From: Dina Bennett <bennettd@ERE.UMontreal.CA>
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 20:01:09 -0500
Subject: RE: Consensus Game #1, Turn #7
Message-id: <01BD3B15.C75AA380.bennettd@ERE.UMontreal.CA>
-----Original Message----- From: Bob Lipton [SMTP:blipton@sunet.net] Sent: February 16, 1998 6:21 AM To: John J. Chew III; crossword-games-pro@MIT.EDU Subject: Re: Consensus Game #1, Turn #7
My first choice was a clear-cut lL KORA until I realized that was a SOWPODS solution, not an OSPD one!
I am so enamored of the ORA dump, however, that I propose B4 ORA for 15 points. The 9-point sacrifice (compared to the L1 plays) seems worth the improvement in leave. ELRT looks optimal in view of the 6 Es and Is and the 3 As and Os remaining. (Another E gives us the big ZEE play).
There is defensive value in B4 ORA as well. The X is still out. We don't have it, and OPP's last play leaves open the possibility that he's had it for a turn or two. We don't need to leave plays like BORAX, IBEX, ILEX, APEX, REDOX, VARIX, etc. open for a 35+ play by the enemy. We're behind by enough as it is. I'm just saying, if anyone objects to ORA because we're likely to drop another 10-15 points behind as a result of the 9-point sacrifice, please consider that KORE/KART/KOLA could suffer the same fate.
Voting for B4 ORA
Bob Lipton l927 [David Boys]
I think this play deserves serious consideration. It is almost certainly better than ORATE, which is kinda like playing russian roulette with all the "i"s that John didnt have last time. I would not discount the possibility that John saved at least 1 or 2 Es when he played KENT. I think a 10 point sacrifice might be worth saving ZEE for later, considering that KENT blocks bingo lines, and ZEE opens them. Our chances of picking another E right away may be seriously lower than the simple odds would indicate.
The LERT leave, combined with the new and improved bingo line on column C created by ORA almost doubles our chances at snaring a 7letter bingo next time over LART. 8letter bingo chances thru an I (played by John or picked) also rise substantially. The only question is whether it is worht losing 9 points.
SIM addicts may as well discount ORA offhand, without even doing one, I dont think it has a hope in hell of coming close to KORE. Of course obeying sim results when you are down a bingo in the second half of the game is suicide becuz the sim penalizes you for not blocking, and for opening bingo lines.
I am sticking with KORE for now, but I really like ORA as well. ORATE sucks. I think if we play ORATE it will take a miracle to win this game. there are 38 unseen tiles, if we save LR, we have to draw 5 and hope to avoid picking any of the crappy tiles that make up half the bag. LART is so much better than LR in this situation it's not even close.
daveboys