Things vary a lot depending on the shape of the board, score of the game, how late or early in the game, but I find a good general rule of thumb when deciding between using a blank for a bingo or keeping it with a high scoring non-bingo is that the blank is worth about 35 points. If my non-bingo play scores within 35 of the bingo, then I will keep the blank, but if the bingo is scoring 35 or more extra points, then I will use the blank. That's a pretty good rule of thumb for deciding when to use the blank on a non-bingo too.
Pardon me if I've said this to you before. I'm getting senile in my old age.
I understand. I think my (very) slight apprehension was the leave. 51 [INU?] vs. 80 [-]. On a really open board, I take the former, on a closed or vowel heavy board or bag, I take the latter.
1) JUT, setting up QAT as a backup, or hopefully a huge Q bingo to the S or somewhere else. Or am I entirely missing a huge play here?
2) I would take SQUATTER being that far down. I think the 35-point blank rule Dave mentioned can only be used as a guideline. It depends on the score, the board, and especially what letters you're leaving with the blank.
3) No, I didn't see either one
4) Yes, I saw the bingo
P.S. Thanks for responding to the pre-endgame post. Sorry I failed to respond. I saw it but was completely swamped with post-Orlando work. If I didn't say so before, impressive comeback from the 2-5 start.
No right answer with that first one. I hated all of my options. JUT simmed best and now I see why. I completely missed the QAT set-up. I still don't really like it but I guess it's better than the rest. My play was SQUAT keeping the T for possible extensions (and leving TU? On an open board) which I lucked into, but that's not really great Scrabble.
Weirdly enough, simming at about a half point back was OUT, which I really don't get besides the balance thing.
2) Depends a bit how early or late in the game you're at. Since the equity is similar, if it's early, I'd probably take the bingo expecting to finishing catching up later. IUN? is not so hot but the blank makes up for a lot of sins. The nice thing here is that if you see both plays you can't go much wrong.
I once read "the sooner you bingo, the sooner you can bingo again." That's true. But there's also something to be said for preserving the blank and hoping to go 50-80 rather than 80-20. Dave values the blank at 35--I personally use something closer to 30.
3) took me 45 seconds to write them down, but I found them both. Used to give me trouble but now I think I have them (9/13 on TRIASSIC, box 7, and 16/20 on NARCISSI, box 5). NARCISSI I always think ACRISINS* first and that's my pointer.
4) found FLUXGATE--that one has always been high in my cardbox (box 6, 6/6). Doesn't hurt that I saw it 4 days ago.
The blank's worth 25 on average. It's better or worse depending on how open the board is for bingos, and definitely much more important to keep when you're behind than ahead.
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Pardon me if I've said this to you before. I'm getting senile in my old age.
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1) JUT, setting up QAT as a backup, or hopefully a huge Q bingo to the S or somewhere else. Or am I entirely missing a huge play here?
2) I would take SQUATTER being that far down. I think the 35-point blank rule Dave mentioned can only be used as a guideline. It depends on the score, the board, and especially what letters you're leaving with the blank.
3) No, I didn't see either one
4) Yes, I saw the bingo
P.S. Thanks for responding to the pre-endgame post. Sorry I failed to respond. I saw it but was completely swamped with post-Orlando work. If I didn't say so before, impressive comeback from the 2-5 start.
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Weirdly enough, simming at about a half point back was OUT, which I really don't get besides the balance thing.
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2) Depends a bit how early or late in the game you're at. Since the equity is similar, if it's early, I'd probably take the bingo expecting to finishing catching up later. IUN? is not so hot but the blank makes up for a lot of sins. The nice thing here is that if you see both plays you can't go much wrong.
I once read "the sooner you bingo, the sooner you can bingo again." That's true. But there's also something to be said for preserving the blank and hoping to go 50-80 rather than 80-20. Dave values the blank at 35--I personally use something closer to 30.
3) took me 45 seconds to write them down, but I found them both. Used to give me trouble but now I think I have them (9/13 on TRIASSIC, box 7, and 16/20 on NARCISSI, box 5). NARCISSI I always think ACRISINS* first and that's my pointer.
4) found FLUXGATE--that one has always been high in my cardbox (box 6, 6/6). Doesn't hurt that I saw it 4 days ago.
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