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In Scrabble, a hook refers to a letter that is added to a word to make a new word. If it is added to the left side of the word, then it is called a front hook. If it is added to the right, then it is a back hook. These hooks especially the unusual ones can help you in connecting your words to the ones placed on the game board. It can also help open up a tight board. Below are some hooks that I commonly use: (Note: The small letter S means that you can add an S to the main word to change it to its plural form)
ALIFs - CALIFs - KALIFs
OYSTERs - ROYSTERs
VINEs - OVINEs - BOVINEs
VULVAs - VULVAE - VULVAR
Hooks with power tiles:
BEAUs - BEAUX - BEAUTs - BEAUTY
BIJOUs - BIJOUX
HAJ - HAJIs
HADJ -HADJIs
HAJJ - HAJJIs
HAIKs - HAIKA - HAIKUs
HAMZAs - HAMZAHs
HOOKs - HOOKAs - HOOKY - CHOOKs - SHOOKs
JEU - JEUX
JINs - JINNs - JINNIs - DJINs - DJINNs - DJINNI
JOCKs - JOCKOs
JUGA - AJUGAs - JUGAL
QABALAs - QABALAHs
QUINs - QUINTs - QUINTEs - QUINTAs - QUINTALs
QUIPs - EQUIPs - QUIPUs
XYSTs - XYSTI
ZOEAs - ZOEAE - ZOEAL
ZOIC - AZOIC
ZORIs - ZORILs
Got more unusual hooks? Contribute by commenting to this post. Thanks!
Have you played Boggle
FAQIRs
QABALAs
QABALAHs
QADIs
QAIDs
QANATs
QATs
QIs
QINDARs
QINDARKA
QINTARs
QOPHs
QWERTYs
SHEQELs
TRANQs
Try to memorize them if you can. It is important to know these words because in a Scrabble game, there are only 4 U's and 2 blanks. Therefore, the chances of having a Q and a U or a blank in your rack are slim.
It is also beneficial to familiarize the words where the letter U doesn't come right after the letter Q. Take these for example:
BUQSHAs
QIVIUTs
UMIAQs
SUQs
Got more words to contribute? Just leave a comment. Thank you!
I have often encountered Scrabble players complaining about their losing streaks and blaming it on bad luck. Perhaps they only need a little help in managing their rack. Although drawing your tiles solely depends on the Tile Fairy (or The Fates, if you prefer), what you do with them is a whole different story. Here are some ways you might want to take note of:
1. The highest score isn't always the best play. You should also consider the tiles that are left behind. For example, if you play PALER, you will be left with two U's in your rack (not a good combination). However, if you play LUAU for a lower score, you'll then have P, E, and R...not bad.
2. Balance your rack. If you have too many vowels, try disposing them if you can. Same goes with consonants. An ideal rack contains 4 consonants and 3 vowels.
3. Retain common letters (A, E, I, N, R, S, or T) or letters that combine well with each other. You may want to save your U if you have a Q in your rack. Or if you are to choose between a V and a C, it might be preferable to retain the C if you have an H in your rack.
4. Avoid duplicates. If you have three N's, you may want to sacrifice a few points to dispose two of them.
5. No fishing. Do not play away one letter at a time in hopes of getting the perfect word. You'll just end up being 100 points behind, or worse, the game will be over before you know it.
6. In a hopeless case, exchange your tiles. If you have W, V, V, C, C, L, and F in your rack, then, boy, have you been cursed by the gods...
A bingo in Scrabble refers to a play wherein you use all 7 letters in your rack in one turn. Once you score a bingo, you get 50 bonus points aside from your word score. Try using these tips to get that 50-point advantage:
1. Save common letters like A, E, I, N, R, S, T. If you have all of them, then that's great! You can either play STAINER, RETAINS, RETINAS, RETSINA, ANTSIER, or NASTIER...hmm what else did I miss...anyway just read on.
2. Do not waste your blanks. They are useful in making bingos since they can be any letter.
3. Look for prefixes or suffixes. Some examples are RE-, UN-, MIS-, OUT-, -ION, -ER, -ING, -IER, -IEST. If you arrange them first, then you'll be left with lesser tiles to scramble.
Try the following:
Can you spot the bingos?
4. Rearrange your tiles. It's more difficult to look for a bingo if you just stare at your rack.
For more Bingo tips, Click Here!
