before the game, several of Trey's piano students showed up. With Wes Anderson-like symmetry, they gathered around him to watch him play. It was like something from an anime: to prevail, I must fight not only National Champion Trey Wright, but his retinue of apprentices besides.
>Carl: AIIKMOX J4 MIX +55 83
#note Here, there was a collective gasp from the children, and one of them whispered "So many points!"
>Trey: ?EERSTW 10F WEbSTER +81 127
>Carl: ADIKOOR L8 KO.AI +28 111
#note This was an interesting rack, and I couldn't quite figure out what to play. Quackle also struggles; the best moves are all within a narrow range. I played this because it retained options parallel to MIX, and it does actually win the sim. Other good plays are OAKIER K6, L8 KARROO (one R or two), K4 ODOR and K5 DORK.
>Trey: AINOP K2 PIANO +34 161
#note See what I mean!!! This was seriously like something out of a Scrabble dream. This all happened, I promise, and we all had a good laugh over it.
>Carl: DFHNORU L1 FOND +42 153
>Trey: AIM 8L .AMI +30 191
>Carl: AHJLRTU K9 J.T +33 186
#note Another tough one, but I didn't get this one right. HAJ 11K wins the sim, but I worried about the I hook, and also thought I might get stuck with 7 one-pointers that don't bingo. (-6)
>Trey: QT M7 Q.T +34 225
>Carl: AHLORRU 1L .OUR +21 207
>Trey: AEEGLNR O3 ALGER.NE +60 285
>Carl: ACHILRS N10 HAIRS +45 252
#note Ugh; missing HILAR (-5.5). This isn't as bad as it could have been, though; HAIRS is at least harder to parallel, and I need to keep lanes open.
>Trey: EENRRTU F1 RETURNE. +62 347
#note Blocking ELECTION.
>Carl: CEEILOT C12 OE +9 261
#note Wow, Quackle really hates this play. I'm supposed to calmly play CERITE, closing the 3x3 while setting up OZOCERITE. (-34)
>Trey: ANOPT 1D PA.TON +33 380
>Carl: ACEILOT B6 ALOETIC +71 332
#note This sims even with COALIEST; just have to hope that Trey didn't hit something on Column A.
>Trey: ABH A6 BAH +45 425
>Carl: ?EFIIUZ 6D FU. +6 338
#note Quackle wants me to play IF O14, drawing to UPSIZED, UPSIZES, or SEIZURE on Row 14. The problem is that Trey will probably have a way to block all that, and there are no possible bingos on Rows 2-4 after IF. My plan was to fish for two Ss for SEIZINS 14C or ZOISITES 3A. The problem (apart from the unlikelihood of drawing two Ss) is that these plays actually aren't enough to win. For instance, SEIZINS loses to EVICT B3 by one point. I don't think playing FUR at 5D for 6 more points makes a difference because now when I draw SS he has WADI, WIVE etc. at 4A. (-20?)
>Trey: DEISV 2A DEVIS. +26 451
>Carl: ?CEIIWZ A1 a.ZE +42 380
#note Overall, Day 4 was a disaster, but this was still one of my favorite games.
>Trey: ADS 2J A..DS +27 478
>Trey: (CIIW) +18 496
|
