There are many theories on the best strategies for the game of Scrabble. Assuming that the game is a two player affair, the most important assessment is of yourself and of your opponent. Having a lot of Scrabble experience, especially in the nuances of the game, can make up for a lesser vocabulary. That said, many Scrabble experts recommend that serious players learn all of the two and three letter words in the Official Scrabble Player’s Dictionary. Knowing these words allows for the most flexibility during game play. Most new Scrabble players assume that learning the longer and more complex words is the key to the game, but really it’s finding a place for the highest scoring two and three letter words that separates good players from average ones. From there, Scrabble experts say, it’s also important to balance the number of consonants and vowels that are left on a rack after a word is played. Some expert Scrabble players recommend taking a lower scoring play if it leaves the player with more favorable letters for future turns. Scrabble experts are constantly trying to set up “bingos,” or plays where they use all seven tiles. This awards fifty bonus points and is often the difference between winning and losing. Forgoing five or six points on one turn to get fifty additional points on another is a sensible strategy for Scrabble players that are experienced enough to find seven letter words. For players that don’t have the word knowledge or history playing the game to target bingos, it’s better to not forgo higher scoring plays. Another defensive tactic is to not leave common letters open near high scoring spaces. The triple word score and triple letter score spaces are very valuable and a skilled opponent will take advantage if these are left open. If a Scrabble opponent has more experience, it’s much more important to keep the board closed to opportunities than to pursue an extra three or four points. Most Scrabble players leave far too many valuable spaces open and against a good, experienced opponent, that is the biggest mistake they can make. Some players are also hesitant to challenge words that other players play that are clearly invalid. Many players will never challenge, always assuming that the other player must know a word that they don’t. This is a bad strategy for Scrabble players of any level. Against bad players who don’t know any better, they are likely to misspell certain words and be unsure about others. Experienced Scrabble players are likely to notice if another player never challenges their words and begin playing intentionally phony words (which is not against the rules). To mix up your game, expert Scrabble players say, you must challenge at least occasionally. Of course, some times are better than others to challenge your opponent. If the opponent’s play isn’t for a lot of points and you have a potential word that is high scoring, risking losing your turn is not a smart Scrabble strategy. What’s important to note is that some Scrabble strategies are much more complex than just knowing a lot of words.
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