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Tips & Strategies (10)
Tips & Strategies (10)
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When you’re going for phases try and create scenarios where you need just one card to complete the phase but that one card can be several choices.
For example, when going for two sets of three, hold on to as many pairs as you can this way you increase your chance of creating a three of a kind. Let’s say you are holding 4-4-4-3-3-7-7-5-5-1-1. You can complete the phase with a 3, 7, 5, 1 or wild. If instead you were holding 4-4-4-3-3-7-6-10-1-5 then the only chance you have is 3 or wild and players don’t discard wild.
So if you pick up a card that pairs something consider discarding a solo instead. It’s to you if you want to risk holding pairs of 10, 11 or 12. That could be risky.
The “Master’s Edition” of the game is the same exact deck. The only difference is the rules. The “Master’s Edition” tends to play faster. Any or all of these may be added, feel free to pick and choose.
-At the start of each hand, a player may choose the phase he wishes to pursue that round. The player may NOT change his mind until a new hand is dealt. Keep track on paper instead of using phase cards like in the “real” Master’s Edition.
-Once per hand, a player may “save” a card into their “save” pile. Once per turn, they may draw from the save pile instead of the draw or discard piles.
We find that hands CAN take forever in two player, so to speed things up we’ll just end the hand once the discard pile is higher than the draw pile.
When the person going after your turn is in the run of 7/8/9 phases, do not discard middle number cards. 6,7,8, and 9 could all be used for any of those phases, and you don’t want to help your opponents, now do you? Stick to discarding low cards or high cards if you can.
You will always have to choose wisely when discarding cards, and it changes depending on which phase you are. I win fairly consistently, and this is the drawing/discarding strategy I like to use for each phase:
Phase 1 – If the card in the discard pile is a pair for ANY of your cards, pull it. Then discard ANY cards that are singles (starting with cards 10 or higher). Once you no longer have any singles, just pick a pair to start discarding, usually pairs that are 10 or higher. Eventually you’ll get your two pairs of three.
Phase 2 – Use the same strategy as above, focusing on pairs. However, TRY to not discard singles that are forming your run of 4. If you have to discard singles that form the run, go ahead. I find the harder part of this phase is getting the pair of three than the run of 4.
Phase 3 – Same as above.
Phase 4 – One of the easiest phases. Just draw cards that fill any gaps in your run, and discard PAIRS. Eventually you’ll have one of everything but you’ll probably get your run of 7 before then.
Phase 5 – Same as above, slightly harder.
Phase 6 – Same as above. Might take 2 rounds, so try to avoid holding onto skips and cards 10 or higher.
Phase 7 – Follow the same strategy as phase 1. Once you have a full hand of pairs, choose pairs to start discarding. Once you have a full hand of pairs of three, choose one to start discarding.
Phase 8 – Easiest phase in the game, fairly obvious what to do here. Look at which colors you have the least of, and discard those. Eventually you’ll have your 7 colors.
Phase 9 – Follow phase 7 strategy. Hardest part will be getting that pair of 5 or drawing the amount of wilds you need. Might take 2 rounds, so try to avoid holding onto skips and cards 10 or higher.
Phase 10 – Same as above, just need a pair of 3 in addition to the pair of 5.
Playing this weekend we tried the pick your phase method. It worked well my older daughter (16) and I but our youngest (seven) said that she was going to just play straight through the phases or she would “spend 30 minutes staring at her cards just trying to pick a phase”. This worked well for the oldest and I and really sped up the game, but the youngest was left in the dust. Consider the ability of the players to manage their phases when playing this option.
If you pay attention to your follower and know what phase they are on and what cards they are picking up you could make it harder for them to complete their phase.
For example, if your follower is on phase eight: seven cards of one color and they pick up a yellow try to avoid discarding yellow. If they are on phase seven: two sets of four, try to see what numbers they are collecting and try not to discard those.
Everyone knows the main folly of Phase Ten is the length of the game. One of the few nice things about Phase 10 is the you can break it down and make it a shorter game to play. I’m going to list a few of the different variants below, but be creative and give it a shot.
• Play only the even phases
• Play only the odd phases
• Complete any phase at any time you wish
• Play a certain number of rounds and lowest score wins
• Everyone advances at the same time/No one left behind, lowest score wins
• Play backwards, it will seem like it builds up instead of losing steam
I’m sure there are a few more, but back to work for me. This CAN be a good filler if you dictate the rules to what you need.
When we play the question of what phase a player is on. TO avoid this issue when I keep score I mark each phase as it is completed by each player. This stops all confusion over what phase a player is trying to complete.
If the players want I tell them the score of each player and what phase they are on at the beginning of each round.
One variation is to allow a player to draw more cards at the beginning of their turn. They can either draw their standard one card, or discard a card to allow them to draw additional cards. The number of cards they can draw is equal to the number on the card in addition to the one they get for free. For example, if the player lays down a 3 card, they now draw their 1 free card, then an additional 3 cards, equaling a total of 4 cards drawn this way.
If they are going to use this method, the card must be put down/discarded before drawing their free card. Play then proceeds as normal, except they have already chosen their discard for the end of their turn. They do not get an additional discard.
If you feel this gives the player to much of an advantage, you can choose to have them give up the rest of their turn if they choose to draw additional cards. This means they will discard a number card in order to draw additional cards, draw those cards, then end their turn. They will not be able to play a phase or lay down any additional cards this turn.