Gaming

Easy Ways to Improve Your Scrabble Scores

Scrabble is undoubtedly the most popular word game in the world and players have been enjoying Scrabble since it was first developed in the thirties. The rules of Scrabble have hardly changed in all that time; there are two to four players, each with 7 letter tiles of different values, who have to come up with the highest scoring word which they place on the game board. All the players’ words are interlinked and there are special bonus squares which multiply by the scores of whole words or individual letters. Scrabble is a great way to learn new words and have fun with your friends and family.

To help you increase your Scrabble win ratios, here are 5 easy ways to improve your Scrabble skills.

Maximize Every Letter

When it comes to getting big Scrabble scores, you must maximize every letter to squeeze every possible point out of each word. The best way to get the highest score out on the board is by building your vocabulary. One great option is to use an online tool where you unscramble letters to make words that will help you practice between Scrabble games. Champion Scrabblers have enormous vocabularies and they add to them every day with unscramblers, crosswords, and other word games. These games are very useful because they give you a great chance to practice your word building skills without the pressure of a competitive Scrabble game.

Dominate the Triples

The key to big Scrabble scores is hitting the Triple Word squares which can allow you to totally dominate a game. There are various ways to win a game of Scrabble, but the most effective way is to just outscore your opponents by hitting all the triples. This is not an easy thing to do because unless your opponents are very inexperienced, they are not likely to leave you with many opportunities for getting out on the Triple Word squares. Experienced players will only open triples up if they know it is going to be beneficial for them on the next turn. To improve your scores you need to trick your opponent by letting them out of the Double Word squares so that they leave you an opening on the triple.

Hit the Double Words Regularly

Triple Word squares are the dream of Scrabblers, but Double Word scores should really be your bread and butter if you want to hit the big scores and win games. To maximize your scoring potential on doubles, you need to try and hit one whilst also getting a big consonant out on a Doubler Letter or Triple Letter square. One important thing to remember is that just because you can not score well on a Double Word doesn’t mean you should leave it for your opponents. Especially if there are only two of you playing, hoping that the Double Word opportunity will still be there when it is your next turn will more likely than not leave you disappointed. If your letters are no good, spoil the double or get rid of your bad letters.

Defend When Necessary

There are games when the letters just don’t fall your way and no matter what you do, you simply do not catch a break. Every player has had those games when all the pull out of the bag is I’s and U’s. This is what makes Scrabble such a great game because it provides you with the opportunity to try and win differently. Without the possibility of getting high scoring words out to beat your opponent, you will need to play a defensive game and choke your opponents. Spoil potential openings, don’t open up any doubles or triples and see if you can score a victory playing defensively rather than offensively.

Use the Big Letters at the Opportune Moment

The biggest Scrabble scores require the big letters, but pulling out the Z, Q, and X in one game can sometimes be a poisoned chalice. It can be very tempting to keep a hold onto the big ones to try and get a huge score and end up missing the opportunity. Not scoring well with the big consonants or, even worse, being left with them at the end of the game, is one of the most common reasons why people end up losing. It is fine to hold onto them for the first half of the game whilst trying to find the perfect moment, but in the second half, just get the big ones out.

Scrabble is a game that requires skill, great vocabulary, and a lot of tactical nous. There are many things you can do to improve your scrabble scores and in doing so win more games. Just remember there is no one correct way to play so it is really important to be versatile.