A Conundrum

I play Words with Friends on Facebook and my phone. I really enjoy the game, and I love that it's portable and I can play when I have a moment. And I love the puzzle of it.

My sister and I were playing for awhile, and I realized pretty quickly that she was using the app to find good moves and words. My nephew texted me and told me she was cheating, but I already knew that. My reaction was not what DN expected, to say the least. The conversation went like this:

DN: She's cheating
Me: She wouldn't be the first. Did she download the app?
DN: An app
Me: Well, so far, she's not coming up with anything too off the wall
DN: You should pretend to be mad at her.
Me: Um, ok......tell your mom I'm mad at her for cheating.
Me: And I saw you roll your eyes
DN: HOW?!
Me: It's a mom thing. ROFL!

He really was expecting me to be mad. But really, it's just a game, and I knew she was using the app because her game-play style changed. And I still beat her. I think anyway. It didn't really seem important.

Now I'm playing with another friend. Our first game, I whipped her. Without using an app or a website. So, our second game started, and about halfway through, it became *very* clear that she was using the Words With Friends app. This app essentially looks at the game board and finds the very best move possible, including where to put it. It's not just a dictionary or word finder. It basically plays the game.

Seriously, what is the point? So she won. But she didn't. Her phone/computer beat me.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have used a word finder website from time to time, that takes my letters and shows me words I can create with them. I still have to see if the words will fit/work on the scrabble board, however. I often will throw letters on the board in the hopes that "ro" is a word (it's not, btw) or whatever, until I find something that works. And I never pass up an opportunity to use a bonus tile. But isn't that the whole point of the game?

And I'm annoyed. For no good reason, really. I want to call her out. But, I suspect she believes that *I'm* using the app or a similar one. And I'm not. Because if I did, again, what is the point? My app would be playing her app.

I guess I should be flattered? That it takes an app to beat me? But it still bugs me.