Tips sakura

General tips

- Try to capture high value cards, prioritizing the 20-point Bright cards, followed by the 10-point Ribbons. Chaff cards are completely worthless in this game, except when using them to capture non-Chaff cards. (See the Chaffs section below)

- Keep an eye on yakus. They are a little tricky to get, but they can help a lot with getting more points than your opponents.

- Every single card in the game that isn't a Willow or Chaff card, is part of a yaku. The Boar , Sake Cup , Deer and Curtain are more useful than other cards of the same value, because they are each in two yakus. This makes the Curtain the best card in the game, as it is the only Bright card that is part of two yakus.

- The Gaji (wild card) gives you a lot of options, especially if you have it in your hand. Try to use your Gaji to capture a 20-point card or, even better, use it to complete a yaku to subtract 50 points from your opponents' scores. (See the Gaji section below for more tips)

In games with 3 or more players:

- All cards are divided among the players by the end of the round. This means that you can keep a valuable card in your hand until the end of the game, and likely be able to capture it. If you have the last turn (i.e. if all players have fewer cards in their hands than you when it's your turn), you are guaranteed to make a match with the last card in your hand.
➥ If two cards of the same month are already captured, this makes it likely that you can capture the remaining card by the end of the game, especially with low amounts of players or if you are near the end of the turn order. It is guaranteed if you have the last turn, and you keep the card in your hand until then.

Chaffs

Once captured, Chaff cards are completely worthless in this game. This means that it is often not a great idea to match two Chaff cards, especially in games with 3 or more players. It also means that Chaff cards are safe to discard if all non-Chaff cards of the same month are already captured.

- In 2-player games, matching two Chaffs together makes it less likely for both you and your opponent to capture the remaining (more valuable) cards of the same month. In some cases, this can be a good defensive move, and unlike discarding a card, it does not give your opponent extra options. But if you want a card of the same month for a yaku, it's often better not to capture the Chaff and hope to draw the card you need from the deck.

- In games with 3 or more players, it is rarely a good idea to match two Chaffs together. All cards are divided among the players by the end of the round, so if you match two Chaffs, someone is guaranteed to capture the two remaining (more valuable) cards of the same month, and it will more likely be one of your opponents who gets them.

Gaji (wild card)

- The Gaji can also be used defensively. You can make it harder for your opponent to complete their yaku (especially in 2-player games), if you capture a card of the same month as a card they still need. If two other cards of the same month are already captured, it becomes impossible for your opponent to capture the fourth card.

In games with 3 or more players:

- Remember that the player who used and captured the Gaji also receives any unmatched cards that remain on the field at the end of the round. If you do not match the Gaji with a Willow card, this means that you effectively get two cards for free: the remaining Willow card, and the remaining card of the same month as the card you captured.

- If you use the Gaji to capture a card of a month that only has two uncaptured cards left, this guarantees that you get both of these cards. For example, if a player already captured the cherry blossom Ribbon with a cherry Chaff card , you are guaranteed to get the valuable Curtain card if you capture the remaining cherry Chaff with the Gaji