Playing games with your friends is a fun time, but if you aren’t all competitive on the same level, you can easily feel as though it is no longer enjoyable. Winning is fun, and you will easily realize you want to play something else if you are always on the losing end. Here are some tips to help you learn how to beat your friends at Scrabble.
Study The Game Mechanics
When you are trying to figure out ways to defeat your friends in a game of Scrabble, you have to first understand the game itself. Scrabble is similar to other word games but has unique mechanics to it. By learning the game and familiarizing yourself with how it plays, you will be able to develop different strategies that allow you to play the game and give yourself the best chances to win.
Value Of Tiles
One of the first things you should learn is the value of different tiles. Common letters will be worth less, but you can use them easily to create words, whereas other letters that may be more difficult to construct words with will have higher value. It is important to have a balance of these letters to maximize your scoring, allowing you to create words consistently with value as opposed to creating low scoring words or having difficulty using your letters at all. These tiles can be used in conjunction with other tiles already on the board, so you not only have to study your own letters but those that are placed by others as well.
Hotspots
What makes Scrabble unique from other word games is the game board. On a Scrabble board, you will see a variety of colored squares. These squares provide you bonuses the first time you use them when you place a tile there as you construct words. If you build upon other words that have used that tile, you will not gain the scoring benefit. The benefits are either letter multipliers or word multipliers. A word multiplier is much more valuable than the single letter one, and this is important to keep in mind when you are building on the board. It is important that you try and use these but also keep the placements in mind to try and prevent your opponent from reaching such multipliers, as well as not providing them the opportunity to build on one with their next turn. Consider how many people you are playing against and how many turns follow you if these squares were to open up.
Learn More Short And Long Words
Learning about the board is one thing, but just as important as the game mechanics are, you need to start expanding your own vocabulary in order to be able to construct the words you need. At the end of the day, Scrabble is a word game and you need to have the proper grasp of language and vocabulary to compete. With Scrabble, it is important to learn both long words to reach the bonus tiles and score big as well as short words, as two-letter words will be important when you are trying to score with perpendicular or intersecting words. Additionally, as you run out of tiles in the end game, those short words will come in handy as you try to empty your hand from your remaining tiles in order to score an extra 50 points.
Using Teaching Tools
One thing that you can do to help build your vocabulary is through the use of teaching tools. Unscrambler apps or programs will come in handy as a Scrabble word finder will be able to help you during a Scrabble match. Obviously, you won’t want to use this during a game, but as you try and practice, and help develop your word skills, having a tool early on will get you in the habit of finding words faster or recognize words that you might not see. This will help train your mind. As you get more familiar with the game and strengthen your abilities, you won’t have to rely on such assistance tools and can rely on your own skills to take down your friends.
Playing Other Word Games
If you enjoy Scrabble, there are plenty of other games that you should look into playing. Like many hobbies and interests, sometimes you can feel burnt out and get tired of playing the same games over and over again. If you need a break or are looking for other games to play, consider other word games. This will help you develop your vocabulary, strengthening your word skills in various situations. If you are exploring other games, be sure to try ones with timers that put pressure on you to process familiar words quickly, while the more casual and relaxing word games that do not have timers can help develop and extend your vocabulary to more words.
Learn Words In Your Spare Time
In addition to playing other word games, you can use other methods to help educate you and encourage continuous learning. Reading is a great hobby that doesn’t put the pressure on you to have to think about words, but you take in knowledge in a much more passive method. Additionally, watching television can also be a learning experience if you are watching shows that are more engaging. Programs that engage the viewer such as trivia shows and game shows, especially ones that involve words can have a positive impact and help you subconsciously with your words and languages.
Practice
If you are looking to beat your friends at Scrabble, the most important and effective thing that you can do is to simply play more of the game you love and improve at it. You can play by yourself to try and improve your own score from game to game, or you can play competitively with others. The more you play, the more you practice, the better you will be, and eventually be at the top of your friends’ group.
It will take time to improve your skills when it comes to Scrabble, but if you take the time and effort, you will see yourself improve in no time. Just remember that it is a game, and even if you aren’t winning every game, but remaining competitive, you will surely have fun and enjoy your game nights.