This game does have more luck than some others. The top players win percentages seem to be around 67%. I’ve had a few swings in the past and I generally know why it happens.
The first reason is many times you can make mistakes simply because you do not know the actual score. If you are up by 1 or even tied with the tie breaker, and you draw a 0 point piece as your final piece as the last player, you should play it. If you don’t you could lose if you force yourself into negative points. Same goes for if you draw a 4 point piece and are down by 5 you need to flip. Since the score is only partially tracked by the game, it’s up to you to track the total score. Since I started tracking the true total scores I don’t lose as much. It takes time and is annoying for what should be a quick game but knowing when to flip and when to not at the end if the game can make a huge difference.
Knowing what pieces you flipped and what is on the other side can sometimes come into play. You don’t want to accidentally flip a third gunner or any other bad combinations.
Placing your pieces in the most optimal positions is important. To some degree, it seems like this can be up for debate on some maps. You could probably calculate it out if you are a math genius but I don’t care quite that much. There is a certain tempo to each map though and depending upon the parrots, you might need to change your strategy of where to place pieces.
Another problem I have is when I start to lose a lot I get frustrated and can make mistakes. I used to play poker and the word tilting is used there to describe kind of going crazy after losing several in a row. Try not to do this. By treating the game as more of a mathematical equation to solve and thinking about optimal choices more, this can reduce emotional issues.
I also watch replays of my own games for mistakes as well as watch other players strategies. It can help.
I also make liberal use of friendly games if I don’t want to track everything to death and just want to play for fun. I only play ranked games when I’m in a good mindset/am feeling good. If I’m tired or sick or anything else, I won’t play a ranked game. All that sort of stuff just reduces your ability to win. The only bad side of friendly games is it tanks what BGA shows as your win percentage. Mine shows as 51% when it’s really somewhere in the mid 60s.
That pretty much sums it up. Even with more carefully tracking things and making optimal moves, you will still lose a 3rd of the time 1 on 1 and even more than that in 3+ player games.
