From: "Mongo, Santamaria!" <icenine@panix.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 07:10:52 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Consensus Game #1, Turn #6
Message-id: <Pine.SUN.3.94.980210065743.20681A-100000@panix2.panix.com>

From the desk of G.I. Joelgernaut:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o ----------------------------- Player Tiles Score Time 1|= ' = ' =|1 2| - " F - |2 cgp AINRTTU 198 --- 3| - C U l L I O N S |3 opp ------- 244 --- 4|M - ' N - '|4 5|A C E - |5 Waiting for cgp to play. 6|N " H " R " |6 The bag contains 38 tiles. 7|t ' A B O G Y ' |7 The clock is running. 8|E H Y O I D ' =|8 9|A ' O F T ' ' |9 Time penalties are not in effect. 10|U P T " " " |10 This game does not count for ratings. 11| L W E N D - |11 12|J A D E S ' - '|12 Votes are due midnight EST, 1998-02-14. 13| Z - ' ' - |13 14| A " " - |14 15|= ' = ' =|15

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a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o

I vote for NUTRIA l3 (14). Joel Sherman 20xx

It does seem right to go for points and turnover here. As big a proponent as I usually am of keeping a strong well balanced leave, this position is annoyingly short of useful bingo lines so saccing points to try for a train?? or retina? bingo looks like it could easily backfire. The big S-hook 15b also cries out for a big dip in the bag. Any of the suggested plays that use our N are clearly humongous blunders, as we significantly reduce our bingo chances without it, and there is only one more left in bag. I am not at all afraid to hold vowelless NT with all the E's and I's unseen. The E's in particular are another huge reason to move tiles like crazy here, two of them score 36 at 13b. Splitting the tw openings between h1 and 8o helps positionally, and inviting opp. to use 8o also invites him to spread 3 or 4 new tiles for our 8's to play from or thru.

G.I. Joelgernaut