In Rummy, getting a joker card is a matter of luck. But if you have a joker card doesn’t imply that you will win. Rummy is all about skills. So after you get a joker card playing the best strategy and talent is a necessity. There might be players who haven’t dealt with a joker card before, and he drops the game.
The more you practice, the more you are polished in the game. People are so good at this game that they can read their opponents’ hand and win the game without a joker card. The best strategy is patience, caution, and the ability to estimate your opponents’ cards by the discards and picks they make. With practice, you can become a pro player at this.
Below are some strategies you should use when if you haven’t dealt with a joker card before.
Arrange your cards
The first thing you should do after you get your 13 cards is arrange them. You can arrange them either by numbers or by suits. Once you arrange your cards, you get an overview of what you have. Like, what cards are missing and what are the probabilities of making a sequence or a set.
If you are not confident enough to play on, you can just drop the game initially at the cost of 20 points. Else play on and try to guess your opponents’ meld by the discard section. And if you are lucky, you might get a joker card from the closed deck to make the game easy for you.
Count the points
The next thing to do after arranging your cards is to count the points, which will help you to decide whether to take the game forward or not. You can do this in between the game, too, if the initial 13 cards dealt with you gave you tremendous confidence.
In any case, if the total points of the unmatched cards go above 20 points, it’s better to drop the game. If you do it initially, you will lose only 20 points because you will lose more if you don’t make any melds at the end of the game.
Play Cautiously
You have to be very cautious in every game you play as pro players sit next to you. Moreover, when it is playing without joker cards, be careful about picking and discarding cards too.
If you see your opponent picking cards discarded by you from the open deck more than once, it’s a sign that your opponent is about to finish his game. In this scenario, you should middle drop your game that will cost you 40 points.
Conclusion
The matter of having a joker card or playing without a joker card is second on the concern list. You should have the skill of playing the game and in the best possible way no matter what cards come your way. A good player is one who can turn any situation into an opportunity to win. So, read the above-mentioned tricks carefully, use them and emerge victorious in your game.