Today’s the day for our D Magazine Words With Friends Tournament championship. Four players remain out of the original field of 64. The semifinals kick off at 7 p.m. this evening, and you’ll be able to watch live right here through FrontBurner (more on that later). No word yet on the odds out of Vegas.
In anticipation of the first of our semifinals, between Rhett Miller and Trennis Jones, we asked a couple of their vanquished opponents to provide some expert analysis on how they think this match could play out. Â Cristen Hixson, whom Miller called an “absolute beast” at WWF, shares her insights into the keys to Miller’s success, and how he could be beat. Lauren Lapeyre, who faced Jones in the round of eight, breaks down Jones’ prospects.
Jump for the commentary.
Hixson on Miller:
His Keys to Success
- He’s cool, calm, and not aggressive. He can lull you into a false sense of safety.
- If you leave it open, he does not miss triple-word opportunities.
- He’s got an outstanding endgame. He’ll drop a couple bombs on you even as you’re composing in your head the winning blurb that you plan to send to the tournament director.
How to Beat Him
- Don’t get intimidated because your girlfriends think he’s such a hottie. Do what I did – have never heard of the guy until you get matched up with him in an online tournament.
- He’s carefree, prone to putting down words without thinking of the implications. He’ll play something and forget you can build off it, either at the end or parallel. Block hard.
- Don’t leave vast spaces open for bingos. You don’t want him going out on a double-double bingo with the words FEASTERS. Trust me.
Lapeyre on Jones:
His Keys to Success
- His word knowledge and ability to find bingos among his tiles carry him a long way.
- He’s aggressive. He plays for the high score, anticipating that he can outscore you, regardless of the board position that he leaves you. And he can.
- He will jump on any double or triple scoring chance you give him. Great board vision.
How to Beat Him
- Stay aggressive. A strong defense isn’t enough to beat Trennis. Focus on offense.
- Maximize the value of those power letters – J, Q, X, and Z. If you don’t, he will smoke you.
- Move quickly to try to throw him off his game. Don’t give him time to plot it out.
