Back to index of Scrabble pages by Donald Sauter.
Scrabble For Word Lovers suite - main page.
Scrabble II introduction.
Scrabble II rules.

 
North American tournament Scrabble players play, naturally enough, a form of Scrabble which I call "modern American tournament-style Scrabble", or "modern Scrabble", for short.

The Dover Scrabble Club (Delaware), on the other hand, plays Scrabble II, which is pure Scrabble with the straitjacket removed. A few very small and natural adjustments move the game out of the morass of the twos and threes and up into the realm of the six-through-nines. And we do it using a conventional dictionary and with no one ever scoring a point for an invalid word. No bluffing!

To help get the show on the road, I've moved the Scrabble II overview to an appendix at the bottom. You can easily find further discussion on other web pages of mine.

The U.S. National Scrabble Championship was held in Dallas, Texas, in August 2010. The play-by-play for the "Table 1 games" for the 31 rounds of the tournament were posted on the internet. Presumably, a Table 1 game is the most important game of the round, very likely involving players currently leading in the tournament.

Accordingly, I chose 31 games recently played in the Dover Scrabble Club for comparison. I thought it was fair enough to pick out our best recent games since we're going up against the best of the best. Keep in mind that none of us in the Dover Scrabble Club spends a minute of his life studying word lists.

Even though Scrabble players compete against each other in a game, I view the final Scrabble board as the product of a team effort of all the players. (In the Dover club, we prefer threesomes and foursomes.) What you see below are the words on the final boards, not the individual plays. An exception is in the category I call "Mini-plays of just Two-letter Words", where you see the actual plays. Scrabble II has high standards and does not allow these exceptionally mindless mini-plays.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Words in red would not be acceptable in the Dover Scrabble Club. Generally, this means that the word is not recognized by the American Heritage 4th Edition. There is also a small handful of words now included in the American Heritage which I have specifically banished as Scrabble junk. See the appendix at the bottom.

Here, then, in a very easy-to-digest format, is a comparison of the 31 National Scrabble Championship 2010 Table 1 games vs. 31 recent, good games in the Dover Scrabble Club.

You be the judge and jury. Who looks like they're having the richest, most exciting, and most rewarding Scrabble experience? The champs who spend years of their lives memorizing gobs and gobs of funny little words? Or the regular folks pulling nice, long words from out of their own vocabularies? A quantitative comparison in every category sure seems to point to a much higher quality Scrabble being played in the Dover club.

Wouldn't it be exciting to see what the experts would do with Scrabble II?

Champs: (none)

Dover: (1) ABORIGINES

Champs: (6) FASCIATED HELLFIRES KALEWIVES RELOADERS SLANDERER WANDERERS

Dover: (20) ANALYZING ASTERISKS ATTAINTED BEHAVIORS BEHEADING BOTHERING CHATTERER CONFIGURE DEDUCTION DOCUMENTS ERUPTIONS HARBORING MACHINERY NARRATION QUAINTEST REASONERS STEADIEST STROLLERS WANDERERS WEASELING

Champs: (58) AETHERIC AUNTLIER AUROREAN BETRAYED BRETHREN CONTRAIL CORVINAS CREVASSE DEALATES DEMOTING DENTICLE DIOCESAN DRINKERS ENSOULED FLORIDLY FRETTIER GERARDIA HALOGENS HARDEDGE HEARTENS HERITAGE HETAIRAI HIARNETS HOARDING HOLIBUTS HUMANOID INARMING LEUCITES LIPOMATA MARIMBAS MONGRELS MOSEYING NEOLITHS OUTGNAWS OUTGRINS OVERLATE PALTRIER PECULATE PROVIDER PROVIDER REAGINIC REALISER ROSULATE SLEEPERS SOPITING SPIRAEAS SURMISED TAKEOUTS TANNINGS TAPENADE TREADLED TREFOILS TRUEBLUE UNDERLAP UNLEARNT VARIATED VIBRATOR WINERIES

