One of the most difficult situations you will have to handle with strategy is discarding early on in the hand. Since you know very little information except for the tiles in your own hand, it can be difficult to come up with a strategy for discarding early. Beginning players almost always start discarding from the high tiles and working their way down. Unfortunately for the better players, they often keep up with this habit, much to the detriment of their game.
The idea is that your point count should be reduced as much as possible, but playing against these opponents also gives you an advantage as long as you are not one of them. While they are discarding all the high tiles you can hold your high tiles and let them fill up your melds. In this way, they get rid of one high tile while you meld at least two of yours. Conversely, if you discard low tiles, your opponent can only pick them up to fill low-count melds. This may encourage him to discard higher tiles to you. If he is a good player then he will realize what you are doing and will start discarding in the same range as you, but it is often worth the risk at first.
Most discarding tends to occur in groups around the same numbers and colors because these are the safer tiles because some of them may be known to be out or dead. This fact can be used to your advantage by discarding “bait” tiles. This is when you are basically discarding a tile that will bring you back the tile that you need. This is a tactic that can only be used so often before the other players realize that you like to do it. Therefore, it should be done with some candor and discretion. It is always smart to consider which tiles can be used as bait tiles when you have a choice of several discards, by taking into account all the other factors. The bait tile can be very attractive if all other factors point in that direction.
By watching the discard patterns of your opponents you will quickly notice their pattern. If one of them make s a discard out of their normal pattern, you can be reasonably certain that they are fishing for specific tiles. Fishing is most often used when you are playing a single opponent versus two or three opponents mainly because the response is more immediate which gives you the time to really focus on what you or they are doing. If you are playing with good players who carefully watch all of the discards, this tactic can still be very useful. By constantly fishing you can even disorient your opponent until he is basically afraid to throw any discard close to the ones you throw. Eventually this forces him to hold a lot of useless tiles and it lets you throw odd tiles from your rack with great defensive effect.
There are some major differences between the American version of Rummikub and the Israeli version of Rummikub, although most people do play the American version more often. The Israeli version is much more complex both in rules, strategy and scoring. The game is specifically designed to be played by four players as opposed to just two, or three.
The same deck of tiles is sued, but the difference is that the 1 can be used either for high or low. So, it can be used for a 12, 13, 1 or a 1, 2, 3, but cannot be used as a 13, 1, and 2 because this would be both high and low. The play starts the same way, with the shuffling of the tiles. The play however goes counterclockwise instead of clockwise. The stack of 8 tiles is given to the first player on his right whereas in the American version, no one gets that stack of 8 tiles. The top tile of the last stack of the drawing pile becomes the trump for the round. There are three types of Rummikub you can play at this point – Open Rummy, Foot, or Hand. The melding is different however, because although you can add to previously made melds you cannot rearrange them as you can in the American version. The initial meld is also 50 points whereas the American version is only 25.
Open Rummy is the lowest scoring hand and is when the player places all of the tiles on the table. If the player places all of the melds on the table, either with her own melds or adding on to others, they win the game. If a player retains all of their tiles on the rack and has sets including at least one run, and totaling 50 points or more, they may finish by melding all the sets at once and laying off all extra tiles on to other melds on the table. They can then discard the last tile face down or use it in a meld. This is known as Foot and counts as a minus 200 points. A player playing Foot may not use the trump to complete the hand and they must draw from either the drawing pile or the last discard.
Hand is the first of fourth different plays made completely on the rack. In all of these, no tiles are melded during the play of the hand. No tiles are laid off on other melds on the table in order to complete the hand. In Hand, all of the tiles are formed into sets consisting of at least one run with the remaining tiles being in any combination of runs and groups. The winner must draw one tile from either the pile or discard and then discard one tile face down to announce that they have completed Hand. The hand is then exposed for verification by the other players.
Since there are forty ways in which each hand may be won, each has its own scoring value. All hands are scored as minus points for the winner. The totals are adjusted to give the final winner a plus score at the completion of the game.
After you have been dealt your 14 tiles, play starts with the first player examining their hand to see whether or not they can form melds of at least 25 points. The point values are taken from the tile numbers. Each tile 1 through 9 has a value equal to its number, and the tiles 10 through 13 each are worth ten points each. The joker has a value of 25 points.
