Q10WITHOUT

Seven-letter hunting

Bingo stems

A stem is six tiles that combine with many seventh letters. SATIRE is the one every serious player learns first.

S1
A1
T1
I1
R1
E1

The most famous 6-letter stem. Learn this set first — it generates more 7-letter bingos than almost any other rack.

Add one letter

SATIRE + A

  • ARISTAE
  • ASTERIA
  • ATRESIA

Keep these

ERASINT

The 1-point crew. E, R, S, A, I, N, T combine into more 7-letter words than any other set. If you have four or more of them, think bingo before dump.

Dump these

VWGUK

Heavy consonants with few hooks. V and W especially clog a bingo rack. Q without U is the exception — dump Q on purpose, using this guide.

Never waste S

S

Four S tiles in the set. Each one is an extra turn: pluralize, hook, or bingo. Playing S for 8 points when you could save it for 40 is how games slip away.