Dover: (88) ABALONES ALIENATE ANNULLED APPEALED AVOIDING AWAITING BALANCES BEEFIEST BISCOTTI BOTTLERS BULLETED CHEATING CREAKIER CREATION CRITTERS CROPPERS CROUCHED DEADLIER DEFILING DEGRADES DELIGHTS EMOTIONS ENCASING EXAMPLES EXPELLER FACTIONS FEASTING FLITCHES FLORISTS FLURRIED GLADNESS GLOATING GORGEOUS IDOLATRY INFORMAL INNATELY INTERIOR LARYNXES LAYERING LEARNERS LEGATION LICORICE LOATHERS LOITERED LOZENGES MACAROON MASTERED MENISCUS MYTHICAL NOTARIZE ONCOLOGY OUTFLANK OUTLANDS OUTWEIGH POWERING QUARRELS RADIATES RADIATES REACHING REBOUNDS RECEIVER RECOILED RELOADED REPINERS REPRIEVE RIGOROUS SANDLOTS SEAFARER SMOTHERS SOMEBODY SOUNDING SPLINTER SPORTING STRANGLE SWISHIER TEASPOON TENDERED UNBANDED UNFORCED UNMOORED UNPLAYED VERBATIM VIGOROUS VIOLATED VIOLATES VIRULENT WEAKENED WINDIEST

Champs: (65) ADENOID ADJUROR ALANINE ANEROID ANISOLE ANISOLE ANTIRED ATOPIES AUSTERE BANDIED BETWIXT BLANKET BOWLINE CARBIDE COALIER CONFIDE DIASTEM DINGOES DISEASE DISTENT DRASTIC DRYLOTS DURIANS EERIEST EQUITES EXCUSER FINDERS FREESIA GORHENS HEADIER HEARING HOISTED HORNETS HUMVEES HURLING IODINES IONIUMS ISOTOPE LEOTARD LORICAE LORISES MATRONS MISGIVE MOTIVIC OUTVIES PANTILE PEWTERS RELEARN ROASTED ROUCHES SAUCIER SCALIER SILVICS SNARING SNEAKER SNIGLET SOMITIC STIRRED STRIVED STROKES TAMARAO TITULAR TRITONE VERITAS WIELDER

Dover: (129) ADORING AILERON AILERON AMENITY AMOROUS ANNEXES ANNOYED ANTIQUE ARRANGE ARRIVED BAFFLES BEADING BEADING BEAMING BEARDED BLOOPED BOILERS BREWING BUSTING CARAVEL COTTONY COUNTER CRUELTY CURFEWS DENTING DEVICES DIURNAL DULLARD DUNNING EDAMAME EMOTING ENACTED ENEMIES EPICURE EVIDENT EXERTED EYEWEAR FANATIC FARRIER FAVORED FRETTED GALLEON GAUGING GOONIES GRAPHED GREENER GRUNTED GUTSIER GYRATES HEAVIER HEAVIES HEINIES HELLION HOMAGES IGNITER INCLUDE INFUSES INGENUE IODINES JARRING JASMINE LAMPOON LANKIER LASHING LIGHTED LOUSIER MAILERS MEOWING MOCKERS MONTAGE MYSTERY NEARING NEIGHED NIFTIER OCTAVES OMELETS ORANGES OUTFEEL OUTGAVE OUTRAGE OUTSIDE OVATION PANNING PARVENU PATTIES PEERING PETTING PODDING PREYING PROOFED PROWESS QUARTER QUEERER QUIETED QUIETLY REFUSER RETINAL REVILED ROOMIER SHAMANS SHANKED SHOCKER SMATTER SOUSING SPARROW SPENDER SQUALOR STASHES STRANDS SURFACE SURGERY SWERVED TINKLED TREATED UTILITY VETTING VISITOR VOYAGES WAITERS WEAVING WEEPIER WHEEZES WIMPIER WINNERS WITTIER WORMING WORRIER YOUNGER ZOOMING

