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Related Links
Anamonics
The most comprehensive list of Anamonics, including both six-to-sevens and seven-to-eights.
Anamonics are a tool many use to help decide whether a given rack has a bingo or not. Using the example on the webapge, the anamonic for INMATE is "RELAXING BY HIS CELL DOOR". What this means is that any letter in the expression "RELAXING BY HIS CELL DOOR" can be combined to the letters in "INMATE" to make a seven letter word, and that no other letter can. So, for example, INMATE+R = MINARET & RAIMENT and INMATE + I = INTIMAE. But there is no seven letter word in INMATE+T, as T isn't in the phrase.
Some of the most useful to learn might be for TISANE (TUCKSHOP WIZ FIXES MEDICINAL BEVERAGE), SATIRE (BAD SPEECH REVIEW, FLAMING WIT), RETINA (THE RED PUPIL PREFERS MUCH WINKING), ARSINE (MOM'S COLD FOOD IS POISON TO THRIVING KIDS). Recognize that although the anamonic can tell you that a group of letters has a bingo, it doesn't help you find what the bingo is.
Crosswords-Games-Pro
Crossword-Games-Pro is a mailing list for tournament Scrabble players. It does require membership in the NSA to join. Although most of the volume isn't worth reading, there are plenty of posts that are worth reading (either for their Scrabble content or humor value).
Great site!
Internet Scrabble Club
The Internet Scrabble Club is the best place to play Scrabble online. Download the free Windows interface, register for a free account, and play against people worldwide. Players of all levels use it, from literally the best to the worst players in the world. Many of the Madison club players play on it.
Games are always timed, ranging from the standard twenty-five minute per person games to much, much shorter (1 minute per person) to much, much longer (hour per person). Most people find that about eighteen minutes per game online equates to twenty-five minutes per game over the board, because it is no longer necessary to keep score, track, and other small
things.
As you play you'll get a rating that will fluctuate as you win and lose, which will allow you to choose the approximate skill level of your opponents and play against people of similar skill.
JumbleTime
JumbleTime provides daily quizzes on bingos and 4,5,6,7,8 letter words. It requires registration to use, which is free and fast. After doing so, you can compete with other users to anagram the quiz words as quickly and accurately as possible.
LAMPWords
LAMPWords is a program for Palm-compatible handheld devices. It anagrams, builds lists based on simple criterion, and judges whether words are acceptable. It is similar to LeXpert, just nowhere near as powerful as the PC version.
LeXpert
LeXpert is a software program that does almost everything, except play Scrabble. LeXpert judges the acceptability of words, finds all the words in a given set of letters, and comes with thousands of predefined lists of words (for example the three letter words, all the five letter words containing a 'Q', the thousand most probable seven letter words, etc.).
It also allows the user to build their own custom lists, which like the predefined lists, can be printed and saved. LeXpert also provides a quizzing mode where you see the alphagram (letters in alphabetical order) of a word from a list and need to unscramble the word(s).
It is available for Windows operating systems and the pocket PC. Unfortunately there is no Macintosh version.
Metagrams
National Scrabble Association
The homepage of the National Scrabble Association (NSA), which is the official organization of North America's tournament Scrabble players. The website includes a variety of things, mostly what you'd expect.
Scrabble Simulator
For more serious players, the website allows you to enter in a board position and possible candidate moves. It will then email you a few hours later with numerical computer results about which of the moves was best and by how much.
Verbalobe
Verbalobe contains articles on various aspects of Scrabble play, from strategy to phonies to rack balacing to how best to learn more words. Some of the articles are insightful, some aren't.
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