Rummy is one of the most popular card games in the world and even Indians love to play their version of the game during festivals like Diwali, Holi, and so on. Typically, any gathering in the Indian household demands a game of rummy with near and dear friends. It is this ever-lasting love for the card game that has made rummy one of the most popular online skill-based games, according to research by Deloitte.
If you have just started playing rummy or have been playing for a long time, it is almost certain that you must have faced a bad hand. All card players have faced this because it is virtually impossible to always get a good hand when you are being given 13 cards.
When you play rummy online, you will be dealt 13 cards after the deck has been shuffled thoroughly. This means that one or two players on the table are going to have a bad hand and sometimes, that player might be you.
Your first instinct will be to blame the dealer and then you might think of dropping the game because of a bad hand. But, do you know that in skill-based games like rummy, you can turn a bad hand to your favor?
Here, take a look at a few tricks and tips that will help you to turn around a bad hand and make it work in your favor so that you can be victorious.
Understand the role of lower-value cards
A lot of rummy players have a notion that high-value cards are important for winning the game. Even though it is true to some extent, it is not entirely true because lower-value cards can also play an integral role in forming valid sequences and sets. You wouldn’t find any trend or statistic to prove that only the high-value cards can help you beat your opponent. Even with simple cards like 7, 5, and 2, you have the chance to win the game. This is because a sequence is a sequence at the end of the day. So, the next time that you are dealt with mostly lower-value cards, strategize and find ways to use the cards to your advantage.
Let go of your greed for high-value cards
You might feel elated that you’ve been dealt mostly high-value cards, but you have to understand that this doesn’t guarantee your victory. If you fail to make proper sets in which the high-value cards can fit, you will be holding on to them and this would result in a higher score. A higher score in rummy means that you are losing against your opponent players. So, you need to let go of your greed for face or high-value cards and think of how best you can form valid sets. The sets might be formed using lower-value cards as well.
Joker isn’t always needed to win
There are rummy players who consider a bad hand due to the absence of a joker card. But, that is not a reason to give up because you might find a joker card from the deck. Even if you don’t find a wild card or a joker card, you can utilize your skills to carefully create perfect sequences. You just have to observe the game plan of your opponents and also be alert of the cards that they are picking and throwing.
If you have a joker card, value it
When you are playing online rummy, you can make use of a joker card in multiple ways. But, it is up to you to devise new ways to utilize the joker card. You can make use of the joker card to form a set and decrease the points. This is because the wild card does not carry any points.
Observe and track the moves of your opponent players
Your opponents needn’t know that you have a bad hand. You can trick them into thinking that you have a good hand to confuse them. There’s no need to panic and you just have to focus on the moves of your opponents to figure out what cards they are discarding and which ones they are picking up. Their discarded cards might turn out to be a game-changer for you and you can turn around your bad hand.
Practice rummy to become familiar with bad hands
To master the game of rummy, you have to practice. After all, this is a game of skills and the more you practice, the more your skills will be sharpened. Also, by practicing, you can learn a lot about the game because you will be faced with different situations. You have to think of brand new ways to form sequences and sets. This is going to help you to remain calm and patient, and also boost your rational thinking power when it comes to quickly changing strategies when plan A isn’t working as well as you had hoped.
It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or you have been playing rummy for years, practice is important and it can help you make the best use of a bad hand to your advantage.
Know when to drop out
Last, but not least, you need to understand what a ‘bad hand’ is and what a ‘really bad hand’ is. For instance, if you have no pure sequences, but do have a Joker or two, you may still be able to turn the game around and even win the game, but a really bad hand will not give you favorable odds to form melds. So, you need to spend time analyzing and understanding the cards that you have been dealt. You need to try different ways to arrange them and form sets. If you are absolutely convinced that there is no way that this hand can be used to your advantage, you can think of dropping the game. Or, you can continue playing to learn and hone your rummy playing skills.
The next time when you play online rummy, keep the aforementioned tips in mind. Also, remain calm, composed and don’t be afraid to implement plans B, C, D, and so on.
