Frequently
Asked Questions:
1.
Are there Club Dues?
All visits to our club are free.
2.
Do I need to be a member of the National Scrabble
Association?
The Roseville Scrabble Club and Sacramento Scrabble Club are
affiliated with the National Scrabble Association
(NSA). However, you do not need to be a member of
the NSA to play at the club. Membership is only
required if you participate in NSA-sponsored
tournaments (after your first tournament). The
fee for membership is $20 per year, which
includes a subscription to the Scrabble
newsletter.
3.
How many games are played at a club meeting?
We have a very friendly and open environment. We
generally play anywhere between two to four
games. We encourage you to try and arrive by 6PM
to ensure a few games, although a few players may arrive 30 mins. or more earlier. If you do need to leave
after the first or second game, please let the
director know ahead of time, so you won't be
paired for the next game.
4.
How are players paired?
You can play anyone you like, but players are paired by the director on
a first come, first serve basis. After the first
game you will be paired with others who are available. You may play other newcomers,
seasoned tournament players and everyone in
between. Generally, you learn more by playing
players of many different skill levels.
5.
What do I need to bring?
Most players bring their sets, tiles, etc.. However, to make sure you aren't caught short, you may want to try and bring
your own deluxe or custom game boards,
pro-tiles, digital clocks, and tile racks as well
as your own pen and paper to keep score. If you are a
newcomer all you will really need for your first
few times is a pen and some paper for
scorekeeping.
6.
Do you use clocks?
A digital clock is
generally used during all club games. A clock is
actually a set of two timers; only one of which
is running at any given time. Each player is
allotted 25 minutes. Your timer will be running
when it's your turn. When you complete your turn,
you press a button to simultaneously stop your
timer and start your opponent's timer. The clock
can also be neutralized (both timers stop) for
special situations like challenging, score
reconciliation, questions for the director, and
at the end of the game. If you happen to use more
than the allotted 25 minutes, an overtime penalty
of 10 points is subtracted from your final score
for each additional minute or fraction of a
minute used. Newcomers are usually given extra
time during their first time visit.
7.
What Dictionary is used?
The official
dictionary or word list used at the club (as well
as tournaments) is the second edition of the
Official Tournament and Club Word List (OTCW2 or
just TWL2). This word list includes acceptable
words up to 9 letters in length. Longer words are
checked using the "Long List", a book
published by the NSA which contains all the
acceptable 10-15 letter words. The
"TWL2" is available through the club
director, or can be ordered from the National
Scrabble Association, if you are a member. The
current fourth edition of the Official Scrabble
Players Dictionary (OSPD4) found in bookstores is
intended for home and school play, and while not
the official dictionary used at the club, it does
provide definitions for most of the acceptable
words in the "TWL2".
8.
Who keeps score?
Each player is expected to
keep track of both players' scores. You can print out free score sheets online from places like:
Score Sheets from the National Scrabble Assoc.
Score Sheets from the Calgary Club
Minimally,
you should write down the cumulative score after
each turn. Additionally, you may wish to record
the word or words played in a turn as well as the
score of that particular turn. If there is ever a
disagreement on the score, neutralize the clock
and correct the discrepancy with your opponent.
Basic
Rules for Play:
A.
Starting a Game:
Each player draws a tile.
The person who has picked the lowest tile starts.
The blank is lowest of all, followed by A, and Z is the highest of all.
B.
Completing a Turn:
1. Position your tiles on the
board, declare the blank (if applicable),
announce your score and start your opponent's
clock, ending your turn.
2. Record your score and
replenish your rack. Track tiles, if desired.
3. Verification of the
cumulative score MUST be on your own time.
C.
Playing a Blank:
Be sure to state clearly
what letter the blank represents. To avoid
confusion write the letter on the score cards
provided or on your tracking/score sheet.
D.
Exchanging tiles:
There must be at least 7
tiles left in the bag.
1. Announce the number of
tiles you wish to exchange
2. Place the tiles face down
on the table leaving the others on your rack.