Champs: (89) ACIDLY AGEIST AGITAS ANCONE ARSINO AZURES BAIZAS BARONY BITMAP BOOING BOXERS BRINED CENTRA CHORAL CODLIN CONGAS COTEAU DOBSON DURION DYVOUR EXTORT EXUVIA FASTER FECIAL FENDED FJELDS FLYING FOLIUM FOVEAE GABION GAWKED GLOATS GRAYED GROCER HINTED HOOPED INANES INKIER INMATE JORDAN KLEPTO LIANES LOUVER MARQUE MATZOS MOLTED NEGATE OFFING OPIATE ORGASM OUTBEG OUTDID PANIER PEWITS PIGGIE PITIED PONENT POORIS PROVED PROWAR PURINE QANATS QINDAR QUOTED REQUIN ROADEO RUPEES SAUNAS SAXONY SHARKS SLUDGE STADIA THORNY TRAVEL TWANKY UNMEWS UNROVE UNYOKE VAKEEL VENDED VERGER VERILY VOGUED WALRUS WATAPE WEIGHT WIELDS WIFEYS WRANGS

Dover: (115) ABACUS ABJECT ABORTS AFRAID AMAZED ANNUAL AROUND AVENGE BASICS BEAGLE BEHOLD BIGGER BOOZED BOVINE BUNKED BUZZER CAWING COAXER COOING COPIED COWARD CRAZED DANGED DEVOUT DIETER DILATE DINNER DJINNI DOLING DOSAGE EATERY ENDIVE ENERGY ENTITY EXCUSE EXOTIC FEUDAL FRONTS FUMING GAINER GAMELY GEODES GLITZY GLOSSY GOLDEN GOTTEN GUITAR HAVING HEXING HOAXES HOORAY HUMBLY JAMMED JOLTED JOULES KNIFED LAYING LITTER LOAFER LOCKET MARRED MELTED MODEST MORBID MOSQUE NOTARY NOTION OPAQUE PAPAYA PEALED PHOOEY PIQUES PIXIES PLACED PLAQUE POGROM PROVEN PROVES PULSED PYTHON QUAVER QUOTED QUOTER RATHER RATHER RATION RECKON REVERB REVIEW REWIND ROOKIE RUBBLE RUMORS SILICA SNOOTY SPEAKS STAVED SURFER TAGGED TATTOO THRONG TOILET TOMATO TONGUE TORQUE TOUTED UNDONE UNWISE VENDED VIOLET WEAKEN WEASEL WILLOW WISHED WOOLEN

Champs: (159) ABORT ACUTE ADMEN AECIA AGILE AGREE AJUGA AMIGA AQUAE AQUAE ARDOR AREAE AUDIT AWASH AWOKE AZANS AZOIC BADDY BEERS BENCH BIKIE BLINI BLITZ BOCKS BOHOS BORTS BOWEL BRANK BRING BROIL BUTEO CABIN CADGE CAMEO CHELA CHINK CLEFT CRIER DEDAL DERRY DOGIE DONUT DORMS DRAWL DUKED DULIA EAGER ELITE EQUID FELLS FIRED FLOCS FORCE FRITH FUZEE GIVER GLACE GLORY GORGE GORGE GRANT GRUNT GURGE HALER HALVA HEMIN HOOCH HOPED HOPER HOWFS HUMID ICILY IODIC IVIED JETES JINGO JIVES JIVEY JOEYS JOINS JOLTY JUNKS JUNTO KAURI KENTE KERBS KEXES KIBEI KRAIT LARDS LEARN LIDOS LIEGE MAXIS MELTY MEWED MICRO MILES MITER MONOS MUCRO MUNGO MURID NOHOW NOMEN NONAS OCULI OFAYS OHIAS OSTIA OUTBY OXIDE PACTS PAGOD PARAE PARGO PAVED PAVID PAYEE PEARL PHONE PIRNS PUTON QANAT QANAT QUALE RADIX REIVE ROUTH RUBBY SCREW SHENT SHOVE SOJAS SPRAT STOAE SWAGE TARDO TINEA TINEA TOKAY TORIC TOWIE TRIOL TURNS UPBYE URARE VANED VEXIL VILLA VINAL VINIC VOILA WITED WORTH YEGGS ZINCY ZOOTY ZYMES

