UK SCRABBLE VS. MACHINE
Top UK Scrabble player, Phil Appleby, has started a game of Scrabble between the UK Scrabble mailing list and a top Scrabble-playing computer program. The computer program plays as the opponent and randomly generates the racks for the UK Scrabble team. The mailing list then discuss each move and vote on it. The number of votes per player is determined by rating/10 with a minimum 10. See rules.
This is an ongoing feature so check back for updates.
STATE OF PLAY
Turn 9: UK Scrabble to play
 |
| Score: |
UK Scrabble 247 Machine 234 |
| Rack: |
 |
| Unseen: | AAAAEEEEEEEEEIIOU ?
BCDGGKNRRRRST |
| Turn |
UKS |
Machine |
| Word (left) |
Grid |
Score |
Word |
Grid |
Score |
| 01 |
PITMAN(R) |
d8 |
+26 26 |
VINO |
c9 |
+19 19 |
| 02 |
YAW(ORSU) |
f10 |
+31 57 |
HAIL |
g7 |
+28 47 |
| 03 |
JOR(LLSU) |
e11 |
+29 86 |
WHINY |
k3 |
+39 86 |
| 04 |
BUHL(ALOS) |
i4 |
+18 104 |
FOUD |
j2 |
+24 110 |
| 05 |
IOS(AALS) |
d12 |
+23 127 |
PIG |
i10 |
+18 128 |
| 06 |
bASILAR |
m2 |
+74 201 |
TREZ |
l8 |
+42 170 |
| 07 |
FOE(CETU) |
c13 |
+24 225 |
STUD |
j10 |
+27 197 |
| 08 |
ENTOPIC(LU) |
d4 |
+22 247 |
VOX |
n1 |
+37 234 |
ANALYSIS
Choice commentary from the list participants
Paul Allan:
Looks to be a choice between QUOD, MEND and MELD.
I wouldn't be surprised if QUOD simulates best, shedding the Q nearly always seems to be preferred by sims, but I'll go with MELD n7.
QUNT seems a nice leave, QAT/QUIZ possibilities, no real danger of it being an encumbrance and the possibility of MAVEN setting us up for a hefty score. It also blocks the most dangerous bonus spot, the N column.
18 votes for MELD please.
Stewart Holden:
QUOD seems to be the only place to use the Q at all, but a more important consideration should be that MELD and similar moves block the N
column (as Paul said) and thus take out the last remaining danger spot for a Machine bonus. We should have a move at least as good as QUOD next time for getting rid of the Q.
I was hoping that this dire selection was going to be Phil's April Fools joke (to be replaced this afternoon by a decent rack!), but alas I would guess it's for real... If we decide on a move quickly, would there be any chance of moving on to Move 10 before you go away, Phil?
I really don't see very much to discuss for three weeks, better to leave something possibly more debatable.
15 votes for MELD (n7d) please.
Bob Lipton:
19 early votes for n7d MELD, please. I'm not worried about saving the D for QUOD next time. Various vowel pickups$ will give us better options later -- f2a QUOIF, 6ba QAT, 5ba QINTAR, possibly even a4a QUEEN but that's a grisly
thought -- and if we continue to choke on consonants, the machine will be having its own vowelitis* to worry about.
VOTING
Voting for Turn 8 closes at midnight BST Saturday 21st April 2001
RACK 8:
Amazing. When I sent out my update on Thursday, ENTOPIC had received no votes. But following Andrew's endorsement, there was no stopping the ENTOPIC bandwagon...
| Word |
Play |
Votes |
| ENTOPIC |
at d4d for 22 leaving LU |
119 |
| UNCO |
at d6a for 20 leaving ELT |
69 |
| DEUTON |
at j13a for 14 leaving CL |
63 |
| DULCET |
at j13a for 18 leaving NO |
37 |
| COZEN |
at o6d for 16 leaving LTU |
17 |
| DUCT |
at j13a for 14 leaving ELNO |
16 |
| CLOZE |
at o5d for 16 leaving NTU |
15 |
I've asked Mark Watkins to do some analysis of this position looking at which move wins the highest percentage of games. I'll be very interested to see the results. In the meantime, here are the latest simulation results. I also included DOUCET, which was mentioned but eventually received no votes. These results are for 5,000 2-ply iterations.
| Word |
Play |
Score |
| ENTOPIC |
at d4d for 22 |
Best |
| UNCO |
at d6a for 20 |
- 0.72 |
| DULCET |
at j13a for 18 |
- 6.19 |
| CLOZE |
at o5d for 16 |
- 6.43 |
| DOUCET |
at j13a for 18 |
- 6.70 |
| DUCT |
at j13a for 14 |
- 7.43 |
| COZEN |
at o6d for 16 |
- 8.28 |
| DEUTON |
at j13a for 14 |
-10.29 |
- Phil Appleby
RULES
Anyone is welcome to vote. For non-UK players, I'll use Bob Jackman's international ratings list (first two digits). If a player has no rating, I'll give 10 votes. If a player has a provisional rating, I'll use that provisional rating.
A vote cast is not final until midnight GMT on Saturday. You are welcome to change your vote as new suggestions get discussed.
There is to be no simulation, but looking up words is fine.
If two moves are effectively identical, but the orientation is different, the votes are added together. For example, if one person suggested TRAMP at h8a and another at h8d, these would
count as the same choice of move.
Phil Appleby
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