In Scrabble, players take turns creating words using tiles to earn points that are determined by the numerical value assigned to each tile. The total value collected from a word formed on the board is the sum of numerical points from letters in the word.
When one player utilizes all their tiles, and no tiles are left in the bag for replacement, the game is over and the total points are counted. The player who ended the game earns all the points from the unplayed tiles, and each player also subtracts the total points of the unplayed tiles they had by the time the game ended.
What happens if you tie in Scrabble? For tournament games following official rules written by National Scrabble Association, a tie is recorded and all the tied players are awarded a win at equal measures. For instance, if the tie is between two people, each player will win a half win.
For a casual game, if a tie is recorded after computation, the player who had the highest score on the score sheet before the points of unplayed tile were deducted or before players added the points of unplayed tile to their score wins the game.
However, if the draw still stands after the above tiebreaker rule is enacted, the game is declared a draw, and the win is shared 50/50 among the parties involved.
If two players draw the same tile at the start of the game when determining who goes first, it’s a “start tie”. The two players have to reshuffle the tiles and repeat the draw until only one player starts the game.
Players must draw an equal number of tiles from the reserve bag they used while creating a word on the Scrabble board. If a player uses their tiles on their rack and there are no tiles left from the bag to draw, the game end right away.
The player who ends the game has the upper hand of getting points from their opponent’s unplayed tiles. Answered below are frequently asked questions about ending the game on a tie in Scrabble and what happens when players have equal scores.
Can you tie in Scrabble?
Yes, it’s possible to tie in Scrabble after the final tally, and two or more players have the same score on the Scrabble sheet. After one player uses all their tiles on their rack, and there is no tiles left to draw from the reserve bag, the game ends, and the final computations of the point is done.
The player who terminated the game gets additional points from the total points of their opponent’s unplayed tiles. Each opponent player also deducts the score of their unplayed tiles from their total.
A tie is declared after the final computation, and two or more players have the same points. If the game is played at the tournament level, the tie stands, and the two players win 50/50.
However, if the game is played casually, the win is given to the player who had the highest score before the scores from the unplayed tiles are adjusted. The win is shared equally if the draw still stands after the tiebreaker rule has applied.
When deciding who will start the game, each player draws one tile from the bag, and the player who draws a tile closer to A gets to go first. However, two players can draw the same tile, making it a tie, and the tiebreaker is to reshuffle the tiles again and draw afresh.
What are the odds of tying in Scrabble?
At the expert level, which typically ranges between 350 to 450 games, the probability of getting a tie is 1%, which means for every 100 games, only one tie. The average rate to get a tie in a Scrabble range from 0.6 to 1% holding other factors constant.
It’s hard to tell because it also depends on the skill level of the players. If the players are skillful differently, it’s very hard to get a tie.
The more game played, the higher chances of getting a draw. However, the following factors determine the frequency at which a tie can emerge:
- number of games played.
- track record of the players playing the game.
- skill level between players.
- tiles each player received.
The probability of getting a tie when deciding who will start the game is 9% because there are 9 A-tiles out of possible 100 tiles. A player who draws the letter A gets to start the game, unless there is a tie.
If two players draw the same tile, the two players must reshuffle and repeat the drawing process to break the tie. If blank tiles are involved, the probability of getting a start tie in Scrabble is 2% because there are only 2 out of the possible 100 tiles.
What to do when you tie in Scrabble?
If players tie their scores when the game is played at a tournament level, the win is divided equally to both players and each gets 50% of the win. For casual gameplay, the score before players made adjustments using the unplayed tiles becomes the tiebreaker.
The player with the highest score before the total tally for each player was added or deducted due to unplayed tiles is declared the winner of the game. However, if the tie stands even after the tiebreaker rule is imposed, the game is declared a draw, and the two players get a ½ win.
If the tie happens when deciding who will start the game (if both players draw the same tile during the first pick), the tiles are returned into the bags, reshuffled, and the drawing process is repeated until a winner is decided.
Tying in Scrabble: Conclusion
A tie in a Scrabble game can occur when determining who will start the game or when computing final scores at the end of the game. A tiebreaker in Scrabble applies differently depending on the level of the game.
Tournaments follow official rules that a winner is decided only by the final scoreline and nothing else! That’s why the tie stands after the final computations of scores are tallied.
The scores of other players’ unplayed tiles benefit the player who ended the game. For the opponents, it is a huge disadvantage that their unplayed tiles deduct from their total.
As a result, the player who ends the game always has the upper hand to win, though victory is not guaranteed.
There exist different Scrabble rules regarding breaking a tie, especially for non-tournament matches. So it is advisable before engaging in a Scrabble match to learn the house rules so the situation is handles effectively.