…with Gary Moss

Archive for January, 2010

Sometimes I sits and thinks. And sometimes I just have to exchange some tiles and miss a turn.

Some players make the mistake of falling in love with their tiles. Now, that’s a big mistake. The only time when I am hesitant of playing my tiles is when I almost have a stem/bingo and require a common letter that is still available, according to my tracking. (I have A-E-I-N-Q-S-T; I PLAY OFF OR EXCHANGE the ‘Q’; with a satine rack, I am highly likely to have a bingo on my next turn.)

Some players never want to part with a high scoring tile ( J; K; Q; X; Z ). Those tiles are worth more because they are more difficult to play. It may be okay to hold on to these tiles for a turn, but it is better to play them off than to constipate your rack.

One of the most common questions that I receive from Novice players is about when to trade tiles and what to keep. After stems and common prefixes and suffixes that lead to bingos and high scoring plays, it all comes down to word knowledge. The more we know, the luckier we are. A few weeks ago I had this rack: I-I-O-S-T-T-U; nothing at all pretty about this rack unless there is an open I on the board and you know the word ‘ouistiti’. I first learned that word when I was making 5-Vowel-8 WHIZ CARDS for a friend. I’ve been lucky to have played it twice over the years. Other times when I’ve had it, it wouldn’t play on the board. That’s a real bummer.

If you need some WHIZ CARDS to work on your game, CLICK HERE.

Some people think that all there is to playing scrabble is to shuffle some tiles around and find a word to play on the board. But any club player will quickly tell you that it is also necessary to be able to identify phoneys (words that are not acceptable) played by your opponent with a certainty to be willing to challenge them off the board.

If you challenge a word, and that word happens to be acceptable, the challenger loses a turn. With an average of only 17 turns per player in the game, a lost challenge can equal 6+% of your eventual score. Most players do not play phoneys on purpose but it is permissable, much like bluffing, in poker.

In the title above, two of the four words are phoney. Did you notice?

Some people shy away from ever coming to a scrabble club because they think of themselves as poor spellers. But it is my experience that when people are poor spellers or poor at math, there is something else behind it. There are so many variances and ‘exceptions to the rules’ in spelling that it seems obvious to me that good spelling is simply all about memory.

I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that it would be to the advantage of me and you and all others to expand and exercise our memory. Seek out a scrabble club in your community. Need help? Email me and I’ll help you find one. Click on ‘contact us’ on the top bar.

English spelling can seam like a maize,
And put won strait into a hays,
Butt now never fear,
The spell-checker is hear.
And its sew well-deserving of prays,
Butt let awl pore spellers bee ware
Of the checker and ewes it with care,
Lest yore hair be turned into a hare.
~ Anonymous

If I remember correctly, while going to school, it was always my friends with the greatest passions for learning who received the highest grades and the most honors. Regardless of whether their passion was a result of expectations or threats of their parents or genuinely their own, their desire to be #1 drove them to success.

I had a number of friends who chose not to go college, in favor of going into business or going into the armed services. I remember them all becoming successful in their own circles. It seems to me that choosing one’s own path comes with a sense of knowing and a passionate commitment.

Most of you older readers have probably experienced that to which I am referring. The passion that I’m talking about usually erupts out of some ‘significant emotional event‘: the loss of a loved one; falling in love; some aha moment.

The movies like to tell these stories and usually go on to become very successful: The Blind Side; Extraordinary Measures; Erin Brokovich. And just as these three examples are reflections of real life circumstances, we all know that some ordinary people do succumb to their passions.

And still, the majority of people are out there living quite ordinary lives: putting one foot in front of the other; putting on their pants one leg at a time; going through the motions in order to survive.

If you are anything at all like me, that’s not enough. Just playing a game to while away an evening leaves me empty. I always want to play to win.

Years ago I was able to convince my ex to play racquetball. It didn’t last very long. The first time I hit a kill shot she stormed off the court. All she was willing to do was volley. YAWN.

Years ago when I own a private school I was always looking to make my program better than all the others, to serve the children and to raise the bar. I had a computer lab in place in 1976 (unheard of). We accepted children with ’special needs’ and proved over and over again that it was public education’s dogmatic approach that was failing those kids.

