Using Warren's approach for a clear starting board (level 1) you can place your pieces maximize your starting points. Sometimes if you are lucky the ice cubes on levels 2 and 3 will also line up so that you can build a grid similar to level 1.

The straw at the top will enter the grid either in the second or third square from the top right corner, and the straw at the bottom will leave the grid either in the second or third square from the bottom left corner. Therefore, there are four possible starting grids. The best starting grid to maximize points is when the top and bottom straws are in the second square from the corner.

Here is a table showing the approximate points you can get with each starting straw arrangement:

As you can see, it is beneficial to get a starting screen with the top and bottom straws entering and exiting the grid in the second-from-the-corner position. If you don't get the 2nd/2nd starting grid, you can always just use the turbo button to quickly start the game over.

Here are some the screenshots showing the best ways to lay out your pieces to maximize your starting points for each of the four possible starting grids from the table above: