Scrabble is a fun game and enriches your English vocabulary. The object of the game is to get the most points by arranging the letters to form a word that connects to one of the letters of the word that your opponent has created. To play Scrabble, you need at least one opponent. You'll also need a Scrabble board with all the equipment. As you play, you'll make words, collect points, challenge your opponents, and even swap letters if you have to. Meanwhile, the scorekeeper will count the points of all players to determine the winner of this game. If you like the game, invite your friends to sign up for a Scrabble club or join a tournament.
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Part 1 of 5: Preparation Stage
Step 1. Make sure all the equipment is complete
Before playing, you should check all the equipment for playing Scrabble. You'll need a game board, 100 letter blocks, one letter rack for each player, and a cloth pocket to store the letter blocks. The number of Scrabble players is 2-4 people.
Step 2. Select the dictionary to use
It is possible that during the game the player's word is misspelled, or is not a word at all. Therefore, you need a dictionary to check the correctness of words and spelling.
Step 3. Put the letter blocks in a cloth bag and shake
To mix the letter blocks, put them in a bag, close and shake lightly. If you don't have a pocket, place all the letter blocks on the table, letters facing down, then shuffle them together.
Step 4. Decide which player to start first
Pass the pocket around the table and players must pick up a block of letters. Then, put the blocks of letters taken on the table, the player who gets the letter closest to A may start first. Return the blocks to the bag and shake again.
Step 5. Take your letter blocks
Each player is allowed to take 7 letter blocks from the bag without looking. Do not show the letters you picked up to other players. Arrange the letter blocks on the letter rack and pass the bag to the next player, until all players have 7 letters on the shelf.
Part 2 of 5: Playing Scrabble
Step 1. Play the first word
The player who gets the letter closest to A may play the first word. The word that is made consists of at least 2 letters and must touch the star box in the middle of the game board. Word order can be vertical or horizontal. However, it should not be diagonal.
When calculating the score of the first word, keep in mind that the player who makes the first word gets a double score because the star box is counted as a Premium Box with a double score bonus. For example, if the score of the word played is 8, then the player gets a total score of 16
Step 2. Count your points
After laying down the word, make sure to count your points. Add up the points at the far right of each block of letters placed. If you place blocks on the Premium Square, adjust the score according to the clues in the Premium Square.
For example, if you put a word above the box that says “Double Word”, double the point total of your word. If you place a block above the box that says “Double Letter”, double the value of the letter above the Premium Square and calculate your total score
Step 3. Take a new block of letters
On each turn, the player needs a new block of letters after creating a word. Take as many letter blocks as the letters of the word the player has created. For example, if you are playing with three blocks to make a word, take three new letter blocks at the end of your turn. Place these new letters on the shelf and pass the cloth bag to the next player.
Step 4. Connect the words that the opposing player made
On the next turn, you have to make a connecting word from the word your opponent just made. This means that you cannot create words that stand alone on the game board. All beams must be connected to each other.
When connecting words from words created by opposing players, make sure you consider all the connected blocks. The connection you make must create at least one new word, but if you connect to another block, from another direction, make sure that you make a valid word on the game board
Step 5. Use your blocks to get as many points as possible in each turn
Maybe you can play a few words on each turn that will earn you the most points. Look for opportunities to use Premium Squares and high value letters, such as “Z” and “Q”. The Premium Box on the Scrabble board game consists of:
- Double Letter Score: This means that the letter points placed above this box are doubled.
- Double Word Score: This means that the total points of a word whose one letter is above this box is doubled.
- Triple Letter Score: This means that the letter points placed above this box are multiplied by three.
- Triple Word Score: That is, the total points of the word whose one letter is above this box is multiplied by three.
Step 6. Challenge other players' words
If you think another player is playing a missing word or misspelled it, you can challenge that player. When challenging other players, look up the word in the dictionary.
- If the word created is in the dictionary and is spelled correctly, the word remains on the game board and the creator still receives points. The losing challenger will lose his turn.
- If the word is not in the dictionary or is misspelled, it must be removed from the game board. The player does not receive any points and loses his turn.
Step 7. Swap out unwanted letter blocks
At some point in the game, you can swap the blocks you hold for new ones. Swapping blocks will use your turn. Just put the unwanted letter blocks back in the container bag, shake them a bit and then take out as many blocks as you put in earlier. Don't forget, you can't make words after swapping blocks because it's considered a turn.
Part 3 of 5: Scoring
Step 1. Record the score as you play
You need to know the score you and your players have while playing. Each player must announce his score which has been added with the latest word so that it can be immediately recorded by the scorekeeper.