For the last 20 years I have devoted endless hours and energy to the game of scrabble. I can see how this simple game contains all the necessary components to provide a complete life’s education to anyone who wishes to grab for the ring. SCRABBLE 101

Your life is all about how you look at things and the amount of energy you are willing to expend. ~ Gary Moss

One of the cardinal rules for becoming a ‘winner’ at the game of scrabble is to anticipate what your opponents might do.

During the game of scrabble, players find themselves playing both offense and defense, at all times. This concept escapes many players. Seasoned players know that a great offensive score can be less valuable when it provides a high scoring comeback from ones’ opponent. Likewise, too much defense, shutting down the board for your opponent, can interfere with your own play too.

The more you know, the luckier you become. The more often you play, the greater the likelihood that you’ll discover some of the Dos and Don’ts of word placement and the superior way of using the ‘hot spots’.

When it is mid-game or later and some esses and blanks have yet to be played, it is reasonable to assume that your opponent has one or more of those valuable tiles on their rack. Both esses and blanks can be used to easily hook words on the board and lead to high point counts.

When a new player is playing against a seasoned player, the newbie often refrains from challenging the more experienced player, assuming that they know more. But when starting out, one should generally challenge strange words that they do not know. (When I lose a challenge I am more likely to remember that word.) Remember, seasoned players do not know everything.

Seasoned players develop the skill to track the tiles played during the game. That allows them to more easily anticipate the other tiles that are either still in the tile bag or on the opponent’s rack. While tracking is a valuable tool, I always advise newbies NOT to track unless they can do it with 100% accuracy. Poor tracking can lead to poor assumptions and then to losing games.

Players are responsible to count their scores for each play and announce them aloud to their opponent, before hitting the clock to end their turn. Most players anticipate that their opponent is counting accurately and rarely verify the announced score by recounting it for themselves. Until you know your opponet and their counting prowess, it is always good to recount each play or spot check at a minimum. Even though most errors in math are not intentional, it can effect the outcome of the final score. (The Official Rules allow for a recount when requested by either player, at games end. This is usually not an easy task. Better to keep the correct score throughout the entire game.)

Maintain a score sheet that is easy to read. Write legibly. If you are in the market for personalized score books, CLICK HERE.

It was 1982. I needed some time to clear my head and get away from the madding crowd and the responsibilities of daily life. I had noticed others who had taken time for themselves by swimming the English Channel or climbing Mt. Everest or walking across America.

I decided that I could ride my bike from West Bloomfield, Michigan to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in a month of days, during which I could get my head on straight again. (31 days x 50 miles/day)

I almost forgot to share with you that I had never ridden my bike any distance prior to this adventure. But I did do my homework. I went to a well known bike shop and had talks with the owner. He pointed out that the bike I owned would never get me to my destination. So, I bought a brand new bike as advised. He helped me outfit the bike and myself. He helped me plot out a map for safe travels, avoiding major highways. While at the bike shop, I met several other long distance bike riders and listened to their stories. I asked for their advice too. I never mentioned that I had never ridden more than 5 – 10 miles in a single stretch before.

I picked a date for my departure, circled on the calendar, and planned out my training program. I would ride my bike (without all the gear) to and from my home to work, every day for 2 weeks, and then I’d set out. (My home was only 1.8 miles from office.) Each day when I arrived home after work I felt quite confident that I could do this.

The day for my departure arrived. I mounted my bike, with 60+ pounds of gear. It was 8AM on a Saturday morning. All the kids in the neighborhood and many of their parents surrounded me on my driveway and spilled over onto the lawn. Some had made banners that read, ‘Good Luck’ and ‘Safe Travels’. My kids clung to my side and gave me last minute hugs. My ex held a camera and captured the scene for posterity.

With a wave and a “goodbye” I drove away down the street.

The first 5 miles were relatively easy. At mile #10 I was already HUFFING and PUFFING, but I kept on keeping on. By mile #45 I had reached Monroe, Michigan. It was 1PM and my body was numb. I pulled over at a burger joint and ate some lunch. I gave myself permission to lay down on the grass for 10 minutes. My goal for the first day was to reach Toledo, still 25 miles away. Getting back up and onto my bike was one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever done in my life. At 4PM I was at the edge of Toledo. I found a phone booth and called a friend (cell phones did not exist yet). My friend invited me to come to his office and then have dinner and spend the night with his family. It sounded great, so I did.

