Losing a game in Scrabble is as easy as breathing, unless if you have some sort of respiratory problems. It also takes just one wrong move: a scoreless turn could spell doom to your campaign. That being said, Scrabble is a comprehensively strategic game, and it takes a lot of practice, learning and experience in order to rack up the wins in a competitive setting. Aside from which, it takes a lot of realizations as well: you might not be aware, but your in-game habits and strategies might be helping your opponent out more than you. Anyway, here are some ways that will help you LOSE a Scrabble game – be sure to avoid them!
Place letters near multiplier squares
One of the worst blunders and things that you can ever do in Scrabble is to place a word near vacant multiplier squares. By doing so, you just opened up the board, allowing your opponent to take advantage of those multipliers and giving him fresh scoring opportunities. By doing so, you’re digging your own grave – don’t be surprised if he scores at least 50 points in the next turn!
The worst thing you can ever do is place a bunch of letter tiles on or near the edges, right where the triple word multiplier is. As much as possible, try to let your opponent make this folly instead of you!
Swapping your power letters
New players might think that the letters J, Q, X and Z are a nuisance, given that it’s kind of hard to form a word with them along with the ones on your rack. That being said, you might make the mistake of swapping these tiles, because hey, you can barely form a word using them, right? Actually, doing so spells doom in the long run, given that your more informed and knowledgeable opponent might draw these letters.
Keep in mind that these letters give a lot of points: eight for J and X, while 10 for Q and Z. Placing J and X on a triple letter tile will garner an automatic 24 points, while the Q and Z will dish out a whopping 30. Veteran players are actually overjoyed when they draw these letter tiles given that they will be able to score big in future turns. Try to learn simple words that contain these letters, in order to avoid making this mistake.
Awful rack management
In Scrabble, the letter tiles are your weapons, and how you use them is the way you attack your opponent and defend from his rushing onslaught. That being said, rack management is a vital skill, and takes a lot of brainpower to accomplish. However, it is easily learned and pretty basic, since you only have to:
• Keep four consonants and three vowels on your rack at best.
• Get rid of multiple letters. For example, get rid of two Es if you have three.
• Saving up usable tiles like S, E and R.
If you fail to follow the above mentioned, then it decreases the possibility of you forming a high-scoring word, reducing your chances of winning. This might also render to swap and skip a turn, leaving you scoreless and biting your opponent’s dust.
Not learning the valid and best words will also prevent you from winning the game. Be sure to check online sources, including this blog, for the best tips and guides, given that doing so will definitely enhance your skills in Scrabble.