Kalooki Strategy - Winning

Winning is about two things - the points you get for winning and the penalty points your opponents give you for losing!

So winning is a matter of timing.

The best game is one in which all your opponents are trying to go Kalooki. The worst game to win is one where your opponents have realised they're going to lose and have already discarded all their high value cards. Winning these can feel quite hollow.

You'll get a feel for how games are going, generally from the cards being discarded and drawn, but also from how far into the deck you've had to go.

Winning big is great, but remember, a small victory is always better than a defeat!

Playing defensively

Strange as it may seem, winning isn't always about winning! Sometimes, you should aim to 'lose the battle to win the war' by making the decision to play defensively. In some games, no matter how well you play, you're probably not going to win. If the deck's past half way and your groups are not turning into melds, you should make the decision to play defensively ie start discarding higher value cards to reduce your penalty count.

This is hard to do, but discretion is the better part of valour. In other words, know when to walk away and know when to run!

Plus, you can enjoy the fact that the winner has just experienced that hollow feeling of winning a low value game.'

Going Kalooki

In all my years of playing, I've very rarely gone Kalooki with a hand that I assembled during the game. Whenever I've gone Kalooki it's because I was dealt a hand that required very little completion.

It's a great feeling to go Kalooki and can be very advantageous because of the penalty points it gives your opponents, but don't be suckered into a situation where you end up with a massive amount of penalties, because you passed up melding opportunities waiting for Kalooki.

Let the cards decide whether or not to go Kalooki, and make that decision in the first two or three turns.

How to win the easy way!

Imagine using my tips against players who are new to the game. Now imagine an endles supply of new players, from all round the world, all lining up for you to beat them! Sound tempting? Well at Rummy Royal you'll find some of the 'softest' Kalooki players online, all slowly learning the game. Do you want to feel like a shark in a pool full of fish? Off you go, then!