The name of 36 strategies first comes from the book of Southern Qi Dynasty (A.D. 489-537), Biography of Wang Jinze. Wang was a general who had served Emperor Ming. The Emperor killed many members of the court and royal family for fear that they would take down the thrown. Wang believed that he would be targeted next and rebelled.
As Wang received news that the son and crown prince of Emperor Ming had escaped , he said that “ of the 36 strategies of Tan Daoji (A.D. 436), running away is the best. The number 36 was used by Tan Daoji as a figure of speech, it meant numerous strategies. Since Tan Daoji did not refer to any 36 specific strategies, he might use many strategies on the battlefield.
The author of the 36 strategies is unknown. It may be Tan Daoji but there is no evidence to prove his authorship. Most people often attribute to Sun Wu, the well known author of The Art of War, but it is untrue and quite impossible because most strategies happened after his life.
The Chinese historians believed that the 36 strategies may be complied by different authors in different time throughout the Chinese history.
The modern version of 36 strategies is originally discovered in Sichuan in 1941. It is turned out to be a reprint book with no authors dating back to the late Ming dynasty and then first published for the general public in Beijing in 1979.
There is no single author of 36 strategies. That is not a problem. Kao Jaab, the president of dummy club, is inspired by the 36 strategies. He writes the 36 strategies by applying many tactics and proverbs to Thai knock dummy game. They are divided into six categories of six strategies each with short explanation. The six categories respond to six situations in dummy game as follows: planning, moving, attacking, waiting, tricking and defending.
So, if you want to be a dummy player of Zian level, you should learn the 36 greatest strategies which full of art, styles and tactics and practice dummy skills, turn the sky, turn the world over, to achieve your goals.
Planning Strategy
Strategy 1 Know yourself, know your opponents
You must read card situations both in your hands and in your opponents. You must know the right time to collect a card or to draw a card. Try to make a full meld, wait for the fool card or dummy to knock him as soon as possible. To avoid discarding the fool card, watch your opponent’s draws from the discard pile and pay attention to his discards. Remember that do not throw the card close to the card he picked up and it is safer to throw the card close to what your opponent discards.
Strategy 2 Hit the ox, affect the harrow
Pretend to say or do something to affect the other person or make someone afraid. In dummy game. You throw the Speto defensive card on the top of the discard pile. This affects the player who holds the Speto and makes him unwilling to throw it away. The Speto defensive cards give other players more chance of drawing Speto and threaten them with your waiting for the fool card or dummy. In first play, throwing this card next to the Head card may be showing of the dealer’s bad hands.
Strategy 3 Hide the sky to cross the sea
Act in the open, but hide your true intensions. Whatever you often do, no one doubts about it. This strategy is used by the failure of notices. In dummy situation, it is necessary to discard a card close to the Head or a full meld, the long discard pile will give you a chance to do this. After discard, stay calm, if a turn passed, you would not lose the points. You can also leave the other side of the defensive card. For example, you throw 3 of clubs, while other players throw 2 of hearts close to the Speto.
Strategy 4 Disunited
When your opponents are strong, divide them and attack. In the dummy situation, the strategy is used when you see that the cards in the stock pile are getting long, no one collects them. You get unmatched cards and want to pick up the targeted card but do not want the cards that are not useful.
To shorten the discard pile, you throw the close card below your targeted card. On the contrary, if you are a good dark player, throw the card close to the top of discard pile for easier playing.
Strategy 5 Throw a rock to ask for direction
The meaning of this idiom is to find out what people’s opinions of something are before you do something. But do not use it with a foreigner, as he gets confused. In English saying is to test the waters. In dummy game, when you discard a new card, you should check your right player’s reaction to the card. If he takes a time to think about it, you should not throw that card again. It may be a fool card. The new card should not be thrown twice.
Strategy 6 Lie
Make up an untrue story with intent to deceive someone. Speak falsely to convince an opponent. A dummy player is a great liar. He tricks and seduces you with his convincing words and actions. He makes them look real and you fall into his trap. For example, he asks for one card to be collected and you should guess what his real purpose is, collecting a card or getting a fool card or in case he places a card face down on the table before his turn, you should guess whether he will pick a card. Do not trust him.
