What is the best word you can make with these letters OBIUO blank tile J?

Answer 1

This is a very difficult question to answer. It depends on:

1. The position of extra value tiles
2. Closeness to the end of the game
3. The open tiles to hook onto or off of.

I will begin with the most ideal situation (this is absolutely improbable, but goes to show how tricky finding the "best" play can be: There is an GAT already on the board with two spaces and then an N: OBJU[R]gatIOn.

The best possible opening word is BIJOU, with the B on the double letter tile (34 points).

The most likely situation though is that you will be playing your word parallel to another word for one or two letters: BOOJUM.

While it is possible to play BIJOU[S] or BIJOU[X], wasting the blank tile to gain no more points is a bad play, unless it stretches the word onto a double or triple word score, or (in the case of the S) hooks it onto a very valuable word.

Also common, but usually less point scoring is playing straight through another persons word. With a couple of open letters you can get some nice words:

• B or M: JIBBOOM (one letter is your blank, one is open)
• D or R: BOUDOIR
• N or S: SUBJOIN, NIOBOUS
• S or V: OBVIOUS
• M or S: BOOJUMS

Something else to consider is the position of premium tiles. If you can get the J on a triple letter tile, it is 24 points on its own. If you can get your own J word while making JO and playing on a triple letter score, then it is 48 points from the J alone.