Dover: (109) ABOVE ADIEU AFOOT AGATE AGLOW ATONE AVAIL BEGET BIRCH BIRCH BLAZE BOOTY BULKY BUNCH CAKED CONCH DARNS DELVE DIALS ELITE EVENT EXILE FAKED FAMED FAZED FEAST FINAL FLOOR FORAY FRUIT FUSSY GAZER GUIDE HOMER HONED HOOKS HOTEL HYENA JAZZY LARVA LIMIT LOYAL MACES MEALY MOLDY MOONY MOVIE NOVAE NOVAE ODDLY OFTEN OUGHT OUGHT PAILS PAVED PIPED PIQUE PIVOT PIXEL PLEAT PRIZE QUAFF QUAIL QUEEN QUERN QUEST QUILL QUOIN QUOTA QUOTH RAILS RAKED RARER RAZOR RAZOR REMIT ROQUE ROUND RUMOR SHOVE SQUID STAND STOUT STUFF STUNS SWISH TABLE TAINT TAXON TEACH TEETH TODAY TOPAZ TOTAL TOXIN TWAIN TWICE VAGUE VALID VALUE VENUE VIEWS VINYL VOGUE WHEAT WORRY YACHT YODEL YUCCA

Champs: (210) AALS ABYE ABYE AGAR AGIO AHOY AIRS AJAR AJEE AMIE AQUA AUTO AVOW AWED AXIS AXIS BARK BEEN BEEP BIDE BITT BLOG BLOT BONG BOOT BOTH BOWL BUBO CALO CAVE CAVE CHUG CIAO COWL CURT DAGO DEAF DEET DIRT DOER DOLT DONA DRYS DUCI DUDE ENOW ENVY ERST ETIC EYNE FADS FATE FEEB FETA FIDO FIXT FLAX FLEW FOGY FOWL FOYS FROE GAFF GENU GHEE GIEN GILL GILT GIRO GIRT GREW GYRE HAEN HAEN HAJI HAVE HEIR HERE HIES HUNH IGLU IRIS IRON JAMS JATO JEED JEEP JEFE JIBB JOYS JUST JUTS KILT KINS KUDO KUDU LAZE LAZY LICH LIEF LINN LINN LITU LOFT LUAU LUNG MACK MAGE MEAD MENU METE MOCS MOUE MOWN MOWS NAVY NAZI NEIF NEWT NIXE NIXE NIXY NOVA NOVA OAFS OBAS OGEE OLIO OVUM OXEN OXEN PALM PANG PATE PERT PFUI PIER PILI PLOT PONE PUCK PUTZ QATS QUAG QUIN QUIP QUIT QUIZ RAIA REAP RITE RITZ ROAM RODE ROPY SCAN SETS SETS SITE SLAY SLED SNUB SORT SUMO TAKE TARN TASK TINE TINS TOKE TOPE TOWN TOYO TUFT TURF TWAE TYIN TZAR UNAI UNIT VAIN VEEP VETO VILE VINE VIVA VROW WART WAVE WEEL WEET WEIR WHAT WINY WIVE WOOF YEAH YEGG YETI YIRR YOKE ZAGS ZAPS ZARF ZEAL ZEIN ZEIN ZING ZITS ZORI

Dover: (125) ABLY AFAR AQUA AWAY BAIL BAWL BEAT BENT BITE BOAR BOOB BOXY BUNG BUZZ CHAR CIAO COAX COTE CRUX DOLE DOVE DOZE EGGS ELAN EVEN EVEN FAWN FAZE FAZE FEUD FIVE FLAW FURY FUZE GALA GAZE GAZE GOOD GOON GOOP GREY GULF HAZE HAZE HAZY HEAP HEEL HEMP HIVE HOAX HOOT ILEX JAIL JAPE JAVA JAVA JINN JINX JOKE JURY JUTE KART KEEN LACY LOOT LUAU MAPS MEWS MINE MINI MODE MULE NINE NOVA NOVA NUKE OBOE OILY OPEN OUDS OVAL OVUM OXEN PAIL PAIL PEAL POEM QUAD QUIT QUIT RAID RAIN RAJA RAZE REAL SHIP SINE SIZE SLAB SOFA TALK THAN THUD TOLE TOOL TOUT TUBA VIBE VINY WALK WEAN WEED WHIZ WINK WONK WORN WOVE YEGG YETI ZEES ZERO ZINE ZITI ZOOM ZOON

