In Tongits, every card thrown away can provide valuable information to the opponent about the cards in your hands. If the opponent keeps collecting your discards repeatedly, then this indicates that the cards you throw away are helpful for completing combinations or improving their combinations. Such a scenario increases the risk involved in your regular discarding of cards, particularly when the opponent is working towards building a powerful hand.
You can adapt to the changing scenario through careful observation of the types of cards collected by the opponent and the cards that the opponent is leaving behind. Some effective strategies to adopt when your opponent keeps collecting your cards.
Focus on the Opponent Picks Up
Firstly, it’s necessary to find a pattern rather than respond to each individual pickup. One random pick might help at times, but repeated pickups will show whether your opponent is trying to build a specific kind of combination.
For instance, if an opponent picks up cards from the same rank or suits connected to nearby cards time after time, then your opponent is probably building a meld. Knowing this, in tongits go, it’ll be easy for you to understand which cards are dangerous to discard.
Safer Discards Take Priority
Safer discards generally involve cards that offer less obvious benefits to the opponent. High cards that are not suited to your remaining cards are often simpler to discard, but it ultimately depends on what cards are out on the table. Discarded cards are also important to take into account. In cases where many cards have the same rank or suit, the additional card is not as beneficial to your opponents.
Keep an Eye on What They Leave
Sometimes what your rival will not take is just as significant as what they do. It may be that if they always seem to pass up the same kinds of cards, then these could possibly be less valuable to them at the time than other cards might be. Of course, this doesn’t mean that it is a sure thing as to what cards they have, as they may have made some deceiving or defensive choices.
Don’t Feed a Good Combination
Whenever your opponent takes any of your discarded cards, try to figure out the other cards that could form a combination or a sequence with the one they just took. Discarding the next card in line might just give them a chance to develop further.
On the contrary, consider an unusual discarding strategy. Sometimes, holding on to one extra turn of playing with the potential good card may prove more beneficial than letting it go to another player.
Balance Your Hand as Well
A defensive strategy should not make you unable to better your own hand. Holding onto too many cards just because of the possibility that they can help the other person will only make you have more deadwood. The best way is to weigh the risk of holding on to the card and the possible risk of giving it to your opponent.
Wrapping Up
Whenever an opponent begins to pick up your discards, do not treat it as something that should cause you anxiety; instead, learn from the situation and use the information that is provided to you. Pay attention to the cards they take and consider the combinations they could have, but do not forget to improve your hand too. This will help you to be more conscious in your moves and more aware when you are playing tongits games.