For example, if you have a group of three 9’s, then you have 27 points and can form a meld and place them in the center of the table. This is called the initial meld. It doesn’t have to be a single meld either. You can have two groups, three runs, or any combination of groups and runs, as long as they total 25 points or more. A player does not have to meld if they do not want to. You can retain the tiles to meld later if you think that it may be more to your advantage. If you choose not to meld, or you can’t meld then you draw a tile from the drawing pile and discard one tile, face up on your left hand side.
Each player after you then takes their turn to make the initial meld of 25 points, draw from the pile, or draw from the previous discard one tile to the left. After making the initial meld, a player has the options of making another meld with no stipulation on points, draw from the pile, or draw from the previous discard of the person to your left.
A player must meld when they first start their turn. If a player has picked up a tile from either the pile or the previous player’s discard, then they may not meld that turn. They must discard one tile and wait to meld until the next turn. If the player does meld then they can draw one tile, either the last discard or from the pile, and then discards to the left again. Discards should be stacked so that only the last tile discarded is on tip and visible.
Once a player has made their initial meld, they can play on all melds on the table. The initial 25 point meld must be made only with your tiles and cannot be made with anyone else’s. However, once you have made your initial meld, you can use any open meld on the table because all melds become available to the entire table. It may be added to or rearranged to produce other melds as well. The only rule that applies to open melding is that all tiles on the table at the completion of each player’s turn must be valid melds. That means that they must be either in groups or runs and must contain at least 3 tiles. You may not under any circumstances, remove a tile that has been placed on the table already and put it in the discard pile or in your rack. This is when the strategy really gets interesting.
The key to developing melds is to look for and hold combinations that give you the greatest number of possibilities to draw the additional tiles needed. A combination is any two tiles which, with the addition of a third tile, will form a meld.
For example, if you have a black 1 and a black 2, you can form a meld if you pick the black 3. This is an example of the least possible combination to meld, since only one tile will complete it. Any combination of two tiles, such as the red 7 and 9, which must be filled with a tile that comes between them, is also a combination that you are least likely to fulfill. When you are trying to make any combination, you need to be able to determine the maximum possible draws that it may take to complete them. This is where knowing the odds will definitely come into play.
As your hand progresses, of course the odds will improve that you will make your combinations. Some of the available tiles will become dead in the discard piles as well. Perhaps others appear on the table in the open melds and may or may not be available to you, depending on the tiles in the rest of your rack. What will make you a better player then the people you are playing against is your ability to keep track of all the tiles that have been played and form your own combinations to keep the maximum number of useable picks available. You also need to be able to drop a combination when you realize that your odds are not with you. A sign of a good player is one that can change course throughout the hand in order to improve your odds of going out.
In most cases, you will start out with several combinations. AS the play continues you will have more opportunities to form additional combinations and melds. This is when choosing which combination you wish to hold becomes important. If your entire rack is made up of combinations and melds, and the draw gives you a choice of changing one combination for another, it is almost always best to make the change for the combination with the greatest number of melding possibilities. However, before you do this, you must make sure the change also has defensive qualities as well.
If by changing the combination you actually improve your opponent’s chance to make a meld then it would not be advantageous for you to change your combination. You may have fewer odds with what you have in your rack already, but it would still be better than placing a tile for discard that your opponent immediately picks up to use and go out. Therefore, the best plays for your combinations should be both defensive and offensive at the same time.
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Watching your opponent’s moves and tactics is extremely important in the game of Rummikub, for both offensive and defensive reasons. By watching the manner in which they play you are learning all of the patterns that they use.
Most average players and even some good players unfortunately tend to follow the same patterns. For example, they may consistently discard form their highest unwanted tiles to the lowest. If a player has been discarding 10’s, 11’s, 12’s, and 13’s and suddenly discards a 6 then you know something is up with their pattern of play. They may be holding melds and combinations in the 7 to 9 range or they are fishing for a 6 of a different color. It could be that both are true.
If they had been discarding in a more random pattern, then you would have a harder time figuring out this information. Another pattern is that they may always play their melds on the rack rather than the table. If they suddenly open early on the table, you have to assume that they are holding an unusual rack and are probably looking for other players to meld early on so that they can play their open melds. Being aware of these patterns will make you a much better player and will increase your chances of winning overall.
