Tong-its is a draw-and-discard game where the goal is to form sets (three or four of a kind) and runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) to empty your hand. The player who runs out of cards wins — or if the draw pile runs out, the player with the lowest deadwood count wins.
Key strategy points for tong-its at 87JL:
- Always track what your opponents are picking up — it tells you what sets they're building.
- High-value cards (face cards, aces) are dangerous to hold if you can't form a set with them — discard early.
- If you have a near-complete hand, consider calling a draw (tumba) before an opponent does.
- Don't burn through your draws too fast — pacing your hand development is key in 3-player tong-its.
In Pusoy Dos, the 2 of Spades is the highest card and the 3 of Diamonds is the lowest. Players take turns laying down card combinations — each play must beat the previous one in the same category (single beats single, pair beats pair, and so on).
Tips for playing pusoy dos at 87JL:
- Save your 2s (especially Spades) for when you're stuck and need to break a run of strong plays.
- Don't lead with your strongest combinations early — read the table first.
- In a 4-player game, count roughly how many strong combos each player might have based on what's been played.
- Passing is sometimes better than wasting a strong card combination to beat a weak play.
Texas Hold'em at 87JL follows standard rules — two hole cards per player, five community cards (flop, turn, river), best five-card hand wins. Forced bets (blinds) rotate each hand, and there are four betting rounds.
Foundational Texas Hold'em tips for players at 87JL:
- Play tight from early position (few hands), widen your range in late position where you have more information.
- Fold is almost always an option — don't commit chips just because you've already invested some.
- Bet sizing matters: consistent bet sizes make you harder to read and protect your hand equity.
- Manage your bankroll — a single bad session shouldn't destroy your stack. Standard guidance is to keep your buy-in under 5% of your total bankroll.
Blackjack at 87JL is played with a standard 52-card deck (multiple decks shuffled together). You're trying to beat the dealer's hand without exceeding 21. Face cards count as 10, aces count as 1 or 11.
Basic strategy essentials that reduce the house edge to under 0.5%:
- Always stand on hard 17 and above.
- Always hit on hard 8 or below.
- Double down on 11 against any dealer card except an Ace.
- Always split Aces and 8s; never split 10s or 5s.
- Never take insurance — it's a side bet with a high house edge that statistically doesn't pay off.
- If the dealer shows 2–6 (bust cards), stand more often and let them potentially bust themselves.
