When is exchanging worth it?
Exchanging means you play nothing this turn, put tiles back in the bag and draw new ones. It costs you a turn, but it can pay off.
- Exchange when your best move scores little and your rack stays bad afterwards.
- Throw back only the problem tiles and keep the good ones.
- You may only exchange while at least seven tiles are left in the bag.
How it works
Instead of playing, you announce that you are exchanging. You put the tiles you want to get rid of face down to one side and draw the same number of new ones. Only then do the old tiles go into the bag, so you cannot draw them straight back. You may exchange anything from one to all seven tiles. You score nothing for this turn.
When an exchange pays off
- Your rack is clogged, for example E1I1N1U1U1V4W4: two U, a V and a W with nowhere to go. The best move scores only a few points and still leaves you rubbish.
- It is still early in the game. The good tiles, the S tiles and the blanks, are then usually still in the bag, and your chance of a better rack is high.
- You already have a few good tiles, a blank for example, and only need a better rest to go with it.
When you are better off playing
- You can get rid of the problem tiles for decent points. A move that dumps duplicates and awkward tiles and still scores beats an exchange almost every time.
- It is late in the game. Many good tiles have been played and new tiles are often no better.
- Your opponent has just opened a big chance on the board. Then every point you score now counts.
What to throw back
Throw back the tiles that block you: duplicates, too many vowels and awkward tiles without a partner, such as a V, a W or a Q without a U. Keep the blank and two or three good tiles like E, R, S, T or N.
From E1I1N1U1U1V4W4, for example, you keep E1I1N1 and exchange the other four. E, I and N are a good base for the next move. Which tiles are especially worth keeping is in Which tiles to keep?