1st game, pretty basic player...
Opening rack GRAVYIM... took the GRAVY for 34, figuring wouldn't be too hard to find an 8 ending in the ever dependable -ING, if I retained the IM. I considered MARVY. Didn't think of VIRGA at all. Two turns later, drawing the blank, I play nETTLIN(G). A turn after that, she plays WEANLI(n)g with her own blank for 60. I threw COX under that W for 43... later extended the EX to EXCEL. She dumped BEES/EXCELS for 30 (like most players her level, a S-requiring triple is impossible to resist). This unfortunately prevented a 42 point play of (C)UPRATE* which I was almost positive was acceptable (it isn't, but moot point). She atically S'ed her way to 2 other triples. Her earlier BEES allowed me to get rid of (E)QUATE for 50. After 10 turns, 368-225. Ended up 451-299.
2nd game... Derek, newly rated (1342).
He goes first, draws MARAUDS right out of the bag. I reply with natural ACOLYTES onto his S. He plunks BR(A)KE into the open triple. Thinking future extensions, I remember BRAKEMAN and BRAKEMEN. BRAKEAGE didn't occur to me (Lexpert says these are the only 3 3-letter back extensions). BREAKAGE obviously is good, didn't know BRAKEAGE =).
Front extensions were useless... the two longest are AEROBRAKE and CANEBRAKE. Anyway... chiding himself for not knowing if it was good or not, he tries DIF*... challenged of course, he waves off the adjudication and takes my word for it.
I exchange.
8th turn, he's at 210. I have AEINPW?, playing from 190. Finally some compound word studying pays off. PINWALe/Be for 71.
After 10, 264-369 for me. Holding a blank, with 2 left in the bag, he unwisely plays NUN, making a bingo comeback impossible for himself.
458 - 343 for me.
3rd game... vs hardest player, Dave H, former 1717.
He opens with YAY, I dump LO, he replies with STREAMS/MY/SAL for 76. I make a balancing 28 point play, and now have the somewhat perplexing rack of ADDITU?. Checking later, I found there were absolutely no 8's in it, and only one 7... AUDITeD. Which I got down after a minute or so of puzzlement. I soon had to live dangerously for several turns with one vowel or none, making relatively high scoring consonant heavy plays (JVFRMBL type letters) while unable to block the juicy bingo hooks I wanted to block.
9th turn, he uses one... RETINAE/LOGE. I squeeze 23 from AGL(E)T. He follows up the bingo with (A)PHID to the trip for 42. The H, I, and D are open. With another (to me) perplexing rack... AINORSU... I first look for RAINOUTS (no T in the right spot). G's are nowhere to be found for AROUSING. With some relief I throw down (D)INOSAUR for 80. The AINORSU rack holds only those 3 8's, and no 7's, says Lexpert.
After 10 turns, 333-347 for me. He bangs down Z(E)K for 32. There are about 6 in the bag, the second blank is missing, S's are gone. I hold DIRLING... which I only NOW learn is a word. Not that it would have played anywhere on that board. No chance of DRILLING, GIRDLING, etc. ZEK worries me. 16 easy points he can access with his blank which I can't. I play NIG(H) for 10 to block potential ZEKs (unless SNIGH* is somehow a word... which it isn't).
He gets HA(Z)E which paralleled into 28 points. At this bag-emptying draw, he gets the blank.
I have WIREDCL. I play WIRED with the ED under the NI of NIGH... 35 points. Originally thought of WILED... but the L might be needed for (HAZE)L/L(I).. 23... if I couldn't play out for 12 with CL(AW).
The retained L he knew all about... and that the C would play at C(AW), but CLAW didn't occur to him! Fearing the HAZEL play, he stuck his blank there for 17. I played out, won 412-410 =)
What he SHOULD have done: Block the AW spot with NE/N(AW)/E(GO). Then I'd have no option but to take HAZEL for 23. Then he'd have his blank ready for HAZELs/s(N)U(G)/UN. The C would not play, I'd pass. He'd dump his final I somewhere and win by maybe a dozen.
4th game, new guy!
Opened with pretty ugly racks... by 4th turn, facing VUIIOF?, exchanged all but ?O. Next turn, JAN(G)LY for 64, blowing the blank as the L. He continued to be steady... after 5, 130 to 115 for me. I had ADINNOT rack now, threw down D(O)NATION, opening a triple he took for 30.
After 10, 257-201 for me. After 14, it was 356 to 249, but I had an all consonant rack including the Q, he had the last blank and the X. He set up (?) a tricky aX(L)E/X(I) play for 51. I'd ignored the TLS as a potential X spot because it sat beside an L, forgot about AXLE. Then again, I'm up by 100, who cares. I ate the Q, but he also had two unplayable letters, so didn't benefit.
382 to 307 for me. But very solid play for a first timer.