Scrabble scandal
2012-08-14 20:52:42.500431+00 by
Dan Lyke
3 comments
Cheating scandal at the national Scrabble championships:
As the joke goes, it's all fun and games until someone loses an I.
National Scrabble Association notes on Round 23:
Just as round 24 was starting, the tournament director was called over to division 3 and it was discovered that two blanks were not put into the tilebag as they should have been when the board was cleared off to start the game. The player was questioned and admitted to taking them. Dallas Johnson then ejected (a now ejected player) from the tournament. His opponents at this event will be retroactively given forfeit wins.
[ related topics:
Games History Scrabble
]
comments in descending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 23:47:59.922915+00 by:
ebradway
Blanks can make a huge difference early in the game when it's easiest to score
bingos.
#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 21:50:16.513582+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Or just palm on the draw. Because usually you're looking at a rack and thinking "Oooh, 6 and... damn" (or 5 and). AEINST and blah I just don't see how to play it. So ditch the spare(s) on some play, grab the blank, there you go.
#Comment Re: made: 2012-08-14 20:59:52.871942+00 by:
other_todd
A holdout of the two blanks is an interesting and subtle cheating strategy. The ability to get those two "free passes" into the game at the time of your choice is probably not enough for a skilled player to force a win against another skilled player, but it's definitely a big edge. The question is, how did he plan to get the blanks back into play without being noticed? Palm and switch when taking a letter off his rack?