Tips & Strategies (30)

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Tips & Strategies (30)

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10
Critic - Level 5
Professional Advisor
Expert Reviewer
Marquis / Marchioness
31 of 33 gamers found this helpful
“Keep count of the more rare beans (Cocoa, Garden, Red)”

In a game where the discard pile is shuffled multiple times, it is difficult to keep track of what cards have been played (scored) and what remain.

I’ve found that it is beneficial for a player to track the rarest of beans (4 – Cocoa, 6 – Garden, 8 – Red). These beans give the greatest payout for the fewest cards, assuming you can get them. Later in the game, knowing how many of each are left will help you decide if it’s possible to score some of these beans. Alternatively, if you know there is only one of a given bean left in the deck, you may be able to trade it to someone who wasn’t tracking them, but is excited to get a “rare” bean, tying up their bean field.

Beyond these beans, I have not found it overly beneficial to try and count the number of other beans in play. If you’re up for trying, go for it, but focusing on the three most rare beans, I believe, will give you the most bang for your mental buck.

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6
I play blue
Spread the Word
21 of 22 gamers found this helpful
“Keep Coffee, Garden, and Cocoa Beans Seperate”

Depending on how many players you have, you will need to add or take out certain beans from the deck. I have found it really helpful to keep those beans (Coffee, Garden, and Cocoa beans) separate from the rest of the deck. That way, I can shuffle in the beans needed for a particular game. When it’s over, have everyone go through their piles and take them out.

In the box, I keep those three types of beans with the 3rd bean field cards in one of the compartments. All of the other cards I keep in the other two compartments. They fit pretty well. This has saved a lot of time going through the entire deck pulling out the cards that aren’t needed. Hope this helps!

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10
Critic - Level 5
Professional Advisor
Expert Reviewer
Marquis / Marchioness
29 of 31 gamers found this helpful
“Trading a bean for the same type of bean”

The rules allow for trading a bean for the same type of bean from another player. There are times (especially towards the end of the game) where this can be beneficial for both people. If each of you are working on the same type of bean (e.g., coffee), you can trade a coffee from your hand for a coffee from someone else’s hand. This allows you to, in essence, get beans from the middle of your hand, out sooner. If you’re going to have to sell a type of bean to plant the first one in your hand, offering a bean for the same type may net you an extra coin.

One note – there are groups that do not consider this proper play. Some people feel strongly that this shouldn’t be allowed, and it is worth checking in advance to ensure playing this way (while allowd by the rules) won’t spoil the fun for some at the table.

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6
Greater Than Games fan
Sentinels of the Multiverse fan
38 of 41 gamers found this helpful
“Don't make deals with the devil....”

This game is on our table on a daily basis. It’s one of my wife’s favourite games so we play it often, whether just the 2 of us or in a group setting. Right away you know who the “better” players are (the ones that are in every deal, orchestrating everything). It’s ok not to make deals with them and sometimes beneficial to winning this game. My wife wins almost every time. In order for me to have a chance at winning, I have to stop making deals with her or if I really want to make a deal with her I make it really hard for her to say yes so it looks like I’m not totally pushing her away.

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6
I play blue
Spread the Word
20 of 21 gamers found this helpful
“How Bout that 3rd Field?”

One of the bigger decisions in the game for a player is whether or not to get a third bean field. I think that really depends on three things: how many people are playing, how quickly you’re expecting to get coins, and what your strategic approach to the game is. Allow me to explain…

How many people are playing? If there are less (3 or 4) people playing, you’re going to have more turns and you’ll have access to more beans because more beans are available. You may want to consider getting a third bean field to pick up some extra cards, or to keep people from messing with you and forcing you to harvest something you’d rather not harvest. If there are more players (5 or more), there is going to be a lot more beans on the table, and so it may be more difficult to get points. I personally choose not to purchase a third bean field when playing with this many people, and it usually works out for me. Instead, I try to go for 4 coins for each field, and there are many games where I’ve won by only 1 or 2 coins, and the second place person had a third bean field. So I saved my coins and tried to be as efficient as possible.

But that leads me to my next point. When I have lost with that particular strategy, it is because someone was able to get a third bean field very early in the game (the opening draw pile was still quite large). When that happens, they have the entire game to use a third field, which is very helpful. If you’re going for a third bean field and it’s the second time going through the draw pile, that might be a waste of your hard earned resources.

The third factor is based on what your strategy allows you to do. I like to try to get 4 coins for everything, so I’m not going to be able to get an early third bean field very often. But if you like to wheel and deal and harvest like crazy, you can probably pick up some early coins which will allow you to get that third bean field before everyone else, and that will be a major benefit to you.

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10
Critic - Level 5
Professional Advisor
Expert Reviewer
Marquis / Marchioness
26 of 28 gamers found this helpful
“Wait to harvest until you need the field”

It is generally to your advantage to hold off on harvesting a field until that field is needed for another bean.

