Pipside
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Lesson 8 of 13

Counting the tiles

Good players aren't just lucky. They keep track. You don't need a perfect memory: follow one or two numbers at a time and you'll already play better than most of the table.

  1. 1Count a number. It's on seven tiles. Add the ones on the table to the ones in your hand. The rest are with the other players.
  2. 2Remember the passes. A player who passes is out of both open numbers. Keep a note in your head: “Rafa: no 6, no 4.”
  3. 3Put it together. If three fours are still out and Rafa can't have them, they're with the other players.
  4. 4Use it. Leave open a number the next player doesn't have, and they have to pass.
On the table: four sixes.
In your hand: one more. That's five of the seven sixes, so only the 6-3 and 6-5 are still out there.

Watch what people lead and avoid, too. A player usually leads the number they hold the most of, and steers away from numbers they're short on.

Try it

Lucía plays next. Earlier she passed on fives and ones. Which play makes her pass now?

Tap a tile

Counting also tells you when to block on purpose. Here's how it works.

Your hand

The ends are 4 and 1. You've counted six fours on the table, so the last one, your 1-4, is the only four left. Your hand is light: 5 + 2 = 7 pips.

Try it

Where should you play the 1-4 to lock the game?

Your hand

Forgot a word? Glossary