Moving Strategy
Strategy 7 Do not beat the grass to frighten the snake
Doing anything too obviously makes your opponent know and solve the problems first. Do not spoil your plan. In the first or the second turn of play, you should discard the card that is different from others because you want to pick up the target card. Throwing the card that is close to the card above your target is the real risk of dark sleep. If you need to throw the close card, throw it closely to the bottom card of the discard pile. Remember that try not to damage your plan.
Strategy 8 Don’t enter the tiger’s cave, won’t catch its cub
The meaning is similar to nothing ventured, nothing gained or no pain, no gain. When dummy situation continues to wait for the fool card or dummy to knock, you have to take a risk to be rewarded. For example discard the new card which never seen in the discard pile, discard the Speto defensive card or throw the card close to the Head. The discards are at the risk of losing point values. So in dark gameplay, you have to be so high-spirited if you want to be a winner. Good luck.
Strategy 9 Turn Benz into a taxi
Lower the values to gain more benefit. You must sacrifice something to gain your goal. This strategy is used when two Speto defensive cards can be formed two runs. It is not necessary to wait for the Speto but two runs give you a good chance of early knock. If you want to get or let the Speto out, you may kill the head Speto defensive card. This is the investment strategy. On the other hand, If the Head is the Speto defensive card and you hold the Speto defensive card too, do not turn Benz into a taxi by using that card for picking another meld.
Strategy 10 Bait
In life the bait is the illusion of wealth, power, and sex. A greedy person and a fool were lured into a trap by using bait, less investment but high profit. In dummy strategy, there are two usages of bait. One is the bait made by the player, it is used to split a full meld on the top of the discard pile and then taking it back. The other, the bait on the discard pile, is to let the card you can pick up pass by. If the left hand draws the card from the discard pile and keeps your fool card, you see hope for knock.
Strategy 11 Strike while the iron is hot
To do something immediately while there is still a good chance to do it, if it goes away and does not return. The dummy expert in bait strategy takes advantage of continuing to collect cards and makes the right hand dark sleep. You grab good timing, picking up the card as close to the Head card as possible and have a full meld to bait. Keep on doing this strategy. On your last turn you lay down the dead runs or sets or dummy to compete with your opponent.
Strategy 13 Catch the leader first
To catch the thieves, aim at the leader first, then the followers will disperse. In dummy situation, you hold the target card that is the closest to the Head and wait for the close discard.
This strategy will help you pick a card and then bait other players and avoid throwing the fool card when you have a bad hand. You should never collect a card for a petty score, but should better focus on the key card and control the game with bait at the top of discard pile like hitting the snake on the head.
Strategy 14 Do it before
Do something before someone does for the advantage. This strategy is most focused on the first move and target. In dummy situation you collect the Speto card or the Head card immediately. Do not bait unless you have the defensive card which control your collection.
If you can collect the Speto but forced to discard the card close to the Head. You draw pass first and then collect the Speto on next turn. The strategy can be applied to collect the key card or wait for the fool card Speto.
Strategy 15 Take advantage
Attack immediately for winning purpose. You catch a chance once in collecting the target card to wait for the fool card or dummy. Do not miss the good chance. The opponent will get worried about holding Speto or dark sleep. He may pick up a card.
You keep the card face, continue drawing and waiting for the fool card. If you act it out of knock , this can put much pressure on the right hand. The left hand will fear of the fool discard. This is taking advantage of difficulty in playing.
Strategy 16 Snatch quickly
Take advantage of any opportunity, try to snatch of any profit, however slight. You should be flexible in your plans and adapt to the new situation. This strategy aims at the primary target and secondary target set up clearly.
For example you hold Q of diamonds, Q of hearts, 10 of hearts and J of hearts. Your main target is picking Speto but in case of missing Speto you should keep a run of 10 J Q of hearts for hoping knock too. The secondary target focuses on drawing dummy or waiting for the fool card.
Strategy 17 Kill with a borrowed sword
Have someone do something instead, save your power, do not have to do it yourself. In dummy strategy, trick the left hand by use of his card. You pick up the left hand card and let him think that you are waiting for the fool card that close to his discard.
