Life is an open book, and so is a single Scrabble game. Although you can learn a lot of tactics and strategies in books and Internet articles, nothing beats learning the game by playing it. After all, what good is theory without practice, and it’s always better to learn something while it’s being done. Having said that, what are the things you should take note of and learn when playing the game?
The words themselves
Everyday, we use the same words in our daily conversations. After all, there’s really no need for unfamiliar words since the people we talk to may not understand it anyway. However, if you’re planning to use conversational words in Scrabble, you’re always going to end up in the loser’s circle. In this case, learning unfamiliar and sometimes, absurd words will help out big time.
A filled up Scrabble board is like an open dictionary: it contains numerous words that you may not be familiar with. Learn their meanings and their usage in order to have more words in your gaming arsenal and to use in everyday conversation. From short letter words to seven letter ones, take note of every word played on the board. Remember, every Scrabble game is a vocabulary lesson! This comes in handy, especially if you’re not a person that doesn’t come from a native English-speaking country
The tactics and strategies
Scrabble is one of the best board games out there, especially since its complexity rivals – or even exceed – that of chess. Watch a Scrabble game between hardened veterans: you may find their moves rather simplistic and low-scoring, only to pull off a big one in the latter turns. There’s always a science and a strategy to it, and there are several playing styles as well:
• The offensive player – these types of players that looks to put high scoring words in every turn. They have an extensive knowledge of long words, especially seven letter ones. This, however, makes them prone to traps.
• The defensive player – these types of players follow their opponents throughout the board, limiting their chances and covering bonus tiles. They don’t usually score big, but they can limit their opponents to less than 200-300 points per game. They are usually boring and irritating to play with.
• The gambler and trapper – you may encounter players that usually don’t score big for a couple of turns, then they suddenly find an opening and score more than 50 or even a hundred points in one. The way they play is patterned after manipulation – they seemingly let their opponents use an opening, then they grab the scoring opportunities that open up. This type of game plan is rather complex, but it makes the game very fun and exciting to play.
Grace and etiquette
In Scrabble tournaments, players abide a strict code of conduct and etiquette. Even if the goal is to beat their opponents black and blue on the board, they treat each other with mutual respect. Just remember: even the military generals and opposing kings respected their adversaries. This lesson is not only applicable in Scrabble games, but also in life.