‘Word Cup’ tournament brings together competitive Scrabble players

ST. LOUIS (InvestigateTV) — Competitive Scrabble players from all around gathered at Union Station for the Word Cup of Scrabble, playing 31 games over four and a half days.

The tournament puts players’ skills in vocabulary, spelling and strategy to the test in what organizers call one of the most important tournaments of the year in the Scrabble world.

“We’re taking it to the next level,” Josh, a tournament participant, said.

Competition brings excitement

Players have various reasons for competing in the high-level tournament, and Mariah described the tournament atmosphere as energizing.

“The tournament feel is really exciting. There’s kind of a different kind of adrenaline,” she said.

The top prize is around $6,000 for the winner, Deborah, a tournament official, said.

Social connections emerge

Beyond prize money, players value the relationships formed through competitive Scrabble.

Mariah met her significant other at the tournament.

“It’s a great way to meet really nice guys who are pretty smart too,” she said.

Vocabulary skills and advice for players

Tournament players demonstrated their vocabulary skills with lengthy words rarely seen in casual play.

Eric recalled playing “neocolonial” and extending it to “neocolonialist.”

Jackson, the three-time defending champion, shared his approach to reaching elite levels of play.

“You gotta memorize the whole dictionary over many years, you’ve gotta practice every day and you’ve got to have a ton of stamina,” Jackson said.

See the full story by Steve Harris.