Does skip mean 'play' or 'discard'?

[apotap]

I'm the 1st player. The 2nd player has one half-marked card (and doesn't know if he can play it or not). And all other cards in his hand are trash. And there is obvious clue for 3rd player, one of us should make. Should I skip and give this clue? In order to save my (unknown) cards and force 2nd to discard his trash. Or he (2nd player) will take it as a signal to play his half-marked card? In other words:
1) does skip mean (for skipped player) 'play'? or he shouldn't play and just discard'?
2) or I shouldn't skip in this case and discard myself?

[Silene]

When you are skipped, it means the player sitting before you does not care much about your chop card. But it doesn't mean you HAVE to discard now. You can still make your own choice. But keep in mind that your chop card is probably not important, so that would make you a bit more likely to discard now (or later).

But I know many players see this differently.
I consider this the best approach (when all players are very skillfull with very efficient cluing and low mistake rate) because it's a great way for discard management: Let useless cards be discarded rather than your own unknown cards and also be able to plan ahead who to clue when, what happens next round and the round after, get rid of possible twin chop situations before they turn into a problem, etc.

If you are often struggling with clue-token-shortness, I understand that sometimes putting other meaning into skipping might improve the play of your group. But I experience being bottom-decked (because a first copy of a card was discarded early while it could've been avoided) to be more of a problem than losing due to clue-shortness.

However, as with all conventions, the worst thing is, when they get mixed

I usually play with black powder, without flamboyants, without abandonning.

[apotap]

When you are skipped, it means the player sitting before you does not care much about your chop card. But it doesn't mean you HAVE to discard now. You can still make your own choice.

Yes, sure. But if I was skipped, and for example have clued 4 of unknown color, and some 4s can be played now and some not - should I play my 4? Is a skip a hint for me to play now? My opinion - no, not at all. But some people think it is. They say "skip means play".

[Silene]

Yes, sure. But if I was skipped, and for example have clued 4 of unknown color, and some 4s can be played now and some not - should I play my 4?

Only if the player before you has spent the last clue token AND your hand is completely locked with the 4 being the most likely play.

Otherwise: No - for me and the people I love to play with, it only means the player sitting before you is not interested in your chop card. So you can discard now or clue (if from your perspective you clueing is beneficial to the game).

[Travis Hall]

Skip means you’ve got something better to do than to give the clue that was used to skip. Nothing more than that.

That could mean you should discard, or it could mean you’ve got a play, or it could mean you’ve got a different clue that you should give. (If I’m skipping one player, this is fairly common. A skips B, C has a play or needs a save, and B is in position to clue a reverse from D.)

Which is appropriate depends on context. Review what you know, to check whether you should know that a particular card is playable. Consider recent moves - has something weird occurred, so that the skipper could be unsure of whether to play (such as an unanswered finesse)?

But sometimes it just means your chop is something best got rid of (somebody yesterday had the opening hand of 2m 2m 1m 1m, which is a hassle to clue, and simply would not discard as long as anything cluable was on the table), or they have marked cards and you have none and it is better for you to draw the next card that might need to be saved.

Silene will often be right about it meaning they aren’t interested in keeping your chop card, but sometimes they do want your chop card but you’ve got a play you should know already, so think before you act.

[Blacktango]

I agree with all Travis said.

At the begining of the game, it often (not every times) means you can discard, because it’s better to let you discard your 4 on chop than randomly discard themselves a card which may be a 2.
At the end, with Good Touch Principle, if you have a marked card in your hand and they may me playable, it is. Just remember what information do you know about it, when/why was it clued.

But nothing is obvious, you always have to take the context into account.

Also, if a player skip you when they have a play, then it’s like a scream : DON’T CLUE I’LL DO IT FOR YOU.
If they did twice, then you probably have a play

[Silene]

Silene will often [...], but sometimes they do want your chop card but you’ve got a play you should know already, so think before you act.

You're totally right! I forgot to mention that everything I said was for a situation where there is no known play in your hand. Of course when you have a known play, you should not discard!
But skipping does not turn an unknown play into a known play. So when you have a marked card, it's still just that when you got skipped. Unless of course you have more information why it is playable (like negative info / good touch etc.).

Also, if a player skip you when they have a play, then it’s like a scream : DON’T CLUE I’LL DO IT FOR YOU.
If they did twice, then you probably have a play

In my opinion, if they did it twice, it only means they still don't care about your (new) chop card .

[apotap]

At the begining of the game, it often (not every times) means you can discard...
At the end, with Good Touch Principle, if you have a marked card in your hand and they may me playable, it is. J

Hmm... and WHEN the begining become the end?

Also, if a player skip you when they have a play, then it’s like a scream : DON’T CLUE I’LL DO IT FOR YOU.
If they did twice, then you probably have a play

In my opinion, if they did it twice, it only means they still don't care about your (new) chop card .

But in really MUST be definite. If:
- skipped player has clued 4 in his right position
- and some 4s can be played
- and some 4s can't be played now (and can't be lost too!)
- and there is NO some other information
should he play it? Or should discard next card?
It can't depend on how many times he was skipped!

[apotap]

Skip means you’ve got something better to do than to give the clue that was used to skip. Nothing more than that.

Sure.
But besides the giving clue I have TWO possibilities - play (half-clued) card or discard (unknown card).
Which of them should I choose "by default"? Without additional information.

[Silene]

Skip means you’ve got something better to do than to give the clue that was used to skip. Nothing more than that.

Sure.
But besides the giving clue I have TWO possibilities - play (half-clued) card or discard (unknown card).
Which of them should I choose "by default"? Without additional information.

You know what you know and should play accordingly. The fact that you were skipped does not add any information about your half-clued card. It might or might not be playable. You can only play it if you have additional information (like negative color clue earlier / you see all other cards it could be / all of that number/color are playable / etc...).

Unless you want to gamble. But most players would only play cards that are 100% sure. And a 50% chance does NOT turn into 100% just because you were skipped. It's still 50% chance only - don't play it unless you get real information (not from skipping)!