Champs: (228) ABY ABY ADO AHI AIL AIS AIS ALE AMA AMA AMI ANI ANY ARF ATE AWE AWL AXE AYE AYE BEE BEN BES BIT BIT BOY COB COT COY COZ CUP CUT CWM DEF DEX DEX DIS DIT DOE DOE DOR DUE DUN ELF ELK ELS EME ERA ERE ERE ETA EWE EYE FAN FAT FED FEE FEE FEH FEH FEN FER FEW FEW FIB FON FOP FOP FOU FOY GAE GEY GOX GOX GUY HAH HAO HEH HEX HEX HIN HOB HOE HUN IFS JAM JET JEW JIN JOE JOG JOW JUN JUS JUT KAB KIF KYE LAY LAY LEV LID LIN LIN LOW LYE MAP MAR MAT MAX MEN MIG MOA MOB MOR MOS MUG NAE NAE NAG NAN NAN NAN NAY NET NIM NIP NOB NOG NOG NUT ODA OFT OIL ONO ONO ORE OWE OXO PAD PEH PIE PIE PIT PIU POH POI POL POP PUG PUN QAT QAT QIS QIS QIS RAD RAX REF REF REI RHO RIN RUN SAB SAB SAW SAX SER SEX SHA SIC SPA SUQ TAB TAG TAM TAR TEL TET TIT TOR TOT TOY TRY TUI TUN ULU UPS VAS VAS VAT VAW VAW VEE VEG VEX VID VIG WAD WAE WAX WEB WEB WIG WIZ WOO WOP WOT YAG YAR YET YOW YUM YUM YUM ZAG ZAP ZED ZEE ZEE ZIG ZIN ZIN ZIP ZIP ZOA ZOO

Dover: (106) ADZ ADZ ADZ AGO AGO AHA AHA AID AMP ANY ARC ATE BAH BED BOD BOW BOY BUM CAW CAW CAW DAY DEE DYE EGG EMU ERA ERA ERR EWE FAD FAG FAT FAT FEW FEZ FIB FIX FIX FOB FRO GIT GUT HAT HEM HEN HEP HEP HEW ICY JAB JAG JAG JAM JAM JAW JAY JET JIB JOE JUG LAG LAX LOO LOX LYE MED MIX NOT NOW OAF OAK OUR OVA QUA ROE ROW SEX SIX SOD SPA TAG TAT TIE TIP TOO TOW USE VAT VEX VEX VEX VIE WAX WAY WEB WIZ YEP YOW ZAX ZEE ZEE ZIP ZIT ZIT ZOO

Champs: (392) AA AA AA AA AB AB AD AD AD AD AD AE AE AE AE AE AE AG AG AG AH AH AH AI AI AM AM AN AN AN AN AR AR AS AT AT AT AT AT AT AW AW AW AW AW AX AX AX AY AY BA BA BA BA BE BE BI BI BI BI BY BY DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DO DO DO DO DO DO DO ED ED ED ED ED EF EF EF EF EF EH EH EH EH EH EH EH EL EL EL EL EM EM EM EM EM EN EN EN ER ER ER ER ES ES ET EX EX EX FA FA FE FE FE FE FE FE FE GO GO GO GO GO GO HA HE HE HE HI HI HI HM HM HO ID ID ID ID ID ID ID ID ID ID ID IF IF IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IS IS IT IT IT IT IT IT IT JO JO JO JO JO JO JO JO JO LA LA LI LI LI LI LI LO LO LO LO LO MA MA ME ME ME ME ME MI MI MI MI MO MU MU MY MY MY NA NA NA NA NA NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NO NO NO NO NO NO NU OD OE OE OE OE OE OE OE OE OF OF OF OF OF OH OI OI OI OM OM OM OM OM ON ON ON OP OP OP OP OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OS OS OW OX OX OX OX OX OY OY PA PA PA PE PE PE PE PI PI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI RE RE RE RE RE RE RE SH SI SI SI SI SO SO TA TA TI TI TI TI TI TI TI TI TO TO TO TO TO TO UH UH UM UN UN UN UN UP UP UP UT UT UT UT WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WO WO WO WO XI XI XI XI XI XI XI XI XU XU YA YA YE YE YO YO ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA

