Endgame: tracking tiles and going out well
When the bag runs empty, the game changes. If you have kept count, you now know exactly which tiles your opponent is holding.
- There are 100 tiles in the game. Tick off the ones played and at the end you know the rest.
- Whoever plays out first gets the points of the opponent’s leftover tiles added.
- Plan your last two moves together, not just the next one.
How the game ends
When the bag is empty and one player has played all their tiles, the game is over. The others subtract the value of their remaining tiles from their score, and the player who went out adds those points to theirs.
If your opponent is left with Q10E1, for example, they lose 11 points and you gain 11. That is a 22-point swing. A single Q you get stuck with can decide a close game.
All the tiles at a glance
| 1 point | E ×12, A ×9, I ×9, O ×8, N ×6, R ×6, T ×6, L ×4, S ×4, U ×4 |
|---|---|
| 2 points | D ×4, G ×3 |
| 3 points | B ×2, C ×2, M ×2, P ×2 |
| 4 points | F ×2, H ×2, V ×2, W ×2, Y ×2 |
| 5 points | K ×1 |
| 8 points | J ×1, X ×1 |
| 10 points | Q ×1, Z ×1 |
| 0 points | Blank ×2 |
Take away what is on the board and on your rack. What is left is in the bag or with your opponent. Once the bag is empty, it is exactly your opponent’s rack.
Tracking tiles, the easy way
You don’t have to keep every tile in your head. To begin with, it is enough to watch these:
- the two blanks,
- the four S tiles,
- the expensive singles Q, Z, X, J and K,
- towards the end: how many vowels and how many consonants are still out?
The easiest way is a sheet of paper listing every tile. Cross out each one as it is played.
When the bag is nearly empty
- If you hold an expensive tile like the Q, make sure you get rid of it before the end. If you are stuck with it, it counts against you twice: you lose its value and your opponent gains it.
- If you empty the bag, an attentive opponent knows your tiles. The same goes the other way round. Whoever does not empty the bag often keeps the overview longer.
Going out in two moves
Once the bag is empty, ask yourself before every move:
- Can my opponent go out next turn? Then every point counts now. Play the best move you have, or block the spot they need.
- If not: plan two moves. First a high-scoring move that gets rid of the expensive tiles, then out with the rest. That often scores more than going out straight away for a few points.