Scrabble is one of those games that everyone knows but not everyone loves. That's mainly because it's a word game, so folks who prefer number games or war games or card games are out of luck. There's no joy in getting destroyed by some jerk who lays down "quixotic" while collecting the triple word bonus, double letter bonus and 50 points for using all their tiles. That's why it's important to play with someone about as wordy as you are... or else just not keep score, which I tried this time.

Facing off against my dear Angelina, I suggested not scoring the game, since I was 1)too lazy to fetch paper and pencil and 2)very anxious to stay on her good side. Scrabble is the only time my Journalism degree comes in handy, while a science nerd like my girlfriend has to memorize more important things than archaic words.

In addition to keeping things friendly, this also made the game more open. We were able to lay down longer words without try to score points by wedging letters in, one on top of the other. We didn't have to consult the dictionary. We didn't have to count out the scores for each tile laid. We didn't have to go to bed with our backs to each other because I hijacked her 75-point "E-Q-U-A-T-E" with my 78-point "E-Q-U-A-T-E-D".

That said, the Scrabble board game is an absolute classic. It provides a perfect opportunity to impress your friends and can helps everyone learn new words. Its popularity remains huge and it looks like being a staple game for years to come.

Game: Scrabble
Biggest Winner: Everyone
Biggest Loser: Competition
Session Grade: A
Overall Game Grade: A-