Getting better at Scrabble isn’t easy, especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s why we created this article to provide help for Scrabble players who are trying to improve.
The actions needed to improve your game and skill level depend on what level you’re currently at, but in general, some tips are relevant to players of all levels.
First of all, you should go learn the 2- and 3-letter words. All of them. If this is too time consuming, go learn the 2-letter words, and then slowly learn the 3-letter words over time. Knowing these words will allow you to play small words across each other, and get massive points for letters like Z, Q, X, etc. by landing these big tiles on double and triple word scores tiles, going in two directions. A triple word score tile with a Z on it going in two directions is worth 60 points for the Z alone (10 x 3 x 2).
Next, learn common beginnings and endings to words. This is more important than actually learning new words. Why? because it makes it easier to get Bingos, or 7 letter words, which give you a 50 point bonus on top of the regular letter score. One or two of these can win you the game!
It’s hard to find a 7 letter word, but it’s pretty easy to find a 4 or 5 letter word with a common ending. Stamped, Stumped, Trumped, etc.
You can move the “De” to the front of a word too. Detains. Notice the “S” also. Detain is really only a 6 letter word, but the “S” makes it 7. “S” is a very valuable letter, for this reason and others, so never waste it.
If you’re seeking help for Scrabble scoring, and you only learn one tip today, definitely focus on Bingos. Other common endings to look for are “ING” “ER” “ERS”. These all make it very easy to find 7-letter words.
Okay, so you’re focusing on making small words with big-scoring tiles like Z and X, and you’re looking for Bingos, but what else can you do? Well, one thing is to focus on defense. Scoring is always more important, but once you’re comfortable and scoring a good amount, it’s time to start noticing what opportunities your plays are opening up for your opening.
Maybe you scored 27 points last play, but opened up a triple word score tile for your opponent. Sometimes this is okay, but it depends on the situation. Maybe you could have scored 24 points in a different spot without opening that up. In that case, 24 would be much better than 27. You need to balance offense and defense; sometimes it’s okay to take a few less points, if it means stopping your opponent from getting a big score.
One more area to add to your strategy is tile exchange. You can trade in any or all of your tiles when it is your turn, and you receive a score of 0 for that turn. When beginners come asking for help for Scrabble, I often find that they are trading in too much. Usually, you should only trade in if you’re going to be getting less than 6-7 points.…