Skip-Bo is a classic card game that has been a staple in almost every game collection for decades. My dad used to destroy me at Skip-Bo when I played as a kid, and now I get to continue the tradition when I play with my wife and daughter. Skip-Bo has a reputation for being a predominantly luck-based game, but I have found quite a few strategies to help me come out on top more often. These Skip-Bo strategies are powerful tools to increase your winning chances.
In general, the best Skip-Bo strategies are to prioritize playing from your stockpile and your hand before your discard piles, properly organize and utilize your discard piles, and save your Skip-Bo cards for critical moments. You should also monitor your opponents’ cards and plan ahead.
Some of these tips and strategies are fairly basic, but others are more nuanced and difficult to implement than you might initially think. Remember that Skip-Bo still has a great deal of luck involved, but if you use the detailed strategies I describe below in your own games you’ll have a much better chance of winning.
Prioritize playing from your stockpile
Playing from your stockpile is the most basic and important strategy in Skip-Bo. Getting rid of your stockpile is the goal of the game, so any time you get the opportunity to play the top card of your stockpile you should take it.
You also need to remember to flip the next card and check to see if it’s possible to play it. Many newer players forget this basic but critical step and end up missing out on opportunities to advance.
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The only possible time that you might not want to play from your stockpile is if it will end up immediately losing you the game. For example, let’s say you have 2 cards left in your stockpile and the top card is a ‘4’, while the player to your left has 1 card remaining in their stockpile and it’s a ‘5’. If you can’t play a ‘5’ of your own on top of your ‘4’ then it is probably best not to play your ‘4’ since your opponent is very likely to immediately win. You could wait until the next turn when you might draw a ‘5’ and be able to play your ‘4’ safely.
Hoard one number to control progress
One of my favorite strategies in Skip-Bo is to collect as many cards of a particular number as possible in one of my discard piles. There are 12 cards of each number in the Skip-Bo deck so this strategy can take a while to really take effect, but it drives other players crazy and it gives you great control over the flow of the game.
You can hoard any particular number, but let’s just say you decide on the 9’s for a round. Any time you draw a 9, discard it into one of your discard piles and keep piling them up there as the game progresses. Eventually, the build piles in the middle of the board will have a very hard time progressing since they’ll be stuck on 8. This forces your opponents to waste their Skip-Bo cards if they want to continue progress on any particular pile, giving you a significant advantage.
Try to skip a player who is about to win
This strategy tip is one of pure desperation and, while I’ve never tried it myself, is perfectly within the rules. If a player is about to win you might want to consider trying to skip their turn entirely and hope that they don’t notice.
There is a little-known Skip-Bo rule that explicitly states:
If a player plays out of turn and completes his turn without being noticed, the play is considered legal. Play resumes as normal, starting with the player to the left of the out-of-turn player.
This strategy will likely be frowned upon, even though it is well within the rules. Furthermore, if you are noticed by other players then there is a penalty of not being allowed to draw cards into your hand on your next turn. However, if you are sure an opponent will win before your next turn anyway there really is no material downside to attempting this strategy!
Monitor your opponents’ cards
Skip-Bo isn’t only about getting rid of your stockpile – it is also about preventing your opponents from getting rid of theirs. You should keep a close eye on what cards your opponents have on the top of both their stockpile and discard piles so that you don’t set them up to make progress. This can mean playing more cards to move the build piles past their current stockpile card or withholding cards that would move them closer to their goal.
If the player next to you has a stockpile that shows a ’10’ and they have an ‘8’ and a ‘9’ showing on their discard piles, try to avoid leaving any build piles with a ‘7’ (or even a ‘5’ or ‘6’). The exception to this is when you can play from your own stockpile because it will advance your own goals and there is always the possibility of being able to continue play when you flip your next stockpile card over.
Plan ahead using other players’ cards
You should use as much information as possible when playing Skip-Bo, and that means taking stock of what cards your opponents are showing in their discard piles and stockpiles. You can try to set up the player to your left to hinder the opponent to their left, if necessary.