Step 2. Keep an eye on the Premium Box
The Premium Box will change your word score so pay attention as you play the word. You can only use the Premium bonus if one of the letters of the word being played is placed above the Premium Square. You cannot get the Premium Box bonus if the bonus has already been calculated in a previous turn or during an opposing player's turn.
When adding a bonus for some premium Boxes, add a letter bonus before the word bonus. For example, you create a word that earns a double letter bonus and a triple word bonus. Add the double letter bonus first, then multiply the total by 3
Step 3. Earn an additional 50 points if you earn BINGO
BINGO is when you use all seven blocks of letters held together to make a word. If this is the case, add up the total value of your letters, then add the bonus from the Premium Box (if any) and add to the total by 50 points.
Step 4. Add each player's score at the end of the game
After all the players have used up the entire block of letters or there are no more words to make, add up the total points for each player. When the scorekeeper calculates the total score, each player must notify the point value (if any) of each block of letters remaining in their respective hands. Subtract this value from the respective player's total points to determine the final score for each player.
Step 5. Announce the winner
After each player's points are added up and deducted by the value of the remaining letter blocks, the scorekeeper is allowed to announce the winner. The player with the highest score emerges as the winner. Second place is the player with the second highest score, and so on.
Part 4 of 5: Finding Opponents to Play
Step 1. Invite a friend to play
Scrabble is a fun and easy-to-learn game that makes it perfect for spending time with friends. Invite some friends to play Scrabble and learn at the same time.
Step 2. Sign up for the Scrabble club
Maybe you want to play Scrabble every week. If you don't find many people interested in playing Scrabble on a regular basis, look for a Scrabble club in your area. Or, try forming your own Scrabble club.
Step 3. Enter the tournament
Once your Scrabble skills have developed and you feel ready to compete with other players, try participating in Scrabble tournaments. You will play a lot and meet people with similar interests.
Part 5 of 5: Playing Scrabble Professionally
Step 1. Play using the official Scrabble dictionary to eliminate illegal and fake words
If you want to play professionally, for example at the National Scrabble Tournament, you have to play up to standard. Buy an official dictionary and enforce the rules when playing with friends. You need to practice how you play if you want to become a pro.
- You can train against professional players at the Internet Scrabble Club (ISC), which is a kind of meeting place for serious players.
- This will help you learn strange and quirky words like “umiaq,” “” MBAQANGA,” or “qi.”
Step 2. Learn professional ethics
Tournaments are not the same as playing Scrabble at home. There are rules in place to ensure all matches run smoothly. You can read the Scrabble rulebook here, and the basics are as follows:
- Count your time, start and stop on each turn.
- Record the score, for both players, after each turn.
- Take the new letter blocks at eye level, with your palms open, and not looking at the pockets of the container.
- There is an option "Hold," to challenge one opponent's word in 15 seconds.
- Use of computers to resolve disputes.
Step 3. In the US, Scrabble players are governed by the North American Scrabble Players Association (NASPA)
This is where the best players enter the tournament. If you want to be a pro, consider joining.
If you want to practice, try talking to a local Scrabble club in your area. Here you can practice if you're still nervous about jumping into NASPA
Step 4. Study the words diligently
In Scrabble, words are weapons. The more words you know, the better. Read the dictionary once a day. Check out the “words of the day” section, or search the internet for “Scrabble Word Lists.” Professional players make rote cards and study diligently, generally focusing on a “strange word list” that can save you when you are in a pinch.
- You can even search a list for a single letter, for example a list of all words containing the letter "X" or "Q."
- Although the official dictionary does not contain any swear words or slurs, all of them are actually legal in tournaments.
Step 5. Know the strength of certain letter blocks
Some blocks are much more valuable than others. The letter S, for example, is a weapon to connect almost all letters in English. Blank blocks should be reserved for words with large bullet points because they can be used easily. The letter Q must be quickly removed, usually through a small word like " qi " or " qat ".
Playing blocks and scoring points is usually better than holding blocks to make one big word or triple the score. Just keep collecting as many points as possible
Step 6. Monitor the blocks of letters in the game
Professionals monitor the blocks of letters being played, and note down on paper or inwardly any blocks that are still in the bag. This is crucial as the game progresses. If you want to swap blocks and hope to get a new vowel, you'll need to estimate how many vowels are still left. If there's a lot of Q, V, and Z on the board, and you don't have a vowel, chances are your opponent has one (that is, you can try aiming for the Triple Word Score and hope you don't get caught by your opponent.