The main situation I see people not follow this is once they reach the number of beans needed for maximum coins. Most of the time, they will immediately harvest the field. While this normally won’t cause you problems, it is sometimes beneficial to keep that field going, until you need the empty space. This is especially true if it is your turn, and you maxed out the field by planting from your hand in the first phase.

If cards flipped from the top of the deck match the beans you just harvested, you now have to find somewhere to put them, or trade them away. Had you not harvested yet, you could add them to the field, then harvest. Additionally, having a maxed out field can often make trades with opponents a bit easier. If they need to get rid of a type of bean that you have maxed out, you can readily take it from them if they throw in a bean you need (which can be the type you’re going to replace that field with anyway).

Doing this won’t always gain you points, but by not harvesting your fields until the moment you’re going to put a new bean there, it gives you a little extra flexibility that may gain you a coin or two during a game.

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3
I'm a Real Person
25 of 27 gamers found this helpful
“dont harvest to win the game fast!”

If you are in lead and want the game to end quick and the deck is about to finish for the 2nd time, instead of harvesting one of your fields (probably maxed) keep it. If you harvest it once the 3rd round starts, the game will end faster, which is in your favor (since you are in lead)

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10
Critic - Level 5
Professional Advisor
Expert Reviewer
Marquis / Marchioness
32 of 35 gamers found this helpful
“Expect to trade while playing this game”

If you are planning to play Bohnanza, especially if you are teaching it to new players, I’ve found it is important to stress that trading is a vital part of the game.

I have met a number of people who prefer to play the game by themselves. They don’t like the idea of helping other players, and thus want to make due with the cards they are dealt. While some games with trading may allow you to be competitive without trading (with the right rolls this can happen in Settlers of Catan, though I wouldn’t expect to it always work!) it doesn’t work well with Bohnanza.

I have never seen a player who does not want to participate in trades score well. Additionally, they do not seem to be enjoying the game, and never ask for a second playing.

If you are introducing someone to (or considering playing) Bohnanza, go in with the expectation that you’ll have to trade to do well. If trading with other players is not something you want to do, I would recommend a different game. Games where you trade with other players are not for everyone. If you’re this type, you’ll likely be much happier with another game.

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3
Gamer - Level 3
Copper Supporter
15 of 16 gamers found this helpful
“Changing Values of Cards”

Pay attention which cards are being cashed in during the game. As cards become coins, the rarity of the remaining cards alter their perceived value.

While this is readily apparent for the very valuable beans like cocoa and garden beans, keep a rough track in your head of low valued beans, like wax and blue beans.

Understanding what to plant when is absolutely key to Bohnanza, and understanding that the bean values change dynamically is an important part of your decision making process.

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2
Rated 10 Games
21 of 23 gamers found this helpful
“You can trade more than cards”

Think out of the box when making trades. Consider trading the following:
* future cards (e.g. “my next green bean”)
* a promise to not plant (or to stop growing) a particular type of bean
* a promise to not trade a particular bean type with a particular player
* a promise to fulfill one player’s promise to another player in exchange for a card
.. and so on.

PS You might need a pencil and paper to keep track of your obligations!

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1
19 of 21 gamers found this helpful
“Mutabohn version... different way to plant fields”

There is an expansion to this game called Mutabohn (limited edition of 2500 copies and very hard to find). This expansion has a new variation of planting as well as bonus cards for planting bean fields in a certain bean order.

You can use your current cards to play this expansion without having to buy it. The only thing you don’t get are the bonus cards… which honestly, I think is an unfair advantage to other players anyway. The bonus cards can give players an extra 30 – 70 thalers. Yikes!!

In summary, the new rules allow you to “mutate” the beans.

Here’s how it works:
You are allowed to plant different beans on other beans if:

a) The new bean you’re planting has a card number greater than the card you are planting on top of (the card number refers to the number of cards in the deck)

b) The card number on the new bean is the next incremental number in the series (which is usually an increment of +2). A 10 can be planted on an 8, a 20 can be planted on an 18, etc.

When harvesting a field of “mutated” beans, use the beanometer of the last bean that was planted.

Here’s an example:
You have a Red Bean already planted which is a number 8. You can plant a Black-eyed Bean over it which is number 10. (you still downwardly fan out the cards like you would normally do). You can keep going with this so long as each additional bean is either the same as what was planted last or is the next increment of bean number.

Example: you could plant a field in following order: red bean (first bean in field), black-eyed bean, black-eyed bean, soy bean, soy bean, green bean, and green bean. This would be worth 4 thalers since there are 7 cards and the last bean planted was the green bean.

The Pros and Cons:
Cons: You count the beanometer of the last planted bean so you have to collect more beans for them to be worth more.

Pros: If you don’t have the same card as what’s already in your fields, it gives you more options for planting.

