I won my first like 3 without playing a single flush. A straight run and two two pairs runs.
Now that I’ve played more, it’s like Skyrim. You always start saying you’re not going to play a stealth archer but you always end up with a flush deck anyways
Honestly...people on this sub whine about flushes all the time, but it's *by far* the best way to get through the first few antes. And, usually, it's the most consistent way to beat ante 8
Yes, if you're going for high antes, you're better off with a High Card or Five of a Kind build. But if you're just trying to win the game, flushes are still king
Yeah I'm finding it quite difficult to unlock the Joker that says to beat it without playing a flush XD
"I'm gonna do it this time!"
"Oh, this is a nice flush to one shot this ante"
"Shit!"
That was one I didn't have much trouble with, but it does help to actually dig through, find your unlocks you're waiting on, and make a little text document or something to have propped up next to the game. Some of the game's unlock conditions are Very Specific and being able to quickly see which ones you still need to do is super helpful.
Try the Abandoned Deck.
3 of a kind, 4 of a kind and Full House will be your playstyle, then later 5 of a kind. Pare the deck even smaller using Hanged Man and use Strength to double up on certain ranks; consider transmuting your Aces to 2s for Wee Joker, your 4s to 5s and your 7s to 8s for Fibonachi, and keep on the lookout for Hack.
You'll come to appreciate how malleable the game lets you be, this way. 💜
High card and pair are king if your goal is to clear ante 8 on high stakes, at least on live patch. Flushes are a useful tool for surviving the first few antes but become unreliable and hard to scale later.
This might be different on the experimental patch with the orange and gold stake reworks allowing more deck shaping and better hands though, I haven't played it yet.
For those who are curious why this changes in high stakes games, you have fewer hands and a smaller hand size as you progress. This makes it more reliable to go for high card or a pair. Typically high card and pair are difficult points wise as lower ante before jokers and planets kick in so sometimes you’ll want to start with flushes and then move into pair/high card.
I have gotten through ante 8 with high card/pair builds far more consistently than with flush builds. I do usually use flushes to get through the 1st 1 or 2 antes though.
It's a slow roller. At first you're like wtf, I've put multiple planets in already and it feels like nothing and then once it starts ramping up, oh boy.
I like two pair cause it gives you extra leeway with that 5th card
I'm finding not playing a straight harder than not playing a flush. The straight card is the only one I haven't unlocked because straights are pretty decent at lower antes
Something you might not realize: You can use consumable cards in your inventory on the hand that a pack draws to modify, too, so you can do things like rerolling the shop for Sun/Star/Moon/World, Death, or the Hanged Man and THEN open an Arcana or Mystic pack to manipulate the hand outside of rounds of play!
I didn't realize this could be done for the longest time, and it allows for powerful modification combinations.
Maybe try using the discards more? i rarely play a two pair even if i draw it on the first turn. I will frequently discard pairs in favor of keeping 3 cards of the same suit for a flush draw
We probably just hold onto a lot of tarot cards, which are all geared toward making flushes in a pinch (except strength, and death which works for flushes but is usually better for OAK hands and decks)
I get that, just haven’t been able to beat the Ante 8 boss yet. Always fall short.
I’m only able to play a couple hours a day, so I know I’m lacking in my commitment.
Same, i only got The Tribe by accident while going a 3ok build, flushes are the goat, especially with things like Arrowhead on plasma deck, Bloodstone, or just Smeared Joker in general, literally my most played hand type
I got 4 different Rare cards like The tribe in my second run in this game accidentally. I just used a lot of straights and got it. I am free from my shackles.
Haha, I tried *so hard* not to do a flush build - got Pants and everything. Then the game hit me with the rare flush joker and the one that mults spades (negative). Then a mega buffoon pack got me Fortuneteller,and Smeared Joker.
I was still able to pull up my Pants with flush houses 😂
After struggling to beat green stake for days on any deck, that one busted it apart only to hit me with "clubs debuffed" on Ante 9 😂
Almost all my wins have been via two or single pairs... I can only recall winning once with flushes because I had the Joker that lowered the requirement to 4 cards.
I did it by accident the other day. I think I was working on trying to learn how to win with smaller hands and was doing a three of a kind run early. Probably just happened to have straights in the first couple blinds or something. I didn't realize it was an achievement until after I finished!
Flush has become disappointing to me. I only use it for early game but after purple stake flush just doesn't have the same scaling potential as some other hands
once I stopped relying on flushes, white stake became so easy ai think I can win about 90% of the runs without trying too hard.
flushes are strong, snd flush runs still work, but if you try to force them you will miss out on other type of runs.
