Anyone play? Its a combo spades and dominos.

I have a question as i just learnes last night. Any tips on how to bid? I mostly only bid when i have 4 of the same suit. What are your strategies for bidding?

There's 4 of the same suit, and then there's 4 of the same suit. Let's say that deuces (2's) are trump. A hand of 2/6, 2/5, 2/4 and the double deuce has a far better chance of making the bid than the double and 2/1, 2/3 and 2/4. If I have a low-value hand full of one kind I'd rather try to blow up an opponent's bid or help my partner with his.

And speaking of helping your partner: If he bids before you and indicates a strong hand by bidding 31 or more, don't bid over him. This is especially true if you have 3 or more doubles in your hand. Help your partner with those! There's a certain etiquette to the game and overbidding your partner without an apology is considered a dick move in these parts. And get ready for a ration of shit from all players if you bid over him and lose the hand. 42 is a team sport where the dominoes in the hand should determine who has the lead.

An opening bid of 30 from anybody at the table could mean many things. Depending on who I'm playing with, I consider a bid of 30 to indicate a weak hand and needing help from the partner. Bidding 31 indicates a stronger hand and still gives you the option of losing a 10-count trick and still win the hand. But a bid of 32? I only bid that (or more) if I have a really strong hand. If a bid of 32 comes from from an opponent, I immediately scan my hand for a 10-count domino (5/5, 6/4). You can drop that 10-count a couple of ways: Either you win the trick outright (example: opponent leads a 6/3, you play the 6/4 knowing the location of the 6/5 and double six) or blindly dropping it into the trick in hopes your partner has the ability to win the trick.

You will soon learn the nuances of the game especially if you play with the same people often. Watching what others play and determining where certain dominoes are is a skill that will come with time. Good luck and enjoy!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tailhook 84,