This is for computerized Scrabble games.
There is a certain probability of receiving a given letter
on
a
tile, e.g., 1/100 for a Q and 1/12 for an E. Qs are worth
a
lot
more than Es. Thus, by receiving a disproportionate
number
of high-value tiles a player has a great advantage.
In
this idea, the sum of the point value of the dealt tiles
attempts to remain the same for all players during the
course
of the game, with some variation due to luck.
For example, if Player One receives QEAYSEI HWN for his
first
10 tiles, then he has received a point value of 28 on his
rack
(keep in mind that you only receive seven tiles at a time)
over the first 10 tiles. To make it fair, the dealer
(computer)
deals Player Two random tiles that also add up to 28. It
can
be made a little bit more random by adjusting the
probability for letters such as to tend the distributions to
have the same value.
In one implementation the sequence of tiles to be dealt
is
divided into chunks of ten. For each chunk of 10, each
player
will receive the same point value. E.g., the first 10 tiles
will
be worth 28, the next 17, the next 25, etc. The value
for
each chunk is randomly set by the computer without
revealing the values to the players.