When you think about it, for any any Scrabble-like game to be played competitively, it'll ultimately have to have a codified word list. (Every word needs to be judged as legal or illegal.) Make that list too small and confined to "normal" vocabulary and you make the game vulnerable to being "solved" by players who can memorize everything and/or, you make the game less complex/interesting.
Make the list too large, and you open the game up precisely to the this sort of critique -- "it's all about learning arbitrary words like AA or ZEK." Personally, I'm happy with the latter, as it makes the game deep and rewarding (I actually enjoy looking up words like "zek.") But (competitive) Scrabble is its own world that needn't appeal to everyone.
If the arbitrariness of the Scrabble tournament word list bothers you, you might try house rules with your friends that limit words to those that are universally accepted. This is what I do when I play with my mom. I just know that I can't play QI or UNAU and play a less competitive, friendlier game.
Make the list too large, and you open the game up precisely to the this sort of critique -- "it's all about learning arbitrary words like AA or ZEK." Personally, I'm happy with the latter, as it makes the game deep and rewarding (I actually enjoy looking up words like "zek.") But (competitive) Scrabble is its own world that needn't appeal to everyone.
If the arbitrariness of the Scrabble tournament word list bothers you, you might try house rules with your friends that limit words to those that are universally accepted. This is what I do when I play with my mom. I just know that I can't play QI or UNAU and play a less competitive, friendlier game.