Strategies & Tips Archive

What playing family card games when growing up taught me about gambling today. If I told you I learned how to properly manage a gambling bankroll by the time I was 10, you’d probably think I was crazy. Or that my parents were irresponsible. Or at the least that I was a miscreant underage...

Skat Tips & Hints: Bidding and game play considerations. Skat isn’t the type of game where you can lay out a straight-forward strategy and stick to your guns. It’s not like blackjack, where the numbers on each visible card determines every move you make. If it were, it would be so much easier! But...

Tips and hints for winning the card game 31 (Scat). 31 (aka Scat) is a very simple turn-based 3-card game that can accommodate a wide range of players. It’s so easy to play, children all over North America have been enjoying it for years (minus the usual coin-betting aspect). It’s not all about luck...

How DIY lovers can build your own Cribbage Board. Do you absolutely love the game of Cribbage? Did you break or misplace your board, and need a new one fast? Maybe you just want a simple woodworking project to tweak your building skills. Whatever the reason, building a cribbage board couldn’t be easier. The...

Mitaine is not your typical card game, nor does it call for your typical tactics. It falls more into the genre of fishing games than the more common melding, shedding and trick-catching varieties popular across Canada. And yet, strategically speaking, there are a lot more advantages players can gain by considering all the right...

Mille is not your typical rummy game. It’s more akin to a 2-player version of Canasta. And like Canasta, it’s often played for stakes. So if you’re going to play, it’s a good idea to know what you’re doing, and employ a solid strategy to increase your odds of winning. Before we continue, unless...

Coup is a fascinating game in many ways. It’s fast (average 15 minutes), accommodates 2 to 6 players, and often rewards the player with the strongest skills at deception. You can’t cheat, obviously, but you can lie and bluff your way to ultimate supremacy. You’ll need a good poker face and an absorbent memory...

Coup is a fantastic game of power and deception. The commercial version can be purchased for $10 and up, depending on the edition of choice. Or, you can save some cash, and instead use a standard deck of cards to play Coup. All you have to do is apply specific card ranks to each...

Honestly, I probably shouldn’t be writing this page. Sure, there are some effective ways to increase your odds of winning Creights. There are specific opportunities to watch out for – cards to love and loathe – tactful maneuvers to better destroy your opponents. But that isn’t what the game of Creights is about! Well,...

Literature isn’t your typical adult, group-play card game. Comparable to the classic children’s game of Go Fish, the rules are much more complex. A good Literature (Canadian Fish) strategy takes time and inherent skills to master. Unless playing in a purely casual setting, it’s not the best game choice for everyone. Before I get...