The morning came all too quickly. I managed to roll out of bed and into a HOT shower. The hot water melted my aching carcass. But I couldn’t get to Ft. Lauderdale by standing in a shower. So sooner than later I put on my riding clothes again, said my thanks and goodbyes and headed south on Hwy 25.

After about a hour of pedaling, like a motor running out of oil and grinding to a stop, my body quit. I felt a snap in the calf on my right leg, like a rubberband, and an incredible pain shot through my body. I slowed to a stop and layed down at the curb with my bike on top of me. No one stopped to help me. After a few minutes of laying there with eyes closed, moaning and feeling like a failure, I sat up and looked around.

If I had ever doubted God’s existence before, things changed for me in the moment. I was directly in front of a UHaul franchise. I immediately changed my agenda to ‘PLAN B’.

Because of my presence on the internet and the long standing popularity of my scrabble clubs and tournaments, scrabble enthusiasts are always seeking me out. Some of these people show up at club and expect that they will be instant champions, in the same way that I believed I could ride my bike for a marathon of days.

Everything that we choose to do in life takes some level of preparation. To do things well requires even more practice. To MASTER things we must pay our dues like all of those who came before us.
~ Gary Moss

Come play at CLUB #350 and the 1st Sunday Tournament. Just do it at a realistic pace. CLICK HERE

How many words do you know? What percentage of ‘all words’ is that?

Would you believe that the average man on the street is familiar with only about 5% of the words in the dictionary? That’s what ‘THEY’ say. ‘THEY’ don’t tell the name of the dictionary to which they are referring.

Now let’s say that you choose to prepare yourself to compete in a World Scrabble Tournament. Instead of the OWL2 lexicon you’ll have to use the SOWPODS lexicon. Is there much difference between the two? Isn’t a dictionary a dictionary? Duh! SOWPODS has nearly twice as many entries as the OWL2. That is why the players in the USA have stood firmly together to block the adoption of SOWPODS as the official word list.They don’t want to have to learn all those other words.

The fact that there are two different word lists being used around the globe creates the same kind of issues that an Italian speaker encounters when they visit Japan.

Playing scrabble is a playing a game that uses words, but it is primarily a game of memorization. There are countless real ‘words’ which ARE NOT

in the OWL2. The OWL2 is an evolving and changing list, managed by a committee. Just a few years ago the words ‘DA’ and ‘EMF’ were acceptable. Both were deleted in the last revision of the list. Many players still mistakenly play those words and are surprised when they are challenged off the board. Other words that were never on the official list for years have been added recently. ‘REDIALED’ is one that comes to mind. That word has be used in homes and offices ever since the invention of the telephone.

And all the while, the best players of the game continue to be mathematicians, and people who think like them. These folks play words, but they think in terms of the probability of the remaining unplayed tiles, when they choose the words that they play. When they are playing this turn, they are thinking and planning for their next turn.

Novice players usually don’t yet understand the strategies for play the ‘END GAME’. Many victories and defeats are determined by the last few crucial plays in the game. Understanding which tiles may be on your opponents rack permits a player to block a high scoring play. Knowing the 2 and 3 letter words will assist a player to earn premium points when the board is tight and there are few places to play.

These strategies and more are highlighted on my DVD, SCRABBALUTION. Learn more about the game and get the edge over your scrabble opponents.

