Starter word paid off today; and LASER was a previous answer.

Wordle 1,229 2/6

🟨🟨🟨⬛🟨 SLATE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

I struggled mightily this morning and eventually skunked out.

Wordle 1,229 5/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜ BREAK
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ HOIST
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ CLUMP
🟨🟩🟨⬜🟨 SALVE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

WordleBot
Skill 82/99
Luck 34/99


Connections
Puzzle #507
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩

Skill 95/99
Uniqueness 1 in 527


Strands #241
“How sweet!”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵

Wordle 1,229 6/6

🟨⬛⬛⬛🟨 ATONE
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛ DRILY
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ CHUMP
⬛🟨⬛🟨🟩 LEGAL (really thought i had it)
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟨 BAWKS
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

blah

5 minutes of distraction in hospital bed. too warm in this room

I had three letters from the second try and still never got it.

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ AUDIO
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟨 STARE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL


I'd say that was about 98% luck. I had decided to look for an "N" or an "L" and it just game to me.

Wordle 1,229 3/6*

🟨🟩🟨🟩⬜ SALET
🟨🟩🟩🟩⬜ LASER
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 5/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ Train
⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨 Maple
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 Label
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 Gavel
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Easel

Wordle 1,229 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨minse
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩spell- wouldn’t that be ironic
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩Easel

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨 anise
🟨⬜🟨🟨🟩 steal
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 easel

Wordle 1,229 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩trial
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩navel
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩easel

NY Times average 3.9 and Wordlebot in 4.

Wordle 1,229 2/6

🟨⬜🟨🟨🟩 steal
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 easel

Wordle 1,229 X/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜audio
🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜later
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩camel
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩navel
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩hazel
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩bagel

But
CAMEL
NAVEL
BAGEL
Were past answers and wouldn't be used again...at least so far.
I always check to see if a guess has been used. Saves many a bust LOL.
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wordle-past-answers
or
https://www.fiveforks.com/wordle/#e

I know it's technically legal, but it takes away some of the skill element from Wordle. I remember reading that there were something like 5000 eligible 5-letter words in the English language, so in another year or so, the pool will be shrinking fairly dramatically and it'll be a matter of choosing from an handful of unused words. The NYT average scores will trend down to the low 3s and high 2s, and the thrill of getting a 2 would feel a bit hollow. I prefer the challenge of coming up with sacrifice words that use up 3 or 4 of the possible letter options. Today it'd be words like "maven" or "chugs" to chip away at the possibles. But, like everything in life, to each his own!

That's how I found out was by somebody here telling me about it.
Also, it depends on what your personal "rules" are for playing this thing.
I keep a personal record of all the games I've done. They're jpgs so not searchable but it helps jog my memory about how I dealt with my past starter word in similar situations.
So, is it kosher to use your memory to keep from trying old answers? I happened to remember 2 of those in the above post without looking them up. If you have a freaking good eidetic memory maybe you wouldn't need a list at all. So is that legal? My memory ain't that good so I sometimes remember a used word but way not enough.
As you say, though, to each his own.

Wordle 1,229 4/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜train
🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜saved
🟨🟩⬜🟩🟨laces
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩easel

Connections
Puzzle #507
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟦🟪🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Wordle 1,229 X/6

🟨⬛⬛🟩⬛ ADIEU
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 BAGEL
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 PANEL
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 CAMEL
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 RAVEL
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩 HAZEL

But wait! I still have more letters!!



Connections
Puzzle #507
🟨🟩🟦🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Wordle 1,229 5/6

⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨 Raise
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟨 Pages
🟨🟩🟨🟩⬜ Salet
🟨🟩🟩🟩⬜ Lased
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Easel

Connections
Puzzle #507
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Wordle 1,229 3/6
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩 TRIAL
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 GAVEL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨 ARISE
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ STEAK
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6*

🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜ LATER
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 NAVEL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ Flint
🟩🟩⬜🟨🟨 eagle
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 easel

Wordle 1,229 2/6

🟨⬜🟨🟨🟩 STEAL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨LOUIE
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜SHELF
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨 ARISE
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ STEAK
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 EASEL

Wordle 1,229 3/6

🟨⬜🟨⬜🟨 stare
🟨🟨⬜🟩⬜ Aspen
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Easel