Nancy Drew 18: The Phantom of Venice Hints

What's a good strategy to win?

• 1 of 7: Since the cards get shuffled every time you play, I can't tell you exactly what cards to play, since they'll be different every time. Sorry!
• 2 of 7: You may find it helpful to just play any old how (and lose) a couple of times to see how the game is played. You may not have any choice; I lost about fifteen times before I won, and even now it's partly a matter of the luck of the draw. But there are some ways you can improve your chances.
• 3 of 7: It's helpful to study the scoring rules to see what gets you points -- scopas are lovely, but they won't win you the game by themselves.
• 4 of 7: For one thing, the cards are worth weird amounts when you score them: 7 is the highest, then 6, and then 1 -- and then 5, 4, 3, 2, and all the face cards (8, 9, 10) are worth the least. So if you have a choice between using a 1 to take a 1 or using a 10 to take a 10, go for the 1.
• 5 of 7: When you have to discard a card, look at what's on the table and try to put down something Enrico can't use. For example, if there's a 3 on the table and you have a 4 and a 9, put down the 9 because 9 and 3 add up to 12, and there isn't a 12 card. If you put down the 4, he's likely to use a 7 to take both cards and get a scopa.
• 6 of 7: If you save in the middle of a hand, when you reload Enrico will shuffle and you'll start all over. But if you save after you've played and scored, you'll keep your score. So one tactic is to save when you get a high score; then if your next hand stinks like a dead fish, you can reload and play again. (But notice, the new hand will be different.)
• 7 of 7: Finally, I find it helps me keep my temper if I turn off the sound on the computer when I play. The cards make a nice sound, but when Enrico gloats over his wins it makes me want to shove a bread stick up his nose.

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