Dover: (142) AB AB AB AD AD AH AH AI AN AN AR AR AR AR AS AS AS AS AS AT AT AX AX AX AY BE BE BE BE BE BE BE BE BY BY BY BY BY DO DO DO DO DO DO EF EF EF EH EH EH EH EL EL EL EM EN EN EN EN EN ER ER ER EX EX EX FA GO GO GO HA HE HE HE HO ID IS IT IT IT LA LA LA LI LO MA ME ME MI MU MU MU MY NO NO NO OF OF OH OH ON OR OR OR OS OS OS OW OX OX PA PA RE RE RE RE RE RE RE TA TA TI TI TO TO UP UP US WE WE WE XI YE YE YE YE YE YE YO YO YO YO

Champs: (334) AETHERIC AUNTLIER FRETTIER HIARNETS HOLIBUTS INARMING ROSULATE SOPITING TAKEOUTS TRUEBLUE UNDERLAP VARIATED ANISOLE ANISOLE ANTIRED ATOPIES COALIER DIASTEM DISTENT DRYLOTS EQUITES GORHENS HUMVEES IONIUMS PEWTERS ROUCHES SILVICS SNIGLET VERITAS ANCONE ARSINO AZURES BAIZAS COTEAU DURION DYVOUR EXUVIA FECIAL INANES JORDAN PIGGIE PONENT PROWAR QANATS QINDAR REQUIN ROADEO TWANKY VAKEEL WIFEYS WRANGS AJUGA AMIGA AREAE BADDY BIKIE BOCKS BOHOS DEDAL DERRY DULIA EQUID GURGE HOWFS IODIC KEXES KIBEI LIDOS MONOS MUNGO MURID NOMEN NONAS OFAYS OHIAS OUTBY PAGOD PARAE PARGO PIRNS PUTON QANAT QANAT REIVE ROUTH RUBBY SHENT SOJAS TARDO TOKAY TOWIE UPBYE URARE VEXIL VINAL WITED ZINCY ZOOTY ZYMES AALS ABYE ABYE AGIO AJEE AMIE CALO DONA DUCI EYNE FEEB FIXT GENU GIEN GIRO HUNH IGLU JEED JEFE JIBB KINS LICH LITU MACK MOCS NEIF NIXE NIXE PFUI QATS QUIN RAIA RITZ TOYO TWAE TYIN VROW WEEL WEET YIRR ZAGS ABY ABY AHI AMI ARF BES DEX DEX DIS DOR EME FEH FEH FER FON FOU GAE GEY GOX GOX HEH HUN JEW JIN JOW JUN JUS KYE LIN LIN MIG MOR MOS ODA ONO ONO OXO PEH POH QAT QAT QIS QIS QIS RAX REI RIN SAB SAB SER SHA SUQ TEL TET ULU VAW VAW VID VIG WAE WOP YAG YAR YUM YUM YUM ZAG ZIG ZIN ZIN ZOA AA AA AA AA AE AE AE AE AE AE BA BA BA BA DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE ES ES ET FE FE FE FE FE FE HM HM JO JO JO JO JO JO JO JO JO MO NA NA NA NA NA NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE OD OE OE OE OE OE OE OE OE OI OI OI OM OM OM OM OM OP OP OP OP OY OY PE PE PE PE QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI QI UN UN UN UN WO WO WO WO XU XU YA YA ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA ZA

Dover: (none)