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8
Senior
Critic - Level 3
Junior Reporter
Explorer - Level 4
26 of 30 gamers found this helpful
“Don't need a 3rd Bean Field”

I used to always buy the 3rd bean field but found that with careful hand management and lots of trading one rarely needs it. Saving the 3 coins has often led to a win for me.

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6
I play blue
Spread the Word
10 of 11 gamers found this helpful
“All Beans Big and Small”

Here’s a tip that works well for me. I play Bohnanza with my friends quite often and I’m often in the mix to win. At the beginning of my hand, I look at my beans and pick one bean that there is a lot of (coffee bean, wax bean, etc.) and one bean that doesn’t have as many (soy bean, blue bean…you get the idea). If I’m not going first, this could also depend on what players play and what is revealed in the trade phase.

Anyway, I go all out for those until I max them out for 4 coins. Very rarely do I harvest early and start over. I want max coins for each field, because, at the beginning of the game, you’ll see pretty much every card in the deck, and assuming you can negotiate and trade, you’ll be in the mix to get a lot of those cards.

So in theory, you could get 4 coins for each field by the second time you shuffle the bean pile. That’s 8 coins, and you free up your bean fields. After that, go for what you think will be most available. You’ll kill it. Isn’t this game fun?!?

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7
Marquis / Marchioness
Advanced Reviewer
Professional Advisor
BoardGaming.com Beta 1.0 Tester
21 of 25 gamers found this helpful
“Don't be afraid to give away beans”

After a couple plays, this gets more and more obvious. If there’s a bean you don’t want, and you can’t trade it away, be willing to give it away! This doesn’t just go for the beans you draw and reveal, give away beans from your hand as well. This is how you’ll maximize playing beans of the same type and avoid constantly uprooting your bean plots before they become worth anything. Try to optimize your hand by giving away useless beans towards the front so that you can get to the more valuable beans that you want to play towards the back of your hand.

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3
17 of 20 gamers found this helpful
“Be friendly.”

It’s a simple tip, but it will get you a long way in Bohnanza: Be friendly. If there’s even a single other player at the table who you can trade favors with, you’ll both come out ahead of the people who are playing hyper-competitive and cutthroat.

Blocking other players from the resources they need isn’t as strong of a strategy in Bohnanza as it is in many other games. Rather, keeping your word, offering tempting deals, and going out of your way to help other players who’ll return the favor tends to be rewarded.

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7
Paladin
Herald
Advanced Reviewer
BoardGaming.com Bronze Supporter
18 of 22 gamers found this helpful
“I accept rubble!”

This tactics works well when you play a multiplayer game (the more players the better), preferably with expansions. It’s not recommended for 2- or 3-player games.

Focus on common cards – the ones that are numerous but not very valuable. You will be surprised how often you get them from other players for free! They just want to get rid of them and you provide a nice opportunity to do it. You should also have no problems with selling a rare card for two or three “rubble” ones.

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13 of 16 gamers found this helpful
“Different Draw from Lady Bohn”

This is a new rule from the expansion Lady Bohn. At the end of a player’s turn, instead of drawing three cards (or more depending on the number of players) have every player draw one card, starting with the player whose turn it is. In this way if you trade away your entire hand, you don’t have to wait until your turn to get new cards.

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6
I'm a Gamin' Fiend!
Noble
Champion
My First Heart
12 of 15 gamers found this helpful
“Large groups”

To play Bohnanza in a large group (like 10 players) you may shuffle together cards from the expansions and from the two player version “Al Cabohne”. You will get then the following sets: 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16×2, 18, 19, 20, 22×2, 24, 26, 28. To avoid blocking the game early you may want players to start with three fields with a possibility of buying the fourth one for 3 points.

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8
Senior
Critic - Level 3
Junior Reporter
Explorer - Level 4
22 of 30 gamers found this helpful
“iPhone/iPad game is fun”

The iOS game is a lot of fun. When you can’t find someone to play and need a little Bohnanza-time, this fits nicely. If you haven’t played before or need a refresher, it includes a nice tutorial too. You can play with 3 or 4 players and one or two of them must be human (pass and play).

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3
16 of 23 gamers found this helpful
“When teaching new players: Warn them that there's one unexpected rule.”

When teaching new players Bohnanza, I’ll say this at the end of my quick-let’s-jump-in-explanation:

“There’s one more rule, and even after I tell it to you, someone at this table will forget it and get burnt by it. The rule is: If you’re going to trash one of your fields, you have to trash a field that has more than one bean in it in preference to a field that has only one bean in it.”

I’ll repeat it if someone asks for clarification, but otherwise we dive in and play as soon as possible. The fastest way to learn is to play.

The point of this now-ritual phrase is to set up the expectation that someone WILL get busted by this rule, and it’s ok, and other people at the table will back you up when it happens so it doesn’t degenerate into an argument or sore feelings. It was a newbie error that someone was going to make, now we’ve seen it happen and we understand, and the game keeps moving.

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