Hi Friends!
I've looked around the internet and on this forum for a comprehensive list of strategies for higher level Hand and Foot play and really haven't found anything helpful. I've compiled the below for the group's consideration and comment. Let me start by saying I am not a top player by ANY means and am still very much learning to discipline my play. That said, I have benefited greatly from a number of fantastic players on this site (you all know who you are--and thank you!) helping me learn strategies for the most effective way (or perhaps a more effective way) to play the game and thought I'd compile a list. Some of these are my general philosophies--so they may be incorrect or just don't work for you. I welcome everyone's thoughts---but please be kind. I will revise as needed, but I think this will benefit everyone since in our arena games we get randomly assigned partners.
Edited to include some additions from Funky Ninja, ElephantTusk, Sparky55555, and GeorgiaNative.
General Philosophies:
Hand and Foot is a game where the luck of the draw can be more determinative than skill much of the time. I’ve seen excellent players who lose rounds while making no mistakes just because they couldn’t get the cards they needed from the dealer. That said, the below strategies are good things to keep in mind and (in my opinion), when consistently executed, separate good players from average ones.
When playing keep in mind that even in Arena, the level of the other players’ experience may not match your own and many people are still learning (or relearning) the effective strategies of the game. Be patient, be kind. This is a game and we are all here to have fun.
Early game: (while everyone is in their hand)
Don’t be in a rush to open. If the other team isn’t down yet, I don’t play a dirty meld to get on the board (particularly if I have more than one wild in my hand and might pull a third). Once my opponents are down, I generally try to go down the next turn if using a wild will allow me to do so.
When wild melds are permitted, wait a few rounds before creating dirty books just to get down. It’s always easier to make a dirty meld out of a clean one if needed, but you can’t make a dirty meld clean. If the other side is getting into their feet—then it’s important to make books using wilds so that you have the best chance of both partners getting into their feet.
Generally, I don’t create a wild meld unless it’s to open, or if it looks like we have a good spread of cards on the board and I have 4 or more wilds (and then I play three for a wild meld and keep one to make a dirty meld to get down).
Except when a wild meld is required as one of your contracts, don’t fixate on it to the detriment of getting into your foot (or going out). Yes, they are worth a ton of points, but there are plenty of high scoring rounds where teams just close a lot of pure melds. The goal is for you and your partner to get into your feet and then (after making your contracts) get as many points as possible and go out.
Don’t block melds (play more than 4 cards in the meld) until you need to do so to get into your foot. It’s fine to play whatever cards are needed to get into your foot (even closing melds), but wait until you will get into your foot that turn (giving your Partner the maximum amount of time to do the same). There’s no harm in holding those playable cards in your hand in the early game.
Pick up from the discard pile when it will help create new melds. Don’t take discards that will close out melds unless the pick up cards will help you create new melds. Play/open your new melds when you have them and your team has already opened. Some people are tempted to hold melds to pick up but it could mean the difference between your partner knowing what to discard, making it to their foot, or being able to lay down a wild meld vs using 1 wild to open that meld and then dirtying another meld with their leftover wilds.
Consider what you will be picking up before picking up from the discard pile. 3 black 3s? A bunch of unplayable cards that will be singles in your hand? Probably not great.
Discarding – generally try to throw low point singletons. If the other side hasn’t opened, it’s better to break up a low point pair than to throw a high point card that might help the other team open. Once the other team is down, check their melds (as well as the number of cards in their hand). When choosing between (non-black 3) discards it’s always better to chose a card where the meld has more 5 or more cards (which in Arena play blocks a pickup), second best is to throw something the other side already has down, as they are less likely to have a pair of that card in their hand. Also pay attention as to whether your opponent can pick up the discard (i.e. do they only have one card in their hand? If so, they can’t pick up your discard).
Pay attention to what has been played. This isn’t a game where you can multitask between your turns. Before your discard at the end of your turn, check each of the melds and make sure you can’t play a card in your hard (considering the above advice re:blocking).
Mid-game: (some players are in their feet, others aren’t)
When you are in your foot and your partner is in their hand – open as many melds as you can to help your partner get into their foot. Do not play cards to open melds unless or until your opponents are in their feet and have most, if not all, contracts to go out. When you get to your foot and your p is still in their hand, add cards up to 5 to any dirties if there is no wild meld. Otherwise your p has to dirty something new to get to their foot.
When you are in your hand and your partner is in their foot - play all available cards in your hand to the board –don’t worry about blocking at this point. While wild melds are big points, don’t hold wilds at the expense of not getting into your foot.
End Game: (everyone or most everyone is in their foot, and most or all contracts have been made)
Always keep in mind the final goal—to get your required contracts and go out ahead in points.
If your partner is still in their foot, but opponents have their contracts and are poised to go out, it’s fine to start closing books to keep the game close – but just don’t start closing books once both opponents are in their feet but they still have a way to go to get their contracts.
Much of end game is fact specific—how are your opponents positioned? Are they way behind you or way ahead? How many open melds are still on the board? How close are they to closing? How many cards are your opponents holding? How close are you to going out? Be sure to consider these things when making game changing moves.
Going Out:
If your partner is still in their foot (or hasn’t gotten to play their foot), it’s good etiquette to ask prior to going out. I also ask my partner if it’s okay to go out when we are behind in points, as we may be able to play longer and pick up some additional points—and I want my partner to have a say since it’s a risk.
If things go really well and there is a point gap, take the opportunity to go out if you can… even if your partner has not made their foot yet (and your opponents, one or both, are not in theirs). The goal of the game is to end it with the most points. That should always be a consideration.
Don't just go out if you are behind in points--particularly if the other team doesn't have a lot of melds to play on. Try to only go out when you're ahead in points.
Please share your additional thoughts and strategies.
I've looked around the internet and on this forum for a comprehensive list of strategies for higher level Hand and Foot play and really haven't found anything helpful. I've compiled the below for the group's consideration and comment. Let me start by saying I am not a top player by ANY means and am still very much learning to discipline my play. That said, I have benefited greatly from a number of fantastic players on this site (you all know who you are--and thank you!) helping me learn strategies for the most effective way (or perhaps a more effective way) to play the game and thought I'd compile a list. Some of these are my general philosophies--so they may be incorrect or just don't work for you. I welcome everyone's thoughts---but please be kind. I will revise as needed, but I think this will benefit everyone since in our arena games we get randomly assigned partners.
Edited to include some additions from Funky Ninja, ElephantTusk, Sparky55555, and GeorgiaNative.
General Philosophies:
Hand and Foot is a game where the luck of the draw can be more determinative than skill much of the time. I’ve seen excellent players who lose rounds while making no mistakes just because they couldn’t get the cards they needed from the dealer. That said, the below strategies are good things to keep in mind and (in my opinion), when consistently executed, separate good players from average ones.
When playing keep in mind that even in Arena, the level of the other players’ experience may not match your own and many people are still learning (or relearning) the effective strategies of the game. Be patient, be kind. This is a game and we are all here to have fun.
Early game: (while everyone is in their hand)
Don’t be in a rush to open. If the other team isn’t down yet, I don’t play a dirty meld to get on the board (particularly if I have more than one wild in my hand and might pull a third). Once my opponents are down, I generally try to go down the next turn if using a wild will allow me to do so.
When wild melds are permitted, wait a few rounds before creating dirty books just to get down. It’s always easier to make a dirty meld out of a clean one if needed, but you can’t make a dirty meld clean. If the other side is getting into their feet—then it’s important to make books using wilds so that you have the best chance of both partners getting into their feet.
Generally, I don’t create a wild meld unless it’s to open, or if it looks like we have a good spread of cards on the board and I have 4 or more wilds (and then I play three for a wild meld and keep one to make a dirty meld to get down).
Except when a wild meld is required as one of your contracts, don’t fixate on it to the detriment of getting into your foot (or going out). Yes, they are worth a ton of points, but there are plenty of high scoring rounds where teams just close a lot of pure melds. The goal is for you and your partner to get into your feet and then (after making your contracts) get as many points as possible and go out.
Don’t block melds (play more than 4 cards in the meld) until you need to do so to get into your foot. It’s fine to play whatever cards are needed to get into your foot (even closing melds), but wait until you will get into your foot that turn (giving your Partner the maximum amount of time to do the same). There’s no harm in holding those playable cards in your hand in the early game.
Pick up from the discard pile when it will help create new melds. Don’t take discards that will close out melds unless the pick up cards will help you create new melds. Play/open your new melds when you have them and your team has already opened. Some people are tempted to hold melds to pick up but it could mean the difference between your partner knowing what to discard, making it to their foot, or being able to lay down a wild meld vs using 1 wild to open that meld and then dirtying another meld with their leftover wilds.
Consider what you will be picking up before picking up from the discard pile. 3 black 3s? A bunch of unplayable cards that will be singles in your hand? Probably not great.
Discarding – generally try to throw low point singletons. If the other side hasn’t opened, it’s better to break up a low point pair than to throw a high point card that might help the other team open. Once the other team is down, check their melds (as well as the number of cards in their hand). When choosing between (non-black 3) discards it’s always better to chose a card where the meld has more 5 or more cards (which in Arena play blocks a pickup), second best is to throw something the other side already has down, as they are less likely to have a pair of that card in their hand. Also pay attention as to whether your opponent can pick up the discard (i.e. do they only have one card in their hand? If so, they can’t pick up your discard).
Pay attention to what has been played. This isn’t a game where you can multitask between your turns. Before your discard at the end of your turn, check each of the melds and make sure you can’t play a card in your hard (considering the above advice re:blocking).
Mid-game: (some players are in their feet, others aren’t)
When you are in your foot and your partner is in their hand – open as many melds as you can to help your partner get into their foot. Do not play cards to open melds unless or until your opponents are in their feet and have most, if not all, contracts to go out. When you get to your foot and your p is still in their hand, add cards up to 5 to any dirties if there is no wild meld. Otherwise your p has to dirty something new to get to their foot.
When you are in your hand and your partner is in their foot - play all available cards in your hand to the board –don’t worry about blocking at this point. While wild melds are big points, don’t hold wilds at the expense of not getting into your foot.
End Game: (everyone or most everyone is in their foot, and most or all contracts have been made)
Always keep in mind the final goal—to get your required contracts and go out ahead in points.
If your partner is still in their foot, but opponents have their contracts and are poised to go out, it’s fine to start closing books to keep the game close – but just don’t start closing books once both opponents are in their feet but they still have a way to go to get their contracts.
Much of end game is fact specific—how are your opponents positioned? Are they way behind you or way ahead? How many open melds are still on the board? How close are they to closing? How many cards are your opponents holding? How close are you to going out? Be sure to consider these things when making game changing moves.
Going Out:
If your partner is still in their foot (or hasn’t gotten to play their foot), it’s good etiquette to ask prior to going out. I also ask my partner if it’s okay to go out when we are behind in points, as we may be able to play longer and pick up some additional points—and I want my partner to have a say since it’s a risk.
If things go really well and there is a point gap, take the opportunity to go out if you can… even if your partner has not made their foot yet (and your opponents, one or both, are not in theirs). The goal of the game is to end it with the most points. That should always be a consideration.
Don't just go out if you are behind in points--particularly if the other team doesn't have a lot of melds to play on. Try to only go out when you're ahead in points.
Please share your additional thoughts and strategies.