Champs: (53)   WO/WO/OR   OE/DO/YE   OI/DO/LI   ZA/ZA/AN   JO/JO/OW   OX/HO/AX   QI   EX/PE/EX   QI/TI   AA/AX/AY   DO/ED/TO   QI   HI/HI/IS   LA/ZA   FE/FE/ER   NU   UH/SH   JO/JO/OR   BI/BA/IS   XI/EX   IN   OM/GO/EM   DO/OE   AH/AE   OH/OE/HE   DO/ID   OE/EH   EX/RE/EX   OF/OE   MI/AM/TI   ZA/ZA/AN   DO/DE/OR   UT   AB/BY   MO/OM   ED/AE   TI   QI/QI   AW/AG   QI/PI   NE   HM/MI   EM/ED/MA   OX/TO/OX   LI/BI   OI/HI   QI/QI/IT   FE/EH   QI   PI   YA   LA/LO/AA   QI  

Dover: (never happens)

Stepping through the games play by play and counting up the turns in which the experts played an invalid word or made a mini-play, we find that 46.3% of their plays (355 out of 767) would not even be allowed in the Dover Scrabble Club.

Champs: 392 Twos + 228 Threes → 616 Shorties/1207 words = 51.4% Shorties

Dover: 142 Twos + 106 Threes → 248 Shorties/835 words = 29.7% Shorties

Note well: over half of the words on the boards of the best Scrabble players on earth are two- and three-letters.

Champs: 89 Sixes + 65 Sevens + 58 Eights + 6 Nines + 0 Tens → 218 Long Words/1207 words = 18.1% Long Words

Dover: 115 Sixes + 129 Sevens + 88 Eights + 20 Nines + 1 Ten → 353 Long Words/835 words = 42.3% Long Words

Champs: 4610 letters/1207 words = 3.82 letters/word

Dover: 4134 letters/835 words = 4.95 letters/word

 
Or, you may find it more striking to consider the average number of words on the final board:

Champs: 39.1 measly, flea-bitten words on final board.

Dover: 25.3 good, honest words on final board!

 
So the Dover Scrabble Club plays words about one letter longer, on the average, than the North American champs. Put another way, our words average about 30% longer! The mind boggles at what the champs could do if they kissed the funny little stuff goodbye, and stepped up to . . . Scrabble II!

The Dover Scrabble Club (Delaware) plays Scrabble II, which is pure Scrabble with a few very small, very natural, long overdue fixes which rescue the game from the army of outlandish midget words which have taken over Scrabble in the decades since the game was invented. The game has been broken wide open, but, otherwise, all the strategies remain the same. In a nutshell, Scrabble II is . . .

• Good words only
• 8-tile rack
• Extended board: 3 extra rows all around, but used for word overrun only!
• Stepped bonuses for big plays:
  • 6-tiler - 20 pts
  • 7-tiler - 50 pts
  • 8-tiler - 80 pts
• No mini-plays consisting solely of 2-letter words!
• Fresh tile set for every game: 100 tiles scooped from a mixture of 3 sets.

Moreover, we use a conventional dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary 4th Edition, to further keep our boards from looking like Greek or Martian. The American Heritage is probably about 75% as inclusive as the Official Scrabble Players' Dictionary (OSPD), but it has more words than you'll ever use, in life or in Scrabble. You've seen in this study that, by not having some weird little word to get you out of each and every jam, you are nudged into playing longer, more respectable words. I urge you to consider a conventional dictionary. A smaller, more refined word set in Scrabble has just the opposite effect to what you would think.

. . . is any of the following:

1. Give it a try!

2. Give it a try and report back!

3. A quality Scrabble II program placed prominently on the internet. I'll pay reasonable programming costs!

4. A dear, old benefactor to bankroll a Scrabble II tournament with the largest ever cash prizes for a Scrabble tournament (which would still only amount to chicken change!)

In moving up from the second to the fourth edition of the American Heritage a few years ago, I found a few words were added which I couldn't bear fouling up my Scrabble boards. While I was rejecting those words, I took the opportunity to "retire" all the Hebrew letters (letters aren't words; Hebrew is foreign) and a few old-timers, including AZO and ZOA, which never pop up in real life and which have long since worn out their welcome on the Scrabble board. See my Dover Scrabble Club rules page for a list of charges against the condemned:

AA AE JO PE QI ZA

AZO DEX DIS HOS IGG JEE MEM SUQ TAV VAU VAV WAW ZAG ZIG ZEP ZOA

QOPH

May they rest in peace.

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