Scrabble Tips for Beginners
Since its creation in the 1930s, Scrabble has been a popular board game choice for both family and friends to gather around and play. Word games can be particularly challenging to play due to how much they require you to think. Scrabble is one of those games that falls under this category.
If you are new to this game, then this article is for you! We have a few tips for you that will help you navigate this board game. While it may not lead to victory right away, it will help you build your confidence and lead to you beating your opponent one day.
The Instruction Manual
When you first start playing a game, there is an instruction manual available for you to read so you can have a good grasp on how to play the game. Even video games come with instruction manuals as tutorials before you really get into the meat and potatoes of the game.
Most people do not bat an eyelash when playing through a tutorial, yet for board and word games, many players do not even bother to open it. It does not matter if they are new to the game or not. People just do not bother to even glance at it. This is a grave mistake.
Reading the instruction manual, as boring as it might be, is the best surefire way to get a grasp of how to play the game. By reading Scrabble’s instruction manual, you will not be going into the game completely blind and scrambling on how to play.
So, before you decide to engage in a game of Scrabble with someone, make sure you have read the manual from top to bottom. Think of it as the Scrabble version of the bible.
Importance of Dictionaries
Besides the instruction manual that comes with Scrabble, another important book to read before playing is a dictionary. Now Scrabble does have an official dictionary, but that does not have to be the one you use. Any dictionary will do and if you would prefer to use a dictionary app instead of a physical one.
It really does not matter as long as it is a dictionary. However, keep in mind that because of the rules of Scrabble, you cannot use any kind of dictionary during the game. Makes sense because it would not exactly be very fair or challenging if you could just flip open a book and pick out a word.
The best way to make use of a dictionary for the Scrabble board game is to study and read as much of it as you can. Obviously, you cannot memorize or read the entire thing, but it is a good way for a beginner to prepare themselves before playing the game.
Just do not use it during the actual game. This will get you disqualified.
Be the who Goes First
Our next Scrabble tip for beginners may seem obvious, but sometimes obvious things do not occur to us until they are pointed out. Going first in Scrabble is a great advantage for the player. By going first, you can decide where on the board you want to start. If you can use one of the many bonus spaces, then go for it! This will help boost your score enough in the beginning of the game where it may give you an edge over the other player.
Now, keep in mind that sometimes it is not always possible for you to go first. If the other player wants to be the one to go first, then you will have to decide through a game of chance. Flipping a coin or playing a rousing game of rock, paper, or scissors. These are old-fashioned games but are a great way to decide who will go first if you can’t come to an agreement.
You may get lucky and find yourself against an opponent who does not want to be the one to go first. If you find yourself in this position, then definitely take them up on their offer and go first.
Strategy
There are many ways you can approach a game of Scrabble. When you are a beginner, though, you do not want to take chances and try a lot of different strategies that are not at least foolproof. Once you have played a few rounds and have some experience under your belt is when you can try to implement some of those strategies.
The best strategy a Scrabble beginner can try to implement remembers what the point of the game is and using this to their advantage. While getting a high-scoring word is impressive and will add to your overall score, it might put you in a vulnerable position.
What would this lead to? Well, to defeat, of course. The point of Scrabble is to get more points than your opponent. Focusing on the bonus squares, smaller words, and hook words by adding a title to the beginning or end, causing a new word to be created.
By doing this, you are playing the game the smart way and giving your challenger fewer chances to gain points. Obviously, your opponent could use the same strategy for themselves, but think about it. If you are using it too, you will not be blind sighted by it.
Final Thoughts
And these are a list of Scrabble tips that are beneficial to beginners of this board game. The first steps are reading the instruction manual and taking advantage of dictionaries, which cannot be used during the game, but still are a great idea to invest in.
Trying to make sure you go first and implementing the right strategy is useful as well. It does heavily depend on the actions of the person you are playing Scrabble against, but it is always good to be aware of these tips.
So, if you find yourself invited to a Scrabble game, remember our four tips. They will put you on the road to eventual victory.