But really you keep it for turning face down, you wait for another card. You keep it so long that he is afraid of throwing the fool card. With slowly picking up his card and convincingly saying that keeping it for the fool, this is a neat trick.
Strategy 18 Catch the tiger with bare hands
Benefit without investment. Work for it, not stay still. You must have dummy skills of planning and right speculating. You rely on good luck and good timing when each player discards a card and you can knock by only pick it up once.
The strategy is possible at the beginning of gameplay, for example, you have three pairs in hand and the right player throws the card exactly as first pair and the opposite hand throws the card forming second pair, in time you hope for linking, dark knock.
Waiting Strategy
Strategy 19 Hide in bush
Prepare to do something quietly, do not reveal to others, pretend to be incompetent, but secretly practice skills. When everything is ready, wait for the perfect moment to shock others unexpectedly.
This strategy calls for patiently waiting for the fool card. The left hand has picked up the fool card. He does not throw it to you. Keep calm. Do not get overexcited. If it is a single card, unmatched or paired, the situation forces him to split the pairs or throw it. You shock him with your knock gesture.
Strategy 20 Attack suddenly
Create the illusion of real attack. Make an opponent get confused and misunderstand. Use the same feint twice and he is careless again in the third feint, then attack suddenly.
This strategy is used when there is Speto in the discard pile and you wait for it to knock. The left hand has not picked it up. You continue drawing for a few turns until he picks Speto up and throws the fool Speto. When able to attack, must seem unable, lure him long, well and good enough to attack suddenly.
Strategy 21 Stab in the back
Gradually infiltrate inside, under the guise of cooperation and change the status of being controlled to being in control by way of cheating. The strategy causes a lot of pain to those who is stabbed in the back.
In dummy situation you try to change a bad hand from nothing and make it possible to knock. Waiting for the fool card that has a single and slim chance of drawing or picking up in the discard pile, It is a little hopeful, but it hurts the player who throws that fool card very much.
Strategy 22 Charm of beautiful woman
Use a beautiful woman to trick an opponent and then attack him. She uses her charm to persuade you to do as she wants. Charming beauty is powerful and effective as it used with human weakness, and lust.
There are few who can survive can read tricks, change game and turn out to be a winner. The beauty in dummy game is the fool card in the discard pile acts as a bait. You keep drawing and waiting for the left hand throw the card close to the beauty. Beware the right hand charms, too.
Strategy 23 Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul
When people have faith in the mystery of the spirits. They benefit from it. Utilize the reputation of the dead to achieve their goals. Impersonating important or famous people to awaken credibility always works.
This strategy tells us if we want to win, we have to use everything. Do not overlook the slighter things. In dummy game, the Speto run is put down. But we can wait for the other Speto defensive card as the fool card to knock like the dead Speto run benefits to the Speto defensive set.
Strategy 24 Kill two birds with one stone
To achieve two different goals in a single action. To do one job but getting two results or just one investment but two-way profits. For example, when you are angry, you continue to do housework, when you cool down, your house is clean.
In dummy situation, waiting for high time to attack once and get two way profits means you have knocked, but do not knock. You hope next turn you will get scores double from the Speto or the fool card. Other players really do not think of this greatest strategy.
Tricking Strategy
Strategy 25 Backtrack on dragons
The most dangerous place is the safest. The strategy means we do not think much of the dangerous place. If there is no need, we are not going to that place so it is ideal for operations. For example the thieves go back to the same place to deceive others or the murderers should escape, but they decide to stay.
In dummy situation you have discarded the card and later you can wait for the fool card which is the same card you discarded. Though it is difficult to happen, but really effective.
Never directly attack an opponent when he has an advantage. Use an illusion as a moving bait, turn his strength into weakness, hoping that he comes out to chase you.
This is the classic strategy for tricking. For dummy, discard the card to entice your left hand with the same rank or the same suit of card, for example, discard seven of spades to get seven of hearts or eight of spades for the fool.
