Scrabble GM vs. Bot Blitz Battle: Episode 8!

I triumphed handily over the Scrabble engine HastyBot in my 100-game Mack vs. Machine series, but that was in a long time control. Can I repeat the same feat in blitz?
Introducing a 250-game marathon blitz battle against HastyBot, consisting of 50 5-game episodes every Friday at 5pm ET! Each episode will feature five games of increasingly fast time controls, one at each of 5/4/3/2/1 minutes, along with some post-game analysis. Hope you guys enjoy, and wish me luck!
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]!

[@EmmsterGD]

SPOILER BLOCKER COMMENTS ARE BACK
Anyway I have to say the possibility of the (TELEMARK)ETER extension looked so juicy for a while and was possible until the last tile pull. How unfortunate

[@JDHinten]

First SPOONFED# and now YANKERS# - Mack just cannot stop accidentally revealing how much he is studying CSW behind the scenes when he plays these blitz games! 😆

[@ohtani2024]

I feel like he is switching to Collins after crowning the NWL national champion like how Alec, Josh and Will did

[@ohtani2024]

Personally I enjoyed Collins more than NWL. 100% rooting for Mack in the upcoming tournament!

[@Firefly256]

@@ohtani2024Collins has less stakes with 5-point challenge rather than double challenge, I play Collins but I think NWL has strategies involving bluffs

[@ohtani2024]

@@Firefly256 yea i love NWL challenge rule much a lot as well!

[@AlexeysCarcassonneChannel]

TELEMARK was just *chef's kiss*

[@AmaranthRBY]

The 2 and 1 minute games wow!! Amazing games today, really enjoying the blitz set overall but today is probably the most enjoyable day yet

[@mackmeller]

Thanks! Yeah was a bit disappointed to lose the 2 minute, that UUU draw really stung. Oh well, was still a great session as you said :)

[@annayosh]

... in which Mack performs a perfect telemark landing

[@almightyhydra]

Yankers got yanked off the board

[@mackmeller]

Indeed, haha

[@johnwilder4789]

*YANKERS, up there with *BEAMERS, *FOILERS, *SHAMERS, and many other phonies of that ilk that seem so plausible and yet aren’t valid (in NWL, at least.)
Also - awesome find of DANDERED in 1 minute, particularly with the hooks it relied on.

[@ohtani2024]

DANDERED❤❤❤

[@billynakamura48]

I know it's blitz and HastyBot is a bot, but what do you think of playing on row 14 with SPELT? RIG says blank and/or S to me and that is the only good S spot left on the board.

[@mackmeller]

Hmm, even if RIG indicates blank and/or S I don't think I can afford to burn my own S and block that spot given I'm actually at a deficit. If I play SPELT it's basically tied and I'm down a tempo with a (presumably, based on the inference) worse rack than HastyBot on a dying board, which is not a good place to be. So I think I have to leave it open and hope to hit something myself there and that HastyBot misses.

[@brianchau7328]

HI MACK❤

[@mackmeller]

Hi!