…with Gary Moss

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.