Keep a Low Total Hand Value
Play high value tiles early, that way if your opponent wins, they won't score as many points.
Play high value tiles early, that way if your opponent wins, they won't score as many points.
Play Doubles Early
Because doubles have only one value on both sides, there are fewer opportunities to set them down on a layout.
Keep a Variety of Tiles in Your Hand
Before playing a tile, consider checking to see if it contains the only instance of a value in your hand.
The First Turn is Important
If possible, play a tile worth five or ten points (5-0, 4-1, 2-3, 5-5 or 4-6) to score early. Otherwise, play a double that gives you control of the arms of the layout.
Minimize the Number of Exposed Values
By minimizing the number of possible values exposed on the board, opponents can increase the likelihood that you won’t have a matching value. It’s harder to match ‘3' than it is to match ‘3’ or ‘5’ or '6’, for example.
Offensive Strategy
Go on the offense early in the game and play with initiative. Go for scoring opportunities early and often. When you score, your opponent will often have a limited number of options to counter-score. If they have to miss on the next play, you'll get another scoring chance. If you hold tiles with this in mind, you can create runs of several scoring plays in a row in many cases.
Defensive Strategy
A defensive strategy means looking for ways to limit your opponent's scoring opportunities as much as looking for ways to score yourself. Take note of what values make your opponent draw from the boneyard and play to those weak spots to force them to draw more.
Mixed Strategy
You can use offense and defense together for the best results. Start the game on the offense and drive up your points as quickly as you can. Once you get further into the game, switch to defensive play to hold onto your points lead.