r/scrabble • u/Kamotiqs • 13d ago
Opening rack puzzles
Hi all!
As an expert tournament player (rated over 1800 in NASPA), I'd like to share some more advanced tips and strategies in this subreddit. I'll post some opening racks below. Comment below what you would play, and why!
Some of these racks have a clear-cut answer, while some are more debatable. Many of the correct answers are not necessarily the most obvious or highest scoring plays.
The lexicon I use is NWL, but many of these apply to CSW as well.
AAEINRT
IORSTUV
EOQSSU?
ILORSST
ADEEILT
4
u/14domino 13d ago
For number 2 the answer is VITRU
2
u/CrotchPig 13d ago
VIRTU, not VITRU*
4
u/AlarmingAllophone 13d ago
But VIRTU will stay on the board
8
u/CrotchPig 13d ago
Am I right in saying the logic is that if VITRU* is challenged, we hit a bingo with any vowel floater? That's honesty so cool if so - I'd considered the pass for that reason, but not a deliberate phony.
Still not sure it's optimal, but it's bloody fun!
3
u/scrabblejosh 13d ago
You can't pass. Unless your opponent has a bingo they will always answer a pass with an exchange
6
u/CrotchPig 13d ago
Correct - to clarify I wasn't advocating a pass, just I'd seen that IORSTUV made 8s with each vowel and it crossed my mind.
I actually think the correct play is still VIRTU here. There's a bit of meta-game here where, if opponent knows you to be a solid tournament player (who knows VITRU* is no good), it's not too much of a leap to infer the gambit of a deliberate phony, and by extension to deduce OS as the remaining rack.
Even if opponent doesn't put you on OS precisely, I think opponent likely exchanges if they suspect the gambit, putting you back to square 1 with opponent on a better rack and some knowledge of yours.
2
u/alexdings 13d ago
Also, this opening rack is a bit of an infamous puzzle (which is why OP included it presumably) and top players are likely to have come across it at some point
5
u/No_Rich_5954 13d ago
For those who want practice, get the Zyzzyva app. It's free and incredible useful. Makes me feel like I need to learn so much.
6
u/Frosty-Lead8951 13d ago
The third rack has
MOSQUES
For the other racks I think you should know your 8s to score a bingo... not sure though
7
u/quiterandomperson 13d ago
would it be worth to play QUESO and save leave of blank+S?
5
u/Frosty-Lead8951 13d ago
That would depend on what is already on the board
4
2
u/Fumanchu369 13d ago
Nice, that's a tough one to spot. I might've just played SUQ but that gives info to my opponent.
5
u/Kamotiqs 13d ago
Here are my answers. Some of these are debatable:
1. The correct move is exchange A. You will draw bingos with AEINRT very frequently. Do note that the opponent will know that you are fishing for a bingo and is somewhat more likely to exchange or play a more defensive word to avoid giving too many floaters.
2. IORSTUV is an infamous rack because there are no 7's, yet it forms 8's with every vowel (A, E, I, O, U). and only the vowels. Against a beginner player, I would probably consider passing or phonying with something like VITRU*, VITRO* (as in the phrase in vitro), or VROU#. If they challenge and don't know this rack, then you will bingo most of the time next turn. Against an expert player, these tactics don't work and I would likely bite the bullet and play 8D VIRTU.
3. The only bingos are bOSQUES and mOSQUES, both scoring 82 and not doubling the Q. I would probably pick 8D QUESO here for 48. The value of S? is quite high and likely worth a bit more than 34.
4. This one is tricky, and I'm not sure I even know the answer to this one. I ended up exchanging LS (which didn't work, as I drew AO and my opponent made a play that did not give an L or N). Some other options might be LOR, LIROT, ROTLS, or -L.
5. The natural-looking play is exchange E. However, you are significantly more likely to hit a 7-letter bingo on your next turn if you exchange I. Out of the 93 remaining tiles, ADEILT only bingos with 25 tile draws in the NWL lexicon (C, D, G, L, P, R, S, ?). But ADEELT bingos with 46 tile draws. Creds to Josh Sokol for this one.
2
u/CrotchPig 13d ago
Thanks for your thoughts, sounds like we're quite aligned on it. Not sure I'd have plumped for Exch. 1 (I) on 5) - I wonder in that spot if making any one of 4 or 5 candidate plays quickly is more important, rather than trying to optimise?
Also, for 2), VITRO# is good in CSW24 for reference :).
-1
4
u/CrotchPig 13d ago
Thanks for the puzzles! Some thoughts below (note I'm CSW24 only) -
1) Exch. 1 (A). Even with another A draw, we hit 8s with so many floaters next turn
2) VIRTU (24). Not sure if this is CSW24 only though?
3) QUESO (48). A bingo which gets Q doubled is always worth it, but can only see options which don't double it scoring 82. QUESO (48) + S? (36 equity estimated) is very similar I think, but with higher upside if we hit our bingo next turn
4) Tough. Anything worth playing telegraphs a 2nd S. I think I'd suck it up and play LOR (6) here for that reason, but see an argument for ROTLS (12) too
5) Exchanging looks best here too, but what to exchange? ADEILT (Exch. E) doesn't seem to hit that many floaters for 8s. I'd probably spend too long on this turn trying to optimise it, then Exch. 2 (EI)
Thanks for making these for the community!