On the surface, Monopoly involves a higher degree of luck than knowledge, but tactical players invariably win the day. The only fair solution is to ensure you stick with your original set, and deny all knowledge (or acceptance) of the new state of affairs. Expect younger players to pepper the board with names of pop groups and rappers, and laugh in glee at the fact that such names often throw in extra Xs, Qs and Zs. Outrageously to many, there was a rule change to Scrabble in 2010 (the first in the game’s history) which permitted the use of proper nouns.

The addition of the suffix ‘-ish’ to a number of words may well get you out of a temporary hole and, at moments of dire need, the answer could be to resort to words from which other players simply can’t profit, including ‘my’ and ‘that’. Retsina, the name for resin-flavoured Greek wine, has seven permissible anagrams (stainer, retinas, anestri, nastier, ratines, retains and antsier) and, at seven letters, offers a 50-point bonus, although the highest-scoring word in Scrabble history is caziques, referring to West Indian chiefs, which (when played across two triple-word scores) scored 392 points.ĭespite its usefulness, the letter ‘S’ features on only four Scrabble counters: astute players are advised to use their S counters judiciously. Authorities have claimed that the highest number of points that can be scored on a first go is 128 with muzjiks, a word for Russian peasants. Travel, and a familiarity with almost anything foreign, are key to winning at Scrabble.

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Original monopoly board layout