At the same time, you should be playing your own tiles in such a manner as to keep your opponents confused and guessing what you are going to do next. You must vary your style of play so that your own patterns are less obvious to your opponent. This does not necessarily mean playing each hand differently. In fact, it is more effective to play consistently for a while and then change tactics suddenly.
It is also good for your own playing since it forces you to concentrate on all the aspects of this highly strategic game. Under pressure, even the best players tend to fall into the patterns that are most comfortable for them. If you can break out of this, you have improved your playing by another measure, and improved your chances of being a consistent winner in Rummikub.
The key to developing melds is to look for and hold combinations that give you the greatest number of possibilities to draw the additional tiles needed. A combination is any two tiles which, with the addition of a third tile, will form a meld.
For example, if you have a black 1 and a black 2, you can form a meld if you pick the black 3. This is an example of the least possible combination to meld, since only one tile will complete it. Any combination of two tiles, such as the red 7 and 9, which must be filled with a tile that comes between them, is also a combination that you are least likely to fulfill. When you are trying to make any combination, you need to be able to determine the maximum possible draws that it may take to complete them. This is where knowing the odds will definitely come into play.
As your hand progresses, of course the odds will improve that you will make your combinations. Some of the available tiles will become dead in the discard piles as well. Perhaps others appear on the table in the open melds and may or may not be available to you, depending on the tiles in the rest of your rack. What will make you a better player then the people you are playing against is your ability to keep track of all the tiles that have been played and form your own combinations to keep the maximum number of useable picks available. You also need to be able to drop a combination when you realize that your odds are not with you. A sign of a good player is one that can change course throughout the hand in order to improve your odds of going out.
In most cases, you will start out with several combinations. As the play continues you will have more opportunities to form additional combinations and melds. This is when choosing which combination you wish to hold becomes important. If your entire rack is made up of combinations and melds, and the draw gives you a choice of changing one combination for another, it is almost always best to make the change for the combination with the greatest number of melding possibilities. However, before you do this, you must make sure the change also has defensive qualities as well.
If by changing the combination you actually improve your opponent’s chance to make a meld then it would not be advantageous for you to change your combination. You may have fewer odds with what you have in your rack already, but it would still be better than placing a tile for discard that your opponent immediately picks up to use and go out. Therefore, the best plays for your combinations should be both defensive and offensive at the same time.
The strategy of the closed game has a great deal to do with what type of game the others at the table are playing. You need to remember that the more players who opt for the Open game, the less you have to lose and the more attractive it will be to hold out for a valuable win. If an Open player wins, you can lose only a modest amount, so the odds are on your side to hold out.
During the play of your game, you need to keep in mind that you may want to switch if the Hand you are aiming for fails to materialize, or if the melds or discards of the other players inform you that it is impossible to make. For example, if you are playing for one of the Minor Hands and hold only low-numbered tiles, you may be able to switch to Piccolo 41 Odd if necessary, if you’re holding all high tiles, Grand Odd may be your best chance to win. Becoming familiar with the various patterns and learning to associate the related patterns makes you not only a flexible player, but a winning one as well.
You should also realize that if you try for certain Hands, it may be quite difficult to switch to an Open game on short notice. If you see a key tile in your planned Seven Pairs go into a discard pile across the table, it may be very hard to put together an initial meld which will let you switch to a safer Open game. You should also keep your eye on the trump tile at all times. You need to remember that it is yours if you need it to win. That may make your decision even more difficult though, so you need to look at all the tiles in time to make the switch.
If an opponent picks up many tiles from the player on his left, this is a fair indication that he may be close to winning. Unless you happen to know that he frequently picks up tiles on speculation, you should consider melding to guard against a large loss.
You should also try not to “feed” the player on your right the tiles you think he may need. If he has picked up a high tile from your discard pile and then picks up a second seemingly unrelated high tile from you, you need to be very cautious about feeding him a third tile. If at such a time, you have the option of settling for a lesser win than the one you have set your heart on, in order to not give him a tile you think he needs to win you need to do so.
Try not to discard a tile, which could be added to an existing meld. The player on the right may be one tile away from a Hand and decide to switch to Food for a quick win by drawing your discard and getting rid of his unwanted tile.
By the same toke, if there are melds on the table and you are one away from winning a Hand, you need to consider drawing the discard made from your opponent on your left side, or using a blind draw to take a quick win with a Foot.
