…with Gary Moss

VERBS RULE
26 Way To Squash Your Opponents

anagramming many words have letters that
can be rearranged to create other legal words
(retains=nastier; read=dare). Always use the
word with the highest score and the best defense.
.
bingoing using all 7 of the tiles on your rack on
a single turn is referred to as a ‘bingo’ or a ‘bonus’.
This action earns you an additional ’50′ points.
Study bingo lists and be prepared to take advantage.
.
conjugating verbs have many forms. Don’t fall in
love with any word. Consider all the possibilities.
.
extending most words can be extended on one end
or both ends. (‘acid’ can be extended to ‘nonacid’ or
to ‘acidity’) Keep an open mind.
.
faking Even though we try to play words that are in
the OWL2, it is not illegal to ‘bluff’. If you get caught
by your opponent’s challenge you will lose your turn.
Which word is legal? witchers? unununium?
.
gammoning Coffee-Housing is not acceptable
on your opponent’s time. Some will talk during their
opponent’s turn in order to distract their thinking.
.
haggling counting and recounting the score. Making
certain that your opponent is adding correctly and always
call them on their errors.
.
ideating Having an idea. Using the information
that you already possess to make the most
informed decision related to the word which
you’ll use and its placement onto the board.
.
joking Have fun with the game, especially at
clubs when things may be less formal. Look
for the fun in words. Be playful.
.
kashering making certain that everything is on the
up and up, legal in terms of the OWL2 and the rules.
.
learning There is no substitute for continually building
your word power with words that may be unfamiliar to
your opponents.
.
memorizing We all learn differently. Your job is to
first identify your style of learning and then to use
that technique to efficiently memorize chunks of the
OWL2.
.
nailing When you finally memorize a tough stem like
SATINE+E (etesian) and you play it against your
opponent for 76 points. (Then celebrate it.)
.
ousting Identifying your opponent’s phoney and
challenging it right off the board. (Get that out of here!)
.
pluralizing We all know most of the words that are
made plural by adding an ‘s’. Now learn the words that
end differently (inertia and inertiae). Also learn the words
that do not take an ‘s’ (deluxe, sporting)
.
quashing Learn how to use the ‘hot spots’
effectively by putting the high point tiles on
the TLS and the word on the DWS. Crush
your opponet with 50+ point plays.
.
racking Develop a system of placing the tiles on
your rack in a way that you can see the words easily.
Many experts use ‘alphagrams’.
.
spelling Some words have been identified as the
most troublesome for people to spell. Learn those
words and play them against your opponents.
Always create difficulty and uncertainty for others.
.
translating There are many words in the OWL2 from
other cultures. Learn them and their forms. Many
words from Hebrew and Yiddish are made plural by
adding ‘im’ (yomim, goyim).
.
uglifying Find and learn the ugly words (fremd, xylol,
and crwth). Words with doubles like genii, senarii, and
filariid will throw your opponent for a loop too.
.
viewing Look twice before you challenge. Always
turn the board around and look at it carefully before
you hit the clock, ending your turn. Little errors
can loose games.
.
waffling At times waffling can be a ploy to distract an
opponent. Put a word down, pick it up, put it down
pick it up, etc. Don’t allow someone else’s waffling to
get to you.
.
xeroxing Put the words in your head. Close your eyes
and see the word clearly. DO NOT invert letters as you
place them onto the board.
.
yielding Always slow down at an intersection and yield to
oncoming traffic. Always say, “HOLD”, when you are
considering a challenge. If you wait too long, and your
opponent draws even a single tile out of the bag, it is
too late to challenge.
.
zapping Always try to develop a big lead early in the game.
The psychological effect of being behind will cause
many players to simply give up. If you are behind,
NEVER GIVE UP. Frequently, the tiles will turn and
you can make a miraculous recovery.