Scrabble isn’t only a game of vocabulary and anagramming, it also involves a lot of strategizing and good planning. What use is your wide knowledge about words, including ones related to Independence Day, if you do not have the grit and know-how to acquire tools to form them? Rack management in the game is definitely a very important skill, and learning it takes a lot of patience and open-mindedness. So, how can you open up the opportunities by managing the tiles on your rack? Here are some tips and things to remember:
Get rid of the duplicate letters ASAP
The most effective way to pave the way for opportunities on your rack is to get rid of duplicate letter tiles. For example, having a couple of letter Es could mean that you MIGHT draw another one. Bear in mind that there are only a few words with three letter Es – so better get rid of the multiples as soon as possible. This also applies to consonants, especially the letters S, T, R, N and L.
Having duplicate letter tiles upsets the balance of your rack, and their presence also deprives you of drawing useful ones. If you fail to observe this, learn words with two or more duplicate letters. Remember words like EGG, TOTES, SENSES, SORRY, LOUDLY and ANNOY.
Balance consonants and vowels
Ideally, it is best to have three vowels and four consonants on your rack at the same time. Not only will this increase your chances of forming a good word, but it will also increase your chances of getting a bingo as well. Having a vowel or consonant heavy word will certainly decrease your chances of being able to form a new word, let alone score.
If the luck of the draw dictates otherwise, then it’s always handy to learn vowel and consonant-heavy words. These include the following: AUDIO, AERIE, QUEUE, RACKS, TANKS, CRANKY and STRONG.
Save up the usable tiles
Let’s say that you have the chance to form the word, SALES, which only dishes out a meager five points. You look at your rack and see that it only contains another consonant and a vowel, but there are no longer any scoring options. So, do you play SALES? If you want to create more opportunities for your self in the next turn, no. You’re better off playing the word ALES instead.
Why? Well, the letter S is one of the most usable words in Scrabble, and it’s present in a lot of words. You’re better off saving it for future turns, in order to increase your chances of forming better words in the long run.
Overall, creating opportunities for yourself in the game may be really hard, but all it takes is just a bit of ingenuity and common sense. Just remember, get rid of duplicates, balance the consonants and vowels and save up usable tiles for the future!