fifi𝜗𝜚

These are the values of the letters in question:

L—1

A—1

C—3

Q—10

U—1

E—1

R—1

S—1

for a total of 19. Triple Word multiplier would make it 57, except there’s no configuration for this word where you can hit a triple word and not also a double letter tile. I’ve done the math, and long story short it would have to be a 1-point tile on the double letter making the total 20 x3 is 60.

You will notice that all the triple word tiles are along the outside. You will also notice that “Lacquers” is an 8-letter word. Each person only gets 7 letters in Scrabble so one of the letters had to have been there already

If you also recall, Brian mentions “all the tiles were gone,” and Roger says “all 7 letters.” At first, I dismissed this as Roger speaking off the cuff and miscounting the letters in “Lacquers,” but then I realized they mean that Brian played all his tiles in one turn, which according to the official Scrabble rules, earns him a 50 point bonus (applied after the word total with premium tiles is calculated). So keep that in mind.

Initially I thought that, because it’s an 8-letter word, it was theoretically possible that Brian could have hit two triple word tiles which (again, according to the rules) multiplies the word score by nine. I feel like that would have been memorable enough to mention, but either way I tried those set-ups, and those totals came out to be 230 or 261 which also isn’t close. You will notice the star tile in the center of the board. This is a double-word bonus tile and the first word of the game has to cover it. For my first theory to be correct, someone would have had to have played a first word where the letter L covered the star (and Brian’s word couldn’t have been the first word because of the aforementioned 8-letter word, 7 tiles per person dilemma)

Now here’s the thing. Initially I thought that what happened was there was an L on the star, and then Brian played A-C-Q-U-E-R-S either to the right or down from it, which would be 19+1 for the U on double letter, x 2 for star tile x3 for triple word + 50 bonus which would equal 170.

However, in reviewing the rules again I learned that each premium tile can only be used on the turn it was covered, meaning whoever covered the star during the first word got that bonus and Brian couldn’t use it again.

Aargh. Back to the drawing board.

If he went from the left side of the board to the star (with no star bonus), that only equals 137

I’m stumped gang. Ratty has also mentioned this Scrabble word in Queen Unseen so we know it happened, Roger is very consistent with the story and 168 is a very specific number. But the closest it could have been is 170 and that’s only possible if Queen had house rules saying either the first word could be placed anywhere (leaving the star potentially open for Brian) OR that the premium tiles could be used more than once (which honestly, could be the case)

However…If we’re considering the possibility of house rules, let’s go back to what Roger said about the “Q on the triple.” It is theoretically possible that they modified the rules to where that tile would affect the letter placed over it…?In which case that would be 1+1+3+30+1+1+1+2 (double letter) totaling 40, x3 + 50 is 170…still not 168 and a little far-fetched, but close and not impossible…

I gotta admit, I’m stumped. I also gotta admit that I have never played Scrabble in my life, and before today, didn’t at all know how to either. I will also admit that I am HORRENDOUS at math. All of this was done on a calculator but my brain simply cannot Numbers so if this was hard to follow, I’m sorry, and if someone out there is a Scrabble expert, please add on

TLDR: either I massively overlooked something, or Queen had weird Scrabble rules, but Brian scoring 168 points in one word is still a mystery.