‘Rummy’ is quite a familiar word in the vocabulary of most Indians. Card games, in general, have a huge popularity in India, but even amongst the card games, rummy holds a special place. It is a strategic game that can be enjoyed between 2 or all the way to 8 players & has been played ever since ancient times. Apart from figuring out your own strategy, a huge part of rummy is deciphering the strategy of your opponents. It is, therefore, imperative that you can figure out the skill level of your opponent.
Playing against a beginner is a cakewalk, but you need to bring out your A-Game against an expert. If you can figure out the skill level of your opponent early on in the game, you will have a much higher chance of winning & making the least number of mistakes.
Here are a few tips that can help you identify if you’re playing a rookie or a savant:
Number of Times They Drop Out of a Game
If you play rummy online free or play offline, players have the opportunity of dropping out of a game. Remember, rummy is a game of skill, but what cards are dealt to you is totally random. This means that there will be games where you get dealt a pretty weak hand. This is a good indication of a player’s skill level. Weaker players tend to stick to their weak hands in the hopes of a miracle. Whereas an expert will most likely drop out of a game if they see they don’t have a favorable chance of winning. If a player tends to play every hand they are dealt, they are most likely a novice!
Don’t Ignore the Discard Pile!
The cards that get discarded can also give you an indication of a player’s skill level. An inexperienced player tries to grab on to what is exactly in front of them in an online rummy game without any particular strategy. They tend to keep changing their strategy based on the cards they get. This results in a wide range of cards getting discarded. An expert will most likely have a clear strategy. They will wait for the right cards and hold on to versatile ones. Though, any player worth their salt can adjust their strategy, but the basic one stays the same.
Taking Advantage of a Mistake
The mark of an expert is always capitalizing on any mistake made by an opponent. When you play rummy real cash game & a player is too focussed on their game and doesn’t notice a mistake that you made, or doesn’t take advantage of a mistake you made, then they definitely don’t know much about the game. An expert will jump on the first chance they get of weakening your game and solidifying theirs.
Taking Advantage of High Value Cards
It is a known strategy to discard high value cards early on in the game. This is done to avoid getting more points in case someone else declares first. Although it is advisable to do so, doing so in the first few rounds is the mark of a rookie. An expert will keep the high value cards with them in the hopes of making a combination with them. If, after a few rounds they still don’t get a desirable combination, then they throw away the high value card. If a player throws away a high value card in the first or second round, then you can be 90% sure that they are new to the game.
Using Jokers, the Right Way
Joker is an essential part of rummy. It can be used as any card in the game & can be especially useful for completing sets & impure sequences. It also has zero points value so it also brings the total point value of your hand down.
If your opponent discards a joker, this can be because of one of two reasons. Firstly, they are too new to the game and don’t realize the importance of jokers. If this is the case, then your road to victory is clear!
If, however, they have thrown a joker because they only need to complete their pure sequence, then you need to remember what cards they picked up in the previous rounds. This would be an essential knowledge that you will need if you want to have any chance of still winning the game!
Keep these strategies in mind next time you play rummy online free. Choosing your opponents carefully is important if you want to win a rummy real cash game. Play smart, play fair!