Premium squares are the colored squares in a Scrabble game board. These are the double-letter squares (light blue), triple-letter squares (dark blue), double-word squares (pink), triple-word squares (dark red). They function as their name implies. You should keep an eye on these premium squares since they can boost your word score and give you a higher point advantage. Placing power tiles in premium squares in both directions or combining two premium squares can even outscore a bingo. So if your opponent scores a bingo, give him a great comeback using these premium squares. Ha ya! Take that!
Power tiles are called as such because of their high point value. Z and Q have the highest point value of 10, followed by X and J with a point value of 8, then K with a point value of 5. As much as possible, save these tiles for premium squares to gain higher points. But be sure to dump them before the game ends or you'll get a higher point deduction instead.
Here is a list of two-letter words in SOWPODS which contains the power tiles. Those that are highlighted are not included in the TWL dictionary.
ZA, ZO, QI, AX, EX, OX, XI, XU, JA, JO, KA, KI, KO, KY
Two-letter words in Scrabble are very useful in linking words together. It is advisable to memorize the two-letter words to increase your chances of winning. It is not difficult to memorize them since some of these are common words that you already use everyday. You should also know which dictionary you are using. Gamehouse Scrabble uses the SOWPODS dictionary, which is used for international tournaments. The Internet Scrabble Club also uses other dictionaries aside from SOWPODS but players usually use the TWL dictionary, which is used for tournaments in the U.S.A. and Canada.
Click here to view the complete list of two-letter words in SOWPODS.
Click here to view the complete list of two-letter words in TWL.
To begin with, playing Scrabble online can be very accessible since you can play it anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection, on the assumption that one place is more likely to have an internet connection than a Scrabble board game. You, your Scrabble club mates, and other Scrabble fanatics all over the world can now easily sharpen your skills in the comfort of your home. Secondly, it's hassle-free. You won't have to rotate the game board anymore so you won't have to break your neck looking for a good play. You won't need to rearrange the tiles every time someone accidentally bumps into the table. Get instant scoring, which is a relief for those who get intimidated by numbers. And finally, you can hide your identity. Wouldn't it be too embarrassing if you play with an 8-year-old kid face-to-face then lose?
However, online Scrabble also has its drawbacks. Cheating is one of them. You won't be able to tell if someone is using a dictionary or an anagram while playing or if they are just simply not human for playing such unusual words and numerous bingos. But don't worry, even cheaters or geniuses get their fair share of bad luck. Trash talk is another thing. People sometimes accuse you of cheating and call you names. Some are just sore losers who just can't accept that there are other people who can play better than them or are just lucky enough to beat them. Anyway, I will be discussing in another post on how to deal with these people who needs some serious anger management. Another thing that online Scrabble cannot capture is your expression when winning an actual game of Scrabble. Ahhh...sweet victory!
So whether it is playing Scrabble online or offline, the important thing is just having a good time. So just relax and play your heart out!
If you don't like the hassle of reading the rules in Scrabble, one quick way to learn it is by playing it. It's really not that hard to learn the mechanics of the game. I'm sure you'll get it after a few tries. There are many sites in the internet where you can play Scrabble online but there are two sites that I recommend and personally use. The first one is Internet Scrabble Club which uses a Java interface and the other one is Gamehouse Scrabble which is Flash-based and is used as a Facebook application. Both of these sites are free and only require registration. Play now and join me in Scrabble!
I'm sure many of you already know what this game is all about but to a few who probably haven't heard about it yet, Scrabble is a word game that can be played by two to four players. Each player gains points by placing words on the game board in a crossword fashion. A word is formed using the Scrabble tiles. There are 100 tiles in all and each tile has its own corresponding point value ranging from 0 to 10. 98 of these tiles are marked with a letter, and the other two are blanks. The blanks can be used as substitutes for any letter but they hold no point value. The game board is also marked with premium squares that serves as multipliers. The following are the premium squares in Scrabble:
1. Double-Letter Square - multiplies the tile's point value by two.
2. Triple-Letter Square - multiplies the tile's point value by three.
3. Double-Word Square - multiplies the point value of the entire word by two.
4. Triple-Word Square - multiplies the point value of the entire word by three.
The center square also counts as a double-letter square. Basically, the objective of the game is to score more points than your opponent/s.