Without a brush, without a drop of paint, players at Club #350 paint masterpieces with their words at every club session.
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Player #1 opened by playing ‘COLD’ on the board, placing the ‘D’ on the center square.
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Player #2 sat staring at a rack containing ‘AAABCTW’.
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Some players would have moaned and traded some tiles. Some players may have played ‘CAW’ or ‘WAB’ or ‘CACA’, hoping for a better tile combination on the next rack.
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But player #2 had been doing homework by studying word lists. A lot like me, he/she always hits a mental wall with two or three of ‘A’ on a rack. So that’s one of the lists that he/she had studied. Instead of moaning,
he/she moved the tiles around and discovered ‘CATAWBA’.
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Most players who could find ‘CATAWBA’ might moan even louder, they may believe that ‘catawba’ couldn’t play on the board. But Player #2 had also studied ‘HOOKS’. A hook is a single letter that can be added to the front or the end of a word, creating a new legal word. The most common hook is ‘S’ which hooks to the end of countless words. But ‘S’ is not the only hook.
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Player #2 knew that ‘A’ is a front hook for ‘COLD’, creating the word ‘ACOLD’.
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Now to me, that’s as beautiful as a Rembrandt.
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This week’s DEAL OF THE WEEK are the lists of words containing more than one ‘A’.
CLICK HERE.

“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.” ~ James Joyce
James Joyce never played scrabble but every time I misspell a word and my phoney is challenged off the board by my opponent, I learn the correct spelling of the word I was trying to play.
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“Sometimes I’m confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn’t obvious…” ~ Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe may not have played scrabble. I obviously become confused when my opponent tries to hook an ‘ing’ word with an ‘S’ (…ings).
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“Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” ~ Osscar Wilde
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“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
That’s what I keep trying to tell all my students and club members, apply, do, take an action.
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“Information is not knowledge.”
~ Albert Einstein
He didn’t like scrabble anyway.
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“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” ~ Anton Chekhov
Use it or lose it. Even the most seasoned scrabble champions continue to review the OWL2 to keep the words fresh in their memory.
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“To know that we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.”
~ Henry David Thoreau
Knowing that we don’t know everything keeps us open to new information.

One great way to face a bundle of things you don’t know is by taking my online class, SCRABBLE 101. I challenge you. CLICK HERE.

The torrential rains, floods, mud slides, tornados, and other meteorlogical phenomenon in southern California this week have given rise to the call for residents to purchase or restock their emergency kits. I for one, sencond the motion. The authorities have created suggested lists of items that they deem to be necessary: water, food, first aid kits, flashlights, batteries, generators, radios and/or cell phones.

Ooops! Didn’t they forget something? A scrabble game, OWL2 or OSPD4, paper or score sheets, pencils, a lantern, and some small tokens for the winners of category prizes.

That got me to thinking, and I created a special emergency kit for scrabble players. (This kit is good at any time; it does not require physical threat or disaster.) It is for those times when the tile gods aren’t treating you just right. The contents are displayed here. A few of the most essential tiles to help you get back into the game; a magic wand with a mace club at the end, just incase the magic spell fails; and a nice soothing glass of dark sherrie. La’ Chaim.

Stay Safe Now.

Plan a scrabble trip to southern California to play in a scrabble tournament. CLICK HERE.

Our personal level of confidence goes up and down just like the Dow Jones. At times I’ve heard people say things like, “I have zero confidence.” Other times they’ll make statements that implies their high level of confidence saying, “I know that this will work.”

Just where does our confidence go when it leaves us? All I know is that having little-to-no confidence feels very sucky. During those times I’ll beat myself up for the slightest thing. I’m more likely to get a ticket while driving. My food doesn’t even taste good.

Being over-confident is ill advised too. This state of being can lead us to take dangerous risks. Once having had success skiing on the Bunny Hill, I headed directly for the advanced slope. It became a story to tell and I was never that scared before in my life.

Last evening as I sat playing scrabble at my local club, my opponent sat across from me moaning about not being able to find a good play. Just a few seconds later she slapped down a bingo on a double/double spot for 106 points. As I admired the play, she pointed out that she was still disappointed that she was unable to play a different word, for lack of a hook. Later during the evening she continued to express her frustrations at not being able to memorize alphagrams.

Sometimes we all have to take a deep breath, step back, and admire the things that we have done and the things that we do. Sometimes we have to give ourselves a pat on the back and take a little credit for our accomplishments. It was obvious to me that my opponent was so focused on her challenges, she couldn’t see how far she has come.

Give yourself a ’star’ when you have earned it. Be witness to your own growth and own your achievements. Use the knowledge of how far your’ve come to plot out your path to the next level.

Where have YOU come from?

Where are YOU going to?

Here are some tools that could prove to be helpful. CLICK HERE.