If the player two spots to your left is about to win then it makes sense to tee up the player to your left so that they can prevent it. For example, if the player (two spots away from you) who is about to win is showing an ’11’ on their stockpile you could play a ‘9’ and a ’10’ so that the player to your left can play an ’11’ that’s showing on their discard pile to prevent it. This type of unofficial teamwork is very powerful when used correctly.
Keep cards in your discard piles organized
Strategic use of your discard piles is one of the best ways to get an advantage in Skip-Bo. Try to keep one pile for the collection of one specific number (see above) and another pile for random discards as they become necessary.
You should use your remaining two discard piles to create runs of cards in descending order. This gives you a powerful amount of flexibility because if you can start playing from these runs you can keep playing the cards beneath them until you reach the number you need.
Look at the example above. I have fanned out my discard piles to show how they’re organized. The left two piles have runs of cards in descending order. The third pile is random cards that I’ve needed to discard throughout the game, and the fourth pile is where I’m hoarding all of the 9’s I come across. This strategy is extremely powerful and is the best organizational option I’ve experimented with.
Remember the cards in your discard piles
When creating these runs in your discard piles it is important to remember what numbers they began on so that you know how deep the run goes. Ideally, you start the discard pile with a 12 and continue to build on it in descending order.
However, sometimes it is necessary to start on a different number or to start the run over again. In these cases, just make a mental note of what number the run began on so that you always know what your options are.
Save Skip-Bo cards for important moments
Skip-Bo cards are the most powerful and desirable cards in the game so you should always take care and use them wisely. There are 18 Skip-Bo cards in the deck out of a total of 162 cards, meaning there is an 11.1% chance of drawing a Skip-Bo card from the draw pile or turning one up in your stockpile.
In general, you should only use Skip-Bo cards if it leads to definite and immediate progress on your stockpile. Use them only to bridge any gaps necessary to be able to play the next card from your stockpile. Playing a Skip-Bo card without this immediate goal in mind is almost always a waste of a valuable resource, and can often even help your opponents.
The only exception to this strategy is when you have to play a Skip-Bo as a last resort to prevent the player to your left from winning. If they have one card left in their stockpile and they only way to block them from playing it is to play a Skip-Bo then you should do it.
Play from your hand before your discard pile
Playing from your stockpile first is the #1 tip to remember in Skip-Bo, but after that, you have choices about where you play from. In general, it is best to prioritize playing from your hand because it leads to being able to draw more cards.
Playing from your hand is especially powerful when you can play all five cards in a single turn because you then get to draw 5 more from the draw pile and continue your turn. This gives you more flexibility and more opportunities to play from your stockpile. If you get the chance to empty your hand you should almost always take it, even if it looks like it could set your opponent up to make progress on their next turn.
Don’t play cards just because you can
Many new players like to play any cards they can, regardless of the consequences. It is natural to feel like you’re making progress by playing a lot of cards from your hand or your discard piles, but in reality, the only way to truly make progress in Skip-Bo is by playing from your stockpile.
Avoid the temptation to make a lot of pointless moves, especially since these moves often get your opponents closer to their next stockpile card. Only play cards if doing so will help you immediately or it has a high likelihood of helping you in the future.
Utilize all of your discard piles
You should do your best to make use of all four of your discard piles early in the game. I see a lot of players continue to stack cards on top of one another in discard piles that already have cards in them which is a huge mistake.
Make sure to discard at least one card into each of your four discard piles before building on top of them. These cards should ideally be of different values so that you have more choices and flexibility when it comes time to play. Only after you’ve occupied each of your discard piles should you start building on top of them.
Sit to the left of an inexperienced player
This tip can apply to almost any card game or board game but it’s especially powerful in Skip-Bo. Some people might read this and think it’s beneath them, but we’re all about winning here!
It can be a big advantage in Skip-Bo to sit to the left of an inexperienced player because they likely won’t have the awareness or experience to hinder your progress. A new player is much less likely to monitor your cards since they’ll be focused on their own play. This ends up giving you more opportunities to play from your stockpile and eventually win the game.
Thanks for reading! If I missed something or you have your own opinions, please drop a comment below.
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