From: rgb5@cornell.edu
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 14:07:10 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Consensus game
Message-id: <Pine.SOL.3.91.980127133319.4134A-100000@travelers.mail.cornell.edu>

Alan Frank wrote:

* It makes it harder for the opponent, holding an S, to score well on row 15 without bingoing.

I disagree. WEND d11 takes away the dls at 15d, decreasing the value of things like TSUBA, ESPY, ASHY, SUQ, PSYCH and of course bingos that would place a 3 or 4 point tile at 15d. A 5 tile play from 15d using a single 4 point tile would score 39 points, about average for a play that uses an S. Conversely, 11d placement sets up SH---, SP---, SQ--- SK---, SY---, SC---, SM--- and SW--- from h11 that score much better. Why give opponent a second big S line?

Also, for those who would argue that the horizontal placement leaves us more potential bingo lines next turn, think again. We are likely to have one vowel, 5 consonnants and a blank. 11d WEND only gives us a line for 7lw starting with a vowel which is not very likely to be useful. Keeping row 14 slightly more open is a better argument, but that isn't a big scoring line. Any 7lw we may have will play in row J, or if opponent uses row J, there will probably be a vowel exposed for a horizontal play. I'd be surprised if our bingo chances were significantly different for either placement. Horizontal play is actually more likely to set up a line for opponent.

I'm not sure it makes much difference, but I'll stick with my original choice of d11. It mucks things up a bit for opponent without changing our prospects significantly.

Rich