Day Off: Scrabble Mania

I love Scrabble. I grew up with a grandfather who had genuine Scrabble powers. His skill and vocabulary were mind boggling. To me, he was one of the Scrabble greats. Thanks to him, Scrabble now has a mystical allure.

I secretly want to be one of those amazing and eccentric tournament players I read about in the hugely awesome book Word Freak. In reality, I lack the awe-inspiring brain power needed to survive among the gods of the Scrabble world. Instead I feed my hunger with online games among friends.

If you are familiar with Scrabble, you know there is a rating system. Wins, losses, bingos, and scores are tracked and calculated.  National Scrabble Association club and tournament members are ranked based on this rating.

As a teen my ratings (calculated by the PC game I played with my Grampa) hovered in the 1000 range. That number was a source of endless frustration. To put it in perspective, the current #1 player is David Gibson with a rating of 2066 (Holy $#?!). My Grampa had ratings in the 1600′s. Since my teens, my dream was to reach 1400. A goal I thought was unattainable. 

Because I don’t have the time for club play (and frankly, I’m too intimidated), I get my Scrabble fix by playing on Facebook. Yeah, yeah, Facebook Scrabble is not tournament play, but it has helped me hone my skills. I’ve made great strides in playing with an open style instead of a “step-ladder” style, taking risks and growing my vocabulary. My casual interest has become an obsession. I check for my turn online when I wake, before I go to bed and many times in between. I can play from my laptop or my telephone, so I never miss out when I’m on the go. A bit maniacal yes, but oh so worth it. 

In the past few months I’ve played nearly 60 games, all tracked and tallied by the magical FB Scrabble servers. And, voila, I have a Scrabble rating. It began at a baseline of 1200. Everyone starts there. Then it goes up or down depending on the level of play. I have been wavering between 1350 and 1390 for the last few months. Every time I get close to hitting that elusive 1400, I lose a game and my rating drops. I usually lose to my brainiac sister or my childhood friend Kaho. I complain, but I am so thankful for them. Their skill has pushed me to improve. 

On Monday, my dream finally became a reality. 1403. I did it! Above is the screen shot from my telephone. Since my rating has dipped back into the 1390′s, but if only for a day I was a Scrabble rock star. I’d elaborate more, but I need to go check my games.