Quiddler rules and how to play the board game and have fun. Quiddler is a sort of cross between Rummy and Scrabble. It can be played by anyone of any age that can both read and write. It is a competitive game involving skill in forming words. It is important to understand all the Quiddler rules.
Overview of the basic Quiddler rules
The object of board game Quiddler is to get points by combining the lettered cards in a player’s hand and making words. All words must be at least two letters long, and they must be in the dictionary. The cards have a point value and using the letters gains the player points.
The game begins with a player dealing out three cards to each participant (up to eight players). The deal and the lead passes to the left. On each hand the number of cards dealt increases by one, so on the eighth hand players have ten cards.
After the cards are dealt
The pack is placed face down and one card is turned upward. The first player sits on the left of the dealer, and on each turn they must pick a card from the top of the face-down pack or from the top of the discarded pile. According to Quiddler rules, the player cannot pick multiple cards from the discarded pile. The player ends their turn by discarding a card.
Go out
The game continues until one of the players can ‘go out.’ In order to ‘go out,’ the player has to spell words with all cards save one remaining to discard. The player now lays down his cards and discards one remaining card.
When a player goes out, all the remaining players take one more turn to lay down what cards they can. The hand ends when play reaches the person who first laid down their cards. All words used must be in the dictionary. If not, the errant player loses the value of the word and subtracts that amount from her score.
Bonuses
There are two bonuses in each hand played. 10 points are given for the most words and 10 points for the longest word. The bonus for the longest word is awarded to the player whose word has the most letters (not necessarily the most cards)
At the end of the game, the points are added up and cards left in a player’s hand are taken away from the player’s score. The highest score wins!
Letter Frequency
Play can be affected by the frequency of various letters. Therefore it is important to know how many of each letter are in the deck. There is a certain amount of skill in the game. For example, saving a hand waiting for a low-frequency card can be a mistake.
Quiddler Strategy
A number of cards can enable a player to ‘go out;’ this can happen early in the game. Although the object is not to go out quickly, many players do and this can be a mistake. If you have a chance improves your hand it might be better to wait. The bonuses are worth pursuing to increase the chances of winning the game. Watch the scores if you are behind and see that you can tie for one of the bonuses.
Remember it is folly to hold a high point card in the event that an opponent should lay down their hand. For example, if you draw the Q late in the game it might be wise to get rid of it.
Conclusion
Quiddler is a frantic game that rewards the use of little words as well as big ones. Play hard, have fun, and enjoy yourself!