Strategy 27 Up to the north, down to the south
Create deceptive situation that confuses an opponent. Say that attack in the north, but in fact attack in the south. He mistakenly thinks that it is true, so he lacks vigilance and good defense.
This strategy for dummy is used to make the left hand misinterpret your discard. You wait for the fool card, Speto but need to discard the Speto defensive card to fool him that you do not want Speto. However, there may be certain risks, if it is picked up and melded. This success depends on your good luck.
Friendly feeling, brightly smiling, warmly welcoming, you make an opponent believe that there is not dangerous in your action but actually it is sweet as honey coated with poison.
The strategy in dummy is convincing the left hand with no danger, no fear in holding many cards. This makes him think that you have not waited for the fool card, but really you have. Talking with him, agreeing with him, keeping calm, hiding true intention behind false sensation are classic practice in any situation.
Strategy 29 Shed skin
When you are in danger and the only chance is to escape, then create an illusion of original state. While an opponent focuses on the artifice, secretly run away leaving him behind the façade of your presence.
This strategy is used for making false situations in laying down a full meld to have more chance of the fool card discard. For example, you lay down J of spades as dummy to lure 10 of spades discarded, or lay down another dummy to deceive him thinking you are not in light color gameplay.
Strategy 30 Decoy
This strategy means someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap. The decoy attracts one’s attention and hide the real target. In dummy situation, you are waiting for a fool card in the discard pile, but the left hand keeps drawing.
You discard a card close to the card that above the fool card. The discard card is a decoy. If the left hand picks up the decoy card, you have a chance to get the fool card. The decoy can be made by other players, too.
Defending Strategy
Strategy 31 Use a thorn to remove a thorn
English saying is to set a thief to catch a thief. This means the best person to catch a thief is another thief, because he or she knows how thieves think. In Thai we say use thorns to remove thorns meaning to counter-attack in the same way.
Pretend not know and double-cross him. In dummy, we use the strategy to retaliate the players who like to discard the Speto defensive card by holding Speto. The more you often hold Speto, the more they dare not to throw the Speto defensive card.
Strategy 32 Switch a hand to shuffle cards
This strategy is easy to understand, you switch something for your own benefits. Another meaning is to change the internal structure, but the outer appearance is still the same or divide an opponent’s key power and make him weaken.
In dummy strategy you change your playing style when you pick up Speto and keep it, discard another card for fear that you will throw the Speto fool card. This will force the right hand to throw the Speto defensive card. You can knock by turning the Speto face down.
Strategy 33 Throw the last card
Do your best for the last time with expectation anything in return. The last card is the ultimate tactics hidden in the hopes of turning the card situation around and winning. Your scores are second to other players but only knocking can beat them.
You throw the best card, remain calm, look them lay down full melds for competitive points, then pick up cards link to your hand or draw dummy and then knock in the right timing. The last card of the stock is the hope of knock or of Speto discard.
Strategy 34 Save energy
It is an advantage to choose time and place for fight. Encourage your opponent to expend energy, while you conserve your strength. When your opponent is exhausted and confused, you attack him with energy and purpose.
In dummy you play at ease when you gain a lot of profits, It is not necessary to often play in dark knock game or take more risk of fool discard if your scores cannot compete any players. Do not lost any in a hurry. Saving your profits is better than investing in vain.
Strategy 35 Survive
Know how to avoid danger like a bird flying quickly with its wings and tail. Know how to survive in dangerous situations. Avoid evil, not get involved with ways to hell. This strategy can be used in unsolvable situation, the best way is to ask for negotiation.
In dummy, you know that you cannot play in dark knock game, then split a full meld for picking back before the last turn. Do not hold Speto if other players find dummy. Even directly asking for first card collection can be survival skill.
Strategy 36 Retreat
If it is obvious that your action will lead to defeat, then retreat and regroup. Continue to do so, the situation gets worse. Retreat is not defeat, you still have a chance. In dummy, playing safely is the most important tactics.
You pick up a card to avoid danger of dark knock face to face with dark knock gameplay. There is no risk when the chance of knock has not come. Protect dummy when your scores cannot be competitive. In this game you are not a winner. Try your best next game. Good playing skill is good luck.