3. Start your opponent's
clock. You must exchange the group of tiles
on the table.
4. Draw the required number of
tiles from the bag.
5. Put the replaced tiles in
the bag and shuffle the bag.
E.
Overdrawing:
When you realize you have more
than 7 tiles.
1. If you have 8 tiles, you
put your tiles face down on the table.
2. Your opponent then randomly
draws 3 tiles and turns them face up.
3. Opponent then selects 1
tile to return to the bag.
F.
Holding a play:
It is each player's
responsibility to look at all the words their
opponent plays. If you do not challenge at once
but are considering a challenge, call
"HOLD to notify your opponent not to
draw replacement tiles.
G.
Challenging a play:
1. When your opponent's turn
ends, you may challenge any word(s) formed on
that play. To do so, call
"CHALLENGE and neutralize the
clock.
2. If someone is available to
adjudicate, call them over, otherwise the
person challenging looks up the
challenged words. A second opinion may be
called over if needed. *Note to word
judges: Always check the board to verify the
spelling of the words challenged. To avoid
confusion, have the players write the words
out on paper, making sure they agree on words
challenged. Turn away, look up all words, and
make no additional comments beside
"Acceptable or "Not
Acceptable."
H.
End of Game:
The game ends when one player
plays their last tile or there are sixconsecutive
passes. If you go out, increase your score by
double the total value of the unplayed tiles on
your opponent's rack. If the game ends with
neither player going out, each player reduces
their score by the total value of the tiles
remaining on their rack.
I.
Overtime:
Reduce your score by 10 points for
each minute of overtime or fraction thereof.
J.
Winning Slips: It is the winner's
responsibility to fill out and return the final
winning slip. Record the winner, final scores,
bingos (if any), and any other information you?d
like to report about the game (high scores,
triple-triple, double-double, etc.).
K. The Official Tournament and Club Word
List, 2nd Edition is the final source
for acceptable words. The OSPD is for school and
recreational use and does not contain all words
acceptable at club and tournaments.
*Further
questions and information should be directed to
either the Official Tournament Rules (published
by the NSA) or a club director.
Club
Etiquette:
1.
Sportsmanship:
We have a diverse group of
individuals ranging from different backgrounds,
ages, and ability levels. Please be sensitive to
other members. We insist on promoting a friendly,
honest, and encouraging environment. Abusive
and/or offensive behavior will not be tolerated.
It is the director's discretion to remove players
for the good of the club. If there are any
concerns, please contact the directors to handle
the situation.
2.
"Coffee-housing:
Inappropriate
talking during play is often distracting and can
mislead the opponent. Here are some examples:
a. Purposefully mispronouncing
your play ("RE-STING") hoping to
draw a careless challenge.
b. Play a phony-looking word
you know is acceptable but intentionally
saying something like, "I'm not sure if
it ends in AR or ER.
c. Although players may do so by agreement between them, commenting on your play
such as, "You may want to challenge
this", "I'm not sure if this is a
good word", or "I know this is a
good word." is unethical and not tolerated in tournaments. It is unethical to discuss
the validity of a word at any time other than after the
game.
d. Talking a lot to divert
attention from a phony word.
e. The game is close, the Q is
still out and whoever gets it will be stuck
with it. Moaning about your bad luck in tiles
may lead your opponent to believe that you
have the unplayable Q, possibly altering
their next play. Imagine their surprise when
they draw the Q their next turn!
3. With new members, it is the responsibility of
everyone to welcome them and be the best possible
teachers on the rules and etiquette of
competitive scrabble.
Basic
Scrabble Strategy:
Rack
Management
1. Get rid of duplicate
letters. Having two of the same kind of
letter (except for blanks, S's and E's) will
generally penalize your rack by about 6-8
points. That means it's worth sacrificing
about 6-8 points to break up two T's or two
O's, for example.
2. Keep an even mix of
consonants and vowels. Having slightly more
consonants is better than having slightly
more vowels. Experienced players learn vowel
dumps to clear vowel-heavy racks.
