Phase 10 - Tips & Strategies

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.