Scrabble

I'm addicted to this game. I'm not a superstar but I enjoy it particularly when I find someone evenly matched to compete against. Several months ago I discovered a web site which allows me to play whenever I'd like with people at the same level as me.

It's called the Internet Scrabble Club http://www.isc.ro/ and at the site you can download an applet that let's you find people at your skill level and your comfort level for length of game. My wife and I used to play often and we were pretty evenly matched. She played so slowly that it eventually became unbearable for me. I really don't think she misses playing with me.

This doesn't come without complications, though. There is a chat function in the software and some people can be a little too chatty. One game a guy trash talked through the whole thing and I couldn't believe how rattled it made me. Perhaps this is why I never was interested in competitive anything. I soon discovered two things about the site that made it much more bearable. There's a "quietplay" feature that doesn't let anyone talk to you while you are playing and their is a "no play" list that won't let any people who you have had unpleasant experiences with before challenge you.

So, while I write this I'm in my second game of the evening. I lost the first in a squeaker and I'm leading in the 2nd 240 - 208 with 10 tiles remaining.