Bingo (Scrabble)
Encyclopedia
Bingo is a slang term used in Scrabble
when a player uses all seven of their own letters in one play. This also applies to use 8 or 9 tiles in a turn of 9-tile scrabble. Any player who does this receives an extra 50 points on top of what the word would normally score. In the United Kingdom
, this is more often called a bonus (the term sanctioned by Mattel
, the game's manufacturers there), but is occasionally called a bingo.
Bingos are an important part of achieving high scores in Scrabble. While a beginner might be lucky to score even one during a game, experts frequently score three or more. Much advanced strategy revolves around making bingos: blank tiles are hoarded, unwelcome letters are played even for low points, and flexible letter groups like SANTER are built up until an easy bingo is formed. This strategy is often at direct odds with another, that of placing high-valued letters on premium squares.
A common misconception is that the bonus received for using all seven tiles is multiplied if a double-word or triple-word score is used. This is not the case: a 9-point word using seven tiles played across a triple-word score is worth 77 points (3 times 9 plus 50 points for the bonus).
lexicon as amended in 2006.
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
when a player uses all seven of their own letters in one play. This also applies to use 8 or 9 tiles in a turn of 9-tile scrabble. Any player who does this receives an extra 50 points on top of what the word would normally score. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, this is more often called a bonus (the term sanctioned by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, the game's manufacturers there), but is occasionally called a bingo.
Bingos are an important part of achieving high scores in Scrabble. While a beginner might be lucky to score even one during a game, experts frequently score three or more. Much advanced strategy revolves around making bingos: blank tiles are hoarded, unwelcome letters are played even for low points, and flexible letter groups like SANTER are built up until an easy bingo is formed. This strategy is often at direct odds with another, that of placing high-valued letters on premium squares.
A common misconception is that the bonus received for using all seven tiles is multiplied if a double-word or triple-word score is used. This is not the case: a 9-point word using seven tiles played across a triple-word score is worth 77 points (3 times 9 plus 50 points for the bonus).
Bingo examples
These facts are according to the SOWPODSSOWPODS
SOWPODS is the word list used in tournament Scrabble in most countries except the USA, Thailand and Canada. The term SOWPODS is derived from the anagram of the two acronyms OSPD and OSW, these being the original two official dictionaries used in various parts of the world at the time...
lexicon as amended in 2006.
- The highest scoring 7-letter bingo is "MUZJIKS". The tiles total 29 points and it scores 128 on the first move.
- The highest scoring 8-letter bingo is "QUIZZIFY" (using a blank for one of the Zs). Placed on two triple-word squares with the Z on a double letter square it scores 419.
- The highest scoring 8-letter bingos without a blank are "BEZIQUES" and "CAZIQUES", which amount to 392 points when played across two triple-word squares.
- The lowest possible score for a bingo is 56. This is achieved by playing 5 one-point tiles and two blanks. The word must not be doubled or tripled, no one-point tile may be doubled or tripled, and the word must be played around or onto a single one-point letter. Theoretically, one could play a 55 point bingo in a tournament if the word does not attach to an existing word or misses the center star, but this would violate tournament rules, and may or may not be challenged regardless of validity. However, if his opponent does not wish to challenge for any reason, the 55 point bingo becomes a valid play.
- The highest scoring 15 letter bingo is theoretically "OXYPHENBUTAZONEOxyphenbutazoneOxyphenbutazone is a metabolite of phenylbutazone.-Scrabble:The word oxyphenbutazone holds the title for the highest possible score for a single play under American tournament Scrabble rules, scoring 1,780 points across three triple-word-score squares, joining seven tiles to eight already played...
" (an anti-inflammatory drug most often used to treat arthritisArthritisArthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
). With 8 letters already placed between three triples, the word can score 1785. There are no reports of a triple-triple-triple ever being played in a competitive game, as it requires very unlikely circumstances.
- Based on the tile frequency, the most likely bingo in SOWPODS is "OTARINE", followed by "ETAERIO".