MY CLUB: Sunshine Coast Scrabble Club

Scrabble originated in the USA in the 1930s.  Initial uptake was slow but in the late 1940s it caught on, and the game spread like wildfire, firstly in the US and then in Australia and all around the world.  

Scrabble is now played in dozens of different languages, leading to some interesting variations in letter value.  For example, in English Scrabble the letter Z is worth ten points, but in Polish Scrabble only one point!

Winning at Scrabble involves not just a knowledge of words.  Just as important is working out where to place them on the board to gain maximum points, by making use of the bonus squares (double letter, triple word, etc).  It is also possible to gain extra points by creating (and scoring) two or more words at the same time, e.g. by pluralising an existing word or running a new word parallel to one already on the board. New players quickly pick up these skills.

Sunshine Coast Scrabble Club meets at Nambour RSL at 1pm on Fridays.  Games, while competitive, are low key with an emphasis on simply enjoying the game in the company of other Scrabble lovers.

New players are very welcome and are given a gentle introduction, as the first game is always played “open book” (i.e. players are allowed to check legality of words before playing them). Two more games are then played under Australian rules (i.e. not “open book”, with the possibility of challenging an opponent’s doubtful words).  Playing fee is $2 and all funds are put towards cash prizes at the end of play.

If you like to play Scrabble we’d love to see you at the club.  For further information please phone Trevor on 54457770.