You’ve got an open board and a handful of tiles. Your opponent has only just started the timer. It’s the beginning of your next Scrabble game and it feels like you have all the options in the world available to you.
But it’s a rookie mistake to assume that the first move in a Scrabble game is the easiest. In fact, the first move can be crucial to ensure you start your game out strong. If you play your tiles right, you can develop an early lead that’ll carry them straight to the end of the game. Even if you’re playing a more casual game, the first move can be key. Playing a long enough word ensures you have options moving forward. But what is the best first move in Scrabble?
Who Goes First in Scrabble?
Another common mistake is to assume the first player in Scrabble is chosen randomly. In fact, according to the official Scrabble game rules, the first player of the game is chosen by a random drawing of tiles. Each player should draw a tile from the facedown deck. The player whose tile appears earliest in the alphabet goes first.
Of course, you can choose to play by your own rules if you’re playing a more casual game. Alternating who plays first is a good way to practice starting plays amongst a group of novices, building experience.
Also, keep in mind that one tile for the first word must be played onto the central square on the board. That means you can’t place your word just anywhere. It needs to be laid down somewhere in the center of the board, with exact placement varying by word length.
How to Optimize Your First Move
There are several different strategies you can try to use to ensure you’re playing the best first move in Scrabble. Keep in mind that your options will vary depending on what tiles you draw. You may or may not be able to apply all these strategies. However, these tips should help you maximize the points you earn with your first play.
- Whenever possible, use all the tiles.
Using all the tiles in your hand is called a bingo in Scrabble. It earns you a whopping 50 bonus points. Playing a bingo for any turn can help you out. Still, it’s easiest to do on your first turn when you don’t have to match your play to any given word on the board. Practicing your anagram skills, like with our Anagram Solver, can be a great way to start developing your skills so you can get a bingo at the start of every game.
- If you can’t use all the tiles, be strategic about what letters you pick.
Of course, sometimes, you just won’t be able to use all the tiles in your hand. Maybe you’ve been dealt a rough hand, with four Es and a Z. Or maybe you just can’t come up with a way to use all the letters, and you don’t want to cheat. Whatever the reason, you can still be sure to maximize your future success by being strategic about which letters you try to hold back and which ones you play. One technique suggests trying to keep the letters in the phrase ‘GOD IS NEUTRAL.’ These letters should set you up for success in future rounds.
- Also, if you can’t use all the tiles, try to get rid of high-value letters right away.
On the flip side of that, you’ll want to make sure you’re prioritizing playing your high-value tiles. A Q or Z in your deck can sink you for multiple rounds if you let it, especially if you’re playing at a high enough level that you or your opponent expects to get multiple bingos. Getting rid of these rarer letters as soon as you get them might be a cost up-front, as you end up with a low-value play now, but it’ll pay off big time later.
- Place tiles optimally on the board to take advantage of double- and triple-letter spaces.
One of the best ways to get more points, and a strategy often overlooked by the Scrabble novice, is taking advantage of double- and triple-letter spaces. Your first word must be played somewhere on the center tile, but as a player, you have options for where to arrange your word around that square. If possible, try to play your word onto a double- or triple-letter space, especially if your word contains high-value letters.
- If you’re just a casual player or trying to practice your skills, think about what options your word opens up for others.
Most of our previous advice is for players looking to win a Scrabble game. But maybe you’re a very new player to the game and just looking to practice your anagramming skills. If that’s the case, try to be strategic about how long your word is and where you place it. All other words you play in this game will have to stem from your starting word. The shorter and weirder word you play, the harder your life is going to be later. The longer a word you can initially play, and the more common letters it includes, the easier it will be to practice your Scrabble skills.
