Quick winning principles
- Knock at 8-10 deadwood when opponent's hand looks strong.
- Never break a completed meld to knock — undercut risk spikes.
- Keep 5-6-7 connectors over isolated face cards.
- Discard high deadwood that cannot fit opponent melds.
Ideal strategy
- 1
Knock threshold shifts with score: when behind, chase gin; when ahead, knock at 6-7 deadwood to limit opponent gin bonus.
- 2
Undercut math: knocking with 9 deadwood risks opponent at 8 or less. Estimate their deadwood from pickups before knocking.
- 3
Middle card retention: 4-5-6-7-8 form more meld combinations than 10-J-Q. Face cards are deadwood magnets late.
- 4
Discard reading: three consecutive picks in one suit means opponent is committed — deny that suit's key ranks.
- 5
Knock vs gin EV: gin pays 25+ bonus; only pursue when deadwood cannot drop below 10 in two draws.
- 6
Defensive discards late: when opponent has not knocked through 15+ cards, assume low deadwood and break your own risky extensions.