SCRABBLE COMMON CHEATING METHODS

The most common cheating method is the simple clumsy peeking into the bag. Detection is quite simple. A straight line drawn between the eyes of the cheat and tiles into the bag is uninterrupted. To achieve this, the bag will always be below eye level, or held horizontally at eye level. The eyes, usually behind glasses, will be looking into the bag. The bag opening is never facing away from the player. The sad aspect of this method is that adherents to it find it quite difficult, if not impossible, to try to quit the habit. I guess they do have a different view of honesty. They probably believe that cheating is clever, especially if the opponent does not object, out of politeness. Personally, I have eventually decided to openly object and demand observing the rules of the game. Lifting the bag, which weighs less than 200 grams, is hard for some players. They will give you health excuses such as a bad shoulder, but will never accept suggested reasonable alternative methods that would solve the problem. Some people might argue that in such situation, it would be enough to look away from the bag. It sounds reasonable, but do you really, as an opponent, have any control over the swivel in another player’s neck? I am not talking here about honest players with genuine health problems. Those do keep tiles out of their sight.

The second common cheating technique is really fascinating, but is even easier to detect. During the process of replenishing tiles, the cheat will handle tiles with both hands. The cheat would take some tiles from the bag and put them in the hand holding it, then proceed to get more tiles from the bag. In the process, tiles are examined and unwanted tiles are dropped back into the bag. There is no reason whatsoever, other than the intention to cheat, that would warrant the following:
• handling tiles with two hands on top of the bag;
• holding tiles in the vicinity of the top of the bag;
• examining tiles while on top of the bag.
Tiles should be taken from the bag straight to the table or rack. No more tiles should be taken from the bag before other withdrawn tiles are put on the table or rack.

The third cheating method, generally called “palming”, is when a cheat take an unwanted tile back to the bag, while replenishing tiles. This is done quickly and is much harder to detect*. You have to count the tiles played by your opponent and quickly add up the sum of tiles played plus tiles remaining on the rack, while the opponent's hand is still in the bag. The total should not be less than seven. In this situation, a cheat might try to block your view of the rack.

A variation to this cheating method is when the hand of the cheat make several trips to the bag in order to replenish tiles. In the process, unwanted tiles are taken back to the bag. I guess this is why North American rules insist on always showing an empty palm before the hand can be put into the bag.

Some material on the internet talk about palming in the context of having a hidden extra tile, which allows the cheat to always select from among eight tiles. I have never detected this type of cheating, but I will keep my eyes open, and would report any occurrence of this devious method.

It is quite amusing for me to hear this comment from the mouths of some seasoned cheats, "Cheating? You are too suspicious a person. We have no cheats here."
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* EUREKA!
It is much easier, than I initially thought, to detect this type of cheating. After playing a word and writing the score, the cheat will not directly replenish the rack. The cheat will first rearrange and fiddle with the tiles remaining on the rack, usually with two hands. This is when the unwanted tile is palmed. This is when the number of tiles remaining on the rack become momentarily less than it should.

Some might argue that it is normal to check what you can make of tiles remaining on your rack. No, it is not. What is logical is to wait until you have seven tiles on your rack. Just observe yourself when you play: Do you rearrange the small number of tiles on your rack before replenishing it? The answer is NO. I have made a point of observing players in order to confirm my assumption. Not a single honest player touched the remaining tiles on their rack before replenishing it. I am not saying that players should not touch the remainder of tiles on their rack; what I am saying is that they simply do not do so, because there is no need to do so.


In order to be able to palm that unwanted tile, the cheat unnecessarily rearrange the remaining tiles on the rack, prior to replenishing it. This is when that unwanted tile is quickly palmed. You have to wonder, what is the point in rearranging a small number of tiles on the rack, prior to replenishing it? Logically, you have to wait until you have the full component of seven tiles. You can then rearrange the tiles the way you prefer, whether you would rearrange them alphabitically, separate vowels from consonant, or keep on rearranging them in ways that would bring a bonus word to your mind. Any of such choices can only be achieved with seven tiles on your rack, unless you are considering which tile to take back to the bag!

On a certain occasion, the process of rearranging the remaining tiles on the rack was too suspicious when it was frantically done, to four tiles, with two hands. As I counted, those four tiles momentarily became three, before quickly being seven.


The moral of the story is: Be wary of players who unnecessarily rearrange the remainder of tiles on their rack, prior to replenishing it.

An honest way of handling the bag and replenishing tiles is very simple:
(1) Whether the bag is hitting the ceiling, or is simply placed on the table, the opening of the bag should always face away from the player. No tiles should be made visible.
(2) The time between tiles leaving the bag until they reach the rack or table should be very close to zero seconds. There is no need to examine tiles before they are placed on the rack.
(3) Tiles drawn must be placed on the rack or table, before proceeding to draw more tiles. While this is clearly part of the rules, many cheats would hold some tiles in one hand and draw more tiles with the other.

(4) The hand must be shown to be empty before entering the bag. This is not part of Australian rules, most likely because some Australian players have vested interest in not introducing this North American rule. I might follow this rule myself in future tournaments, hoping that the notorious Kow does not require me to also show her my backside!