Bully Card Game Strategies

You will not need to memorize these strategies to enjoy Bully. Actually you will most likely pick up on most of these suggestions after a few games without even reading one word from this page. Here they are anyway for those wanting to polish their game strategy.

• Play through all of your piles right away in the beginning of the game in order to establish where your high cards are located. You will need a second high card in case you initiate a tie.
• Keep track of all your high cards on the board; know where they are and when to use them.
• Keep track of where your opponent's high cards are so you are not surprised.
• 'Bully' with a card over and over again to deplete your opponent's extra cards. The more cards on the board, the more chance he or she has to escape your attacks.
• 'Bully' with the lowest card possible until you lose it. If you do lose it, the loss is not too great and you now know where an opponent's high card is located. Alternatively, you may not want to dig up an opponent' high card when you are not in a position to mobilize your high cards.
• Beware of 'bullying' your opponent into depleting one of his or her piles. A depleted pile is a good opportunity for your opponent to place a high card next to yours.

• If you are being 'bullied', you may want to reply from a single pile in attempt  maintain your surrounding piles. When you initiate a bout, play unfamiliar cards until you find one of your cards of the same or greater value to the opponent's bully card. Once you have located your high card and allowed your opponent to deplete a single pile, relocate your winning high card next to the opponent's bully card.
• Don't use your jokers as bullies unless you are sure of where your opponent's remaining 2s are located. A surprise 2 can cause you to lose a joker and, often, the game.
• Play cards you are familiar with most, so you don't accidentally expose, and lose, your 2s.
• Keep track of how many of your opponent's 2s are in play. The more 2s your opponent has, the greater chance your Joker can be lost if played.
• Also try to remember how many Jokers and Aces both you and your opponent have lost.
• Rarely expose your jokers until all your opponent's 2s are taken out.
• Try to flush out the opponents 2s around your Joker by initiating cards from adjacent piles.

• Try not to respond with cards from piles next to an opponent's Joker since you are likely to lose your most valuable 2(s).
• Even if all your 2 have been captured, you can still win the game if you have an Ace and Joker. Use them in tandem to bate and attack.
• Try to always be the initiator of a tie, never the respondent. If you must respond sometimes it is better to sacrifice a card then loose many high cards in a multiple tie. Think it through and take the best option.
• Try to bate your opponent into a tie he or she will lose, by having a second or even third high card available.
• If you are winning the game early on, use caution- you are only narrowing your opponent's low cards and his end game will be very strong with only high cards left to play.
• At the end of the game, be careful not to leave yourself with only Jokers if your opponent still has 2(s) on the grid.
• Isolate your opponent's high cards by depleting your piles that surround them. You may be able to move in later with multiple high cards placed strategically.
• Isolate your own cards, like jokers or 2s, on purpose to keep them protected.

Some of these tips may seem contradictory. That's when judgment from experience comes into play, something that distinguishes a good Bully player from a great Bully player.