by Larry Lynn

Created on: June 27, 2010

Let me preface this commentary by stipulating that all that follows applies to the Super Scrabble version which has a board that contains 441 squares and 200 tiles. It may not seem obvious, but experience has shown that this new version dwarfs the original and makes the effort seem not only anticlimactic but so elemental that the results are unfulfilling. It is like sucking off the meringue and not partaking of the pound of pie beneath the surface.

The four variations that are acceptable in social, friendly, non-combative, non-cutthroat, competitive scrabble intend to allow the game to move more quickly and reasonably playable in a single day with time for a shower, morning coffee, news updates, casual lunch, a ball game on TV, two versions of courtroom programs, and a re-run of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-grader. Before programs in prime time can take full swing, each of two friendly participants can have presented 15 to 20 words each, at least half of which happen to be, by luck of the draw, and luckier placement of bonus squares, 7-letter Bingos. These are the four beneficial variations.

First, in order to increase the pace of the game by more than 25%, draw nine (9) letters instead of the prescribed seven (7). This will give each person a far greater possibility of creating a seven-letter word from a pool of nine. The rack is long enough to hold all nine letters without any overhang. Doesn’t that seem predestined? Note that with only a seven-letter draw, it would be impossible to avail oneself of the initial double word and the succulent triple word to the right and to the left which would create an exciting beginning to a fortune-laden game. Imagine drawing E,I,U,U,L,N,P,T and Q (what appears to be a throw-back hand) and be able to place the word QUINTUPLE on the board and collect a hefty 176 points to start. Remember that there are nine letters available from which to create a seven, eight or nine-letter word to gain he 50 point bonus.

The second variation provides for the recycling of the BLANK tiles so they can be reused. The process is simple. If a player, on his turn, has the letter represented by the blank, he exchanges that letter for the BLANK and adds the BLANK to his rack. He may then continue play as if he had drawn the BLANK. This substitution continues throughout the game as many times as it is possible. The only requirement is that the BLANK must be replaced with the letter that it was assigned by the player putting it there.

The third

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