Any strategies for Ticket to Ride?

Question

Any strategies for Ticket to Ride?

Answer 1

Typically, I would write a long article about what strategies I employ when playing, but a number of other users have already written a lot of great information about the game at the BoardGameGeek.com entry... Scroll down to Forums, and click on Strategy to filter out the Strategy articles:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9209

My primary strategies:

1) Hoard Cards -- unless there are short routes that are critical to my cards, I'll hold off on taking routes.  Better to have more cards in your hand for options than to rack up points early.  Also, the more cards you tie up in your hand when the deck is re-shuffled, the fewer options opponents will have.

2) System for drawing cards -- Obviously, if there are cards I need for a route, I will pull them from the face-up cards.  If I do not need cards for a specific route, I will take a card from the face-up if it matches another color in my hand (usually late game-to dump my remaining trains to end the game -- matched cards of colors can either take those colored routes, or gray routes).  If I _need_ cards of a color to finish a route, and none are up but there is a locomotive, take the loco, since getting a definite needed card is better than chancing it two unknown cards from the deck.  And, if you can avoid it, don't play long routes just before a re-shuffle... it'll keep those 6 (out of 12) out of the deck until the next shuffle.

3) Use long routes whenever possible -- the 6-length routes give the best number of points per train card played.

4) From the original tickets, try to select those that travel over the same tracks, or can be completed together.

5) Spitefully take Vancouver-Seattle and Seattle-Portland, even if you don't need them from your initial draw.... those two 1-point routes are fairly critical for a number of cards.  Either another player will need them (and you will force them to play around) or you will draw tickets that need them later in the game, and it will be good to already have them.  The midwest 1 and 2 point gray routes have more connections on them, so it will be easier for players to build around.

6.  If you spot that a player must make a critical connection and you can take it before them, take it.  Generally, if they do worse, you do better.  Usually they can connect around, but that will take them time, and you can focus on finishing your routes while they work on making the connection.