Scrabble GM vs. AI -- the Rematch! Game #37

The Scrabble AI BestBot got the best of me in my 100-game Human vs. AI Ultimate Scrabble Battle, but I'm not ready to cede to our AI overlords! Introducing... the GM vs. AI rematch!
This 100-game series, running every Monday and Wednesday at 5pm ET for 50 weeks, will feature 20-minute games against BestBot with post-game analysis. Hope you guys enjoy, and wish me luck!
BestBot is the upcoming ultimate Scrabble AI from Woogles.io, to be launched in 2024. For questions, please email [e-mail].
Want personalized help taking your game to the next level or a fun gift for a friend? Check out www.mackmeller...! for more info or email me at [e-mail]!

[@tagcoins1]

Love that you were looking at FLATWARE and bot went went with CUTLERY in that spot.

[@mackmeller]

Hahaha

[@snowman99tetris]

Tough feeling when you find the best play in the endgame but there's nothing you can do, well played and you'll get em next time

[@mackmeller]

Yep I've certainly been there before, frustrating for sure but it's part of the game... for every time that happens you'll hit a 2/8 fish and be super pleasantly surprised :)

[@itchy7879]

spoiler Happy to see the new word aro be helpful in the endgame even if it ended up not mattering in the end 😢

[@bro91wn]

Exciting game! I'm glad you beat streamer vision to find F(A)TWA! On the FO(V)EA turn, I am wondering about FO(Y)ER. It does guarantee that you will be able to play the Q if you get it (with at least 3C Q(U)A or E8 QUA(D)), and blocks the Q(I)/Q(I) hotspot. However, it is a 10 point sacrifice and risks vowelitis when you have a small lead. Anyway, it was a very unfortunate loss! Best of luck in the next game!

[@mackmeller]

Thanks! Interesting regarding FOYER, it's worth considering but I do think the 10 point sacrifice and also keeping the extra vowel drawing into that imbalanced an unseen tile pool is a bit too much for the upside - there's no guarantee I'm even blocking QI since the bot might not have the Q, and if I get the Q then FOVEA actually works out better since QI/QI hardly gets blocked I'd imagine

[@wfchannel4673]

zayin seemed way too open with the q and/or the x potentially on the bot's rack after they'd just bingoed.

[@quinnbartlett7233]

Even with 5 Ts remaining the bot is far more likely to be able to play there than you, great play IMO

[@mackmeller]

NEB you mean? Yeah, I hate playing scared against BestBot but I think there was a lot to be scared of there

[@dentonyoung4314]

You played better than the bot and the bot got unfairly lucky. You should have won.

[@mackmeller]

Hard to say I played better than the bot, though I was definitely happy with how I played... sometimes in Scrabble the better player doesn't win though, it's just part of the game!

[@-Mopo-]

Too bad *HEATHROWS

[@craiglarimer1173]

You played brilliantly. Well done. Super lucky final pull for the bot.

[@mackmeller]

Thanks! Hopefully I can get some revenge in the next one :)

[@KevinMkay-y5i]

I have to be the most active fan to be number one. Love your work Mack 🎉😊

[@mackmeller]

Thanks so much!

[@Vynetic]

Maybe the glasses should make a reappearance? :D

[@mackmeller]

I will definitely consider it!

[@coolnath99]

such a tight game, too bad for the anticlimax at the end but was very exciting

[@carlredington881]

What creature is in Bestbot's profile pic??

[@WordsWithFrentz]

Happy that I found the ARO/CURIAE sequence on my own--that's usually the kind of thing I miss over the board. Tough loss, but hey, 38-25 the rest of the way is just over 60%--very doable, right?

[@mackmeller]

Should be a piece of cake!

[@choco1101]

Always instructive

[@josephmallick2654]

Reminds me of my SIMILAR draw against you in Poughkeepsie years ago. I forgot that I already had the blank in that game.

[@mackmeller]

Are you saying that these positions give off similar vibes? ;)

[@josephmallick2654]

@@mackmeller No, just typing it. ;)

[@XANDOAndy]

I'm surprised that FATWA was the best move there. It's better on equity than the other options, but it seems risky to open the possibilities for so many 7s coming down parallel. Am I just overestimating the risk of a bingo there?

[@mackmeller]

It's not that it isn't a risk, it absolutely is, it's just that (1) I'm not up enough to be overly worried about that kind of thing since I could still easily be caught without a bingo and (2) there are already plenty of other places for the bot to bingo, such as with the C or hooking DONATIVES, so the board is more or less going ot stay open anyway and as such it isn't worth worrying too much about another line being opened.

[@XANDOAndy]

@@mackmeller That makes sense! I've been feeling a drive to improve recently, so I appreciate the reply!