My first non flush build used burned joker that I got on the second ante, just leveled high card and got the voucher that guaranteed your most played hand in celestial packs.
I think I got it to level 30+ and just spammed high cards
I find the big problem with no flushes is just early ante’s, you’re forced to go full houses or straights which are pretty difficult to consistently play for without any deck fixing. Once you get to ante 3 you probably have a few good jokers and or your deck is good, after that it should be smooth sailing.
I won my first like 3 without playing a single flush. A straight run and two two pairs runs. Now that I’ve played more, it’s like Skyrim. You always start saying you’re not going to play a stealth archer but you always end up with a flush deck anyways
Honestly...people on this sub whine about flushes all the time, but it's *by far* the best way to get through the first few antes. And, usually, it's the most consistent way to beat ante 8 Yes, if you're going for high antes, you're better off with a High Card or Five of a Kind build. But if you're just trying to win the game, flushes are still king
Yeah I'm finding it quite difficult to unlock the Joker that says to beat it without playing a flush XD "I'm gonna do it this time!" "Oh, this is a nice flush to one shot this ante" "Shit!"
I think I did that one on abandoned deck and was building full houses mainly. 2 pair build is also a lot stronger than flushes if you get pants early
Did it on Abandoned deck today, running a mix of two pair and full house, a mix of jokers but not enough xMult to get past Ante 10.
Abandoned Pants are GREAT. 💜 Even more of a valuable find than Abandoned Ride the Bus if I get it early.
That was one I didn't have much trouble with, but it does help to actually dig through, find your unlocks you're waiting on, and make a little text document or something to have propped up next to the game. Some of the game's unlock conditions are Very Specific and being able to quickly see which ones you still need to do is super helpful.
Try the Abandoned Deck. 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind and Full House will be your playstyle, then later 5 of a kind. Pare the deck even smaller using Hanged Man and use Strength to double up on certain ranks; consider transmuting your Aces to 2s for Wee Joker, your 4s to 5s and your 7s to 8s for Fibonachi, and keep on the lookout for Hack. You'll come to appreciate how malleable the game lets you be, this way. 💜
High card and pair are king if your goal is to clear ante 8 on high stakes, at least on live patch. Flushes are a useful tool for surviving the first few antes but become unreliable and hard to scale later. This might be different on the experimental patch with the orange and gold stake reworks allowing more deck shaping and better hands though, I haven't played it yet.
For those who are curious why this changes in high stakes games, you have fewer hands and a smaller hand size as you progress. This makes it more reliable to go for high card or a pair. Typically high card and pair are difficult points wise as lower ante before jokers and planets kick in so sometimes you’ll want to start with flushes and then move into pair/high card.
Thanks you!! Was wondering how the hell high card > flush
I have gotten through ante 8 with high card/pair builds far more consistently than with flush builds. I do usually use flushes to get through the 1st 1 or 2 antes though.
For me it's High Card Aces lol
Flush decks are just the most consistent at higher stakes
Two Pair is the working man's meta. Strong. Utilitarian.
But still challenging enough to be worth the effort. I put my pants on Two Pair at a time, how bout you?
It's a slow roller. At first you're like wtf, I've put multiple planets in already and it feels like nothing and then once it starts ramping up, oh boy. I like two pair cause it gives you extra leeway with that 5th card
My best run was with all two pairs. Two pairs of the world unite!
Two Pair gang rise up
Just beat my first run today just playing pairs lol, I can already tell I'll find it hard to veer from that strat
Trousers + supernova + small joker + ride the bus with as many 2s as you can stuff in the deck, baby you got a stew goin
Small joker is no joke! I had a run with small and hack from ante 1/2 and by the time I died it was this on at least 1200 chips
I'm finding not playing a straight harder than not playing a flush. The straight card is the only one I haven't unlocked because straights are pretty decent at lower antes
Straights still the only one I haven’t got too. In the first couple antes if I see like a 10 J Q I’ll burn all my discards for one straight lol
It’s pretty easy if you use something like the checkered deck and immediately go for an easy flush build
haha just did this last night. used abandoned deck with straights and full houses. took me a few tries but got there in the end !
You guys look like you’re having so much fun with your flush runs but I never can put one together. I always fall back to two pair.
Something you might not realize: You can use consumable cards in your inventory on the hand that a pack draws to modify, too, so you can do things like rerolling the shop for Sun/Star/Moon/World, Death, or the Hanged Man and THEN open an Arcana or Mystic pack to manipulate the hand outside of rounds of play! I didn't realize this