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Frustrating Scrabble
I'm having one of the most frustrating Scrabble games of my life.
Owing to some bug in Scrabble Worldwide, instead of a game with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
megamole , it set me up with someone else. As the other person seemed quite happy to play, I decided to continue with the game.
She's an absolutely terrible player (14% wins in 157 games), though I realised she was bad from her opening move which wasted a number of good tiles for hardly any score at all.
The laughable thing about it is that her playing style (all two and three letter words, spread out along the double word scores) is actually making it quite difficult to beat her (that and a lucky play that gave her a two letter word with Z in a good position that netted her 60 points). There's simply nowhere to play long words. I've already had to discard one bingo as there was nowhere to place it.
I guess it's good for me in a way. For once, I'm actually having to think hard about how to create hooks and bingo lines, whereas normally, I just rely on them appearing in the normal course of the game.
It's actually possible that she'll beat me through sheer grinding board-lock. (I'm not the world's best player, but I expect to win around 2/3 of my games - with a bit of help from Richard)
She's just blocked a 'I' that I'd set up so there would be something to cross through. I wouldn't mind so much if it had been a better use of the position. She wasted her Q there for 11 points, when there was a free U not far from a double word score which she could surely have used to much better effect if she'd waited to collect whatever she needed. (The U would still have blocked me, but at least I'd have felt it was doing something useful)
Anyway, enough moaning. I'd better try and set up a new bingo line. I nearly did it this time, but I could only make six letter words from the tiles I had in hand.
Owing to some bug in Scrabble Worldwide, instead of a game with
megamole , it set me up with someone else. As the other person seemed quite happy to play, I decided to continue with the game.She's an absolutely terrible player (14% wins in 157 games), though I realised she was bad from her opening move which wasted a number of good tiles for hardly any score at all.
The laughable thing about it is that her playing style (all two and three letter words, spread out along the double word scores) is actually making it quite difficult to beat her (that and a lucky play that gave her a two letter word with Z in a good position that netted her 60 points). There's simply nowhere to play long words. I've already had to discard one bingo as there was nowhere to place it.
I guess it's good for me in a way. For once, I'm actually having to think hard about how to create hooks and bingo lines, whereas normally, I just rely on them appearing in the normal course of the game.
It's actually possible that she'll beat me through sheer grinding board-lock. (I'm not the world's best player, but I expect to win around 2/3 of my games - with a bit of help from Richard)
She's just blocked a 'I' that I'd set up so there would be something to cross through. I wouldn't mind so much if it had been a better use of the position. She wasted her Q there for 11 points, when there was a free U not far from a double word score which she could surely have used to much better effect if she'd waited to collect whatever she needed. (The U would still have blocked me, but at least I'd have felt it was doing something useful)
Anyway, enough moaning. I'd better try and set up a new bingo line. I nearly did it this time, but I could only make six letter words from the tiles I had in hand.
You''re being aboyned!
ABOYNE (vb.)
To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly that none of his clever tactics or strategies are of any use to him.
Re: You''re being aboyned!
Still, I think we've got her this turn. I used my precious blank a few turns ago to create a hook word, and unless she plays in that spot (and there's others more tempting to her style of play) I should finally be able to play 'entente'. But she really is teaching me the need to set up my own hooks. I'll be a better player as a result, even if it irks the heck out of me right now.
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I'll be extremely surprised if I don't end up beating her, but I'm having to change tactics in order to do so (which is a good learning exercise for me).
The last 'bad' player I encountered, I asked if she'd like a few tips. She said 'yes', learnt very fast and is now giving me a really tough game - if that player beats me this time, I'll be pleased.
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There may be learning problems, dyslexia, a totally different motivation to you for playing the game which make her, in her mind, wonderful; and winning, having lots of long and interesting words, whatever, may not be her motivation!
But, I'll agree to differ! And I hope your next few moves with her enable you to get enjoyment out of the game.
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Now I've opened up the board, it's a whole new game. I'm 80 points in the lead and lots of space to play in.
Dyslexia isn't really an issue in Scrabble, you can use the ingame spellchecker to check a word is valid before you play it. There's an on-screen list of valid two-letter words to give you a hand.
I don't think she's stupid, some of her moves aren't bad at all. I suspect half her problem is that she puts down the first word that comes to mind without looking to see if there's a better one.
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I've no idea if my opponent is badly dyslexic, but if she is, I would have thought that she wouldn't be keen enough on Scrabble to have played over 160 games?
For mild dyslexics like my youngest son, there's a still a game to play even with poor spelling. Henry (and Richard) both play better tactics than I do, even though I have better word knowledge. Their ability to spot a way of playing a high scoring letter on a bonus square means they will often find a better move than I will - even though the Scrabble program will reject many incorrect spellings.
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It's frustrating. First because it was hard to play well, now because there's no sense of competition.
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I'm not as bad as your opponent, but I'm very, very bad. Terrible. God-awful, even, for someone who does what I do for a living.
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I was a terrible player until a friend gave me a simple tip: "hang onto the letters RETAINS" If you do this, you can pretty well guarantee a seven-letter word at some point in the game, maybe two.
I'd never had a single bingo until I tried this, now I find it an odd game where I don't get at least one.
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Although isn't it usually knowing all those obscure two-letter words that is the essence of winning Scrabble because you can effectively turn one word into several?
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You can easily get 20 points with a lot of two or three letter words, but a bingo will normally net you at least 60 and 70 is pretty common as you can often make one cross a double-word score.
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However, your post cuts right to the heart of games playing. Perhaps she's having a great time, really trying, cheering to herself when she gets a few points and so on. While that may make her a bad player in one sense, on the other hand, if she's getting a lot out of the game, and enjoying it then I'd say that she's actually a good player. From what you've said, the major point that you have in playing is to win; that comes out in everything you've written here. Consequently you're getting irritated, confused and annoyed and not really enjoying yourself; it could be argued in that sense that you're not a good player.
I think the problem here is a total conflict in attitudes, approach and style. I think if I'd been you I'd have resigned ages ago. But then I don't play to win; winning is hardly even a consideration when I play - any game.
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However, in this game there is no social aspect at all. I've sent her a few messages trying to open a conversation, but she isn't interested.
When you're playing an online game against a total stranger with no conversation, then playing to win is really the only aspect left.
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And also because it's bad manners to drop out of a game.
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