TIPS

- Learn the 2 and 3 letter words. These are just a small percentage of the words but make up a large percentage of the words on the board at the end of the game. Knowing these also makes it easier to play those words that you thought had no place to play.
- First rule of defense: Avoid playing a vowel next to a colored bonus square. The big points are on the consonants. If a vowel is next to a colored bonus square, it makes it easier for your opponent to play both ways with a big point tile. Those really rack up the score.
- Don't waste those blanks. As a rule of thumb, don't play the blank unless you score at least 25 points more than your next best score. Most Scrabble experts rarely play a blank without making a 7 or 8 letter bonus word play.
- Don't waste those S's. As a rule of thumb, don't play an S unless you score at least 12 more than your next best play. If you have 2 S's then the value should be placed at about 8 points.
- 50 point bonus words, or . They will come. Start off by separating common prefixes and suffixes from the rest of the letters in your rack. i.e.: -ED -ING -IEST -IER OUT- UN-. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll find those big scoring words.
- What to do with the Q? Learn all the words that do not have a U, for starters. QAT(S), QAID(S), QOPH(S), FAQIR(S), SHEQEL, SHEQALIM, TRANQ(S), QANAT(S), QINDAR(S), QINTAR(S), QWERTY(S) and QINDARKA. Words with disconnected QU-- SUQ(S), MAQUI(S), UMIAQ(S), BUQSHA(S), and QIVIUT(S)
- What you leave on your rack is almost as important as what you play. Play those inflexible tiles off quickly in hopes of getting a bingo next turn. It is very hard to bingo when you have a Z and K on your rack at the same time. Try to leave the bingo prone tiles like A, E, N, R, S, T and blanks. Leaving 2 or 3 of the same tile on your rack invites the tile gods to leave you with 4 or 5 next turn. Break up those doublets and triplets.
- Play more tiles. The more tiles you 'turn over', the more chances you'll have at the really great tiles. Playing just 55 tiles yields you a 10% advantage over your opponent in the search for the blanks and powerful S, X, Z, Q, and J tiles.
- No Fishing! Play each turn as if it were a riddle to be solved. Looking for the best play with this rack. Don't play off 1 or 2 tiles in hopes of drawing the perfect tiles to play WATERZOOI. Every turn you waste like that puts you farther behind. After a few turns like that, even WATERZOOI won't help you win.
- Board management counts. When you are losing, don't close down bingo lines. You'll never catch up. When you are winning, don't make bold openings that can let your opponent make that big comeback.

by Vuggy