Remember that after several turns around the table the chances that another player will win grow each time, and that means that your chances of losing are also increasing. If all four players are closed, the gambling element in this game is at its greatest. Your own personality, as much as the tiles you hold, will dictate whether you go on with the gambler in you, or chicken out and play it safe by melding.
Winning an Open game pays the least amount of points. It is a mere 100, compared with anywhere from 300 to 2600 for winning with a closed Hand. However, playing Open does ensure that you will lose only a modest amount if an opponent should win. Once you have melded, all you will lose is the value of the tiles left on your rack. If an opponent goes while your 14 tiles are still on your rack, you lose the exact amount that he wins, and that can be anywhere from 300 to 2600 points, so you don’t want this to happen.
At the same time, winning an Open game is usually easier than winning a Hand and it may be your only way to end with a winning score, no matter how small. Winning is always better than losing, so there are certain times that you do want to play an Open game so that you can rest assured you will get some points.
Sometimes the discards of your opponents will tell you that you cannot possibly win a Hand. If you cannot reasonably switch to a different Hand, then you should switch to an Open game. As the game progresses, if you feel that one of your opponent’s is about to declare Rummikub, that is certainly a time to switch games and cut your losses. Don’t forget, even if you do this, you will still have the 50 points for the initial meld.
Your tactics will also be influenced by the fact that one or more of your opponent’s has melded. Each time one of them switches to an Open game, it gives you more reason to hold out for a big Hand. That is, it decreases your chances of losing a large number of points since an Open player can only win 100 points, and that is all you will lose.
Strategy of the Foot Game
As soon as an opponent has melded, you should re-examine your tiles to see if you can convert a Hand game which still lacks several tiles into a winning Foot game. Unless you are quite close to winning a large Hand, and think that your chances are good, it may be a wise choice to take a win with fewer points. The Foot game is worth 200 points and rather than gamble on your big win, that will also accompany a big loss if your do lose, then you may want to switch to the Foot game.
The results for each game are computed by negative scoring. The winner of each round receives minus points. All of the losers score plus or positive points. As you will see, this is switched around in the final scoring so that the winners and losers for the day are clearly indicated.
If the round is not finished by the time the entire pool is used up the scoring is a bit different. Any player who has not melded receives 100 minus points. A player who has melded scores plus or positive points for the total sum of the tiles remaining on his rack. If a player wins by discarding a joker, all the scores are doubled. If the winner’s score has been doubled because he has discarded a joker as his final discard, then the loser’s scores are also doubled.
The winner of an Open game scores minus 100 points. A Foot scores minus 200 points. If the winner of an Open game is the only player to have melded, he scores minus 200 points, as if he had won a Foot. The number of jokers, or in some cases, the lack of them, does not matter in the scoring of Open or Foot.
The scores for each winning Hand from #1 to #40, with no jokers, one joker, or two jokers, are located in the score sheet. The winning scores are the indicated amount as minus or negative points.
The player who has melded, scores only the value of the tiles remaining on his rack, regardless of how much the winner has scored. This is done with the loser scoring plus points. The values of the tiles that are left in an Open player’s rack are face values for the tiles 2 through 10. Tiles 11, 12, 13, and 1 are counted as 10 points each. To make the scoring a bit easier many players adopt a table rule that states that after adding the tiles left on a losing player’s rack, the total is rounded off to the next highest 10 point division. For example, if a player scores 14 points, it will be rounded up to 20. Another example would be with the player who scores 51 points. He will then be rounded up to 60. This rule must apply to all the players at the table.
A player who has not melded at all in a game which is won by an Open player or by a Foot player, scores 100 plus points. A player, who has not melded in a game which is won with a Hand, loses the exact amount that the winner has scored. That is, if one player goes Rummikub with no jokers, Single Color Odd, he scores minus 1600 points, and any player who has not melded receives 1600 plus points for that round.
A popular table rule which you may want to adopt into your game involves the trump. According to this rule, the player who has the tile which matches the trump, either in his original 14 tiles or later by drawing it, is entitled to an extra 50 minus points. This holds true for a joker as well as numerical tiles. If you decide to include this rule in your game, be sure that everyone agrees to it in advance, and remember to announce the matching tile and claim the 50 points during the course of the round.
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