The Last Gasp strategy: which letters to call first

How the points work

• Each letter scores its value for every time it appears in the word. The values follow letter rarity: A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T and R are worth 1, D and G 2, B, C, M and P 3, F, H, V, W and Y 4, K 5, J and X 8, and Q and Z 10.
• Get a letter right and you alone get two seconds to call another. Each hit in a chain raises the multiplier by 0.35: the second hit scores ×1.35, the third ×1.7, and so on.
• A wrong guess draws the next line of the stickman. There are six lines, and whoever draws the last one loses every point they earned on that word.

The opening

With an empty gallows, a miss is cheap, so call the commonest letters fast: E, T, A, O, I, N, S and R. They are worth little each, but a letter that appears three times scores three times, and every hit opens a chain.

Speed matters more than anything here. Everyone can call at once, and only the first right guess wins the letter.

Reading the word

Once a few letters are showing, look at the shape: word endings like -ING, -ER and -ED, and pairs like TH, SH and CH. Letters that complete a pattern are safe bets even when they are worth more.

Use your chain window. Two seconds is enough for one more confident call, not for thinking. If you are not sure, let the window close.

When the gallows is nearly full

With one line left, the next miss costs whoever makes it everything they earned on this word. This is when the table goes quiet. Only call a letter you are sure of, and let someone else take the gamble.

Setting a hard word

• You have 30 seconds to type a word of at least three letters from the English word list.
• Short words with rare letters are hardest: there are few letters to find and each miss brings the gallows closer.
• Long words full of common letters are easy: every early guess lands.
• In Teams, your team suggests words and votes on one.