3. Keep your bingo-prone
letters (Blank, S, E, N, R, T). Get rid of
bad letters, such as the Y, F, B, G, W, and
Q. Only keep a U if a Q is unseen late in the
game and U's are scarce. Play off high-point
tiles (J, Q, X, Z) quickly for good scores
rather than hanging on to them too long.
4. Try to keep only one higher
point tile on you rack (B, C, F, H, M, P, V,
W, Y), especially try to get rid of high
point tiles that are less bingo friendly
(mostly the W and Y)
5. Synergy can be very
important. Try to rid your rack of bad letter
combinations with little synergy such as UI,
WU, YI, and FV.
6. Consider exchanging if you
can neither score well nor get rid of most of
your bad letters without using a good letter
such as an S or a blank.
7. The biggest mistake most
players make is wasting the two best tiles in
the bag. You should never play the S just
because you can. Estimates of the value of an
S range from 8 to 20 points. This means that
before you even consider playing an S, you
should make sure the play is worth at least
10 points more than your 2nd best play. Throw
away an S and you might as well be handing
your opponent an extra turn.
The blanks, being able to
substitute for any letter, are by far the
most valuable tiles in Scrabble. In fact, you
shouldn't look at the blanks as being
anything less than bingo tiles. About the
only time you play a blank for less than 50
points is when you're stuck with the Q, all
the U's are out, and you need the points too
much to exchange.
8. AVOID fishing (one letter
dumps)! Rarely does fishing pay off. In fact,
the more you do it the farther behind you can
get. If you have a good bingo prone rack
consider playing off at least two or three
tiles for a decent score and keeping the most
bingo prone tiles on your rack. Many times,
in order to win, you need to average over 20
points a play. If you make an 8-point play,
you need a 32-point play to get even. Fish a
couple more times and you need a bingo just
to catch up. That puts a lot of unnecessary
pressure on yourself. Until you're a strong
enough player to know when it's strategic to
fish (almost never), avoid it as much as
possible.
Board
Strategy
1. Open the board as much as
possible when you are far behind and need at
least a bingo to catch up. Close the board if
you are ahead at least forty or more points.
Therefore, create hooks if you are behind,
use up the hooks if you are ahead.
Use blocker tiles (such as C,
V, and K) to block bingo lanes if you are
closing the board.
Consider opening up an
attractive premium square spot for your
opponent if you are far behind and are trying
to keep them from taking the last bingo lane.
2. Play a more closed and
defensive game if your opponent is a
considerably stronger player than you. Keep
the board open if you are the stronger play,
taking advantage of your superior word
knowledge.
3. Avoid opening double-double
lanes and especially triple-triple lanes,
unless you are more than a bingo score behind
or unless you have high point tiles (which
may be difficult to bingo through) that can
score very well in those lanes.
4. Try to interpret the
intention of your opponent?s moves. For
example, playing away a single tile may mean
he is close to a bingo, if he makes a
low-scoring word with an S it may mean he has
another one or opening up a TLS next to an I
could mean he has the X
5. Look for hot spots (DWS,
TWS, DLS, TLS) where you can score well. Try
and use them if you don't have a better,
higher scoring play elsewhere. Watch out for
open premium word squares (particularly spots
for the J or X going both ways across a
Triple Letter Square.)
6. Force your opponent to play
bingos in a position which gives you a
counter play. For example, you might block
one of two free bingo lanes obliging your
opponent to use a row next to a TWS in which
you can score 30 or more points in return.
7. Always keep an eye out for
possible front and back extensions to words
on the board. Consider extensions that may be
more than one letter (i.e. PRE-, OUT-, UN-,
RE-, etc.) that you can add to extend your
opponents word to a premium square (DWS,
TWS). Watch out for playing words in which
your opponent can do likewise.
8. Try to minimize your
opponent?s scoring opportunities and maximize
your own. Very often your opponent will score
well off a tile because you put it there.
For
more advice, see Everything Scrabble by
Joe Edley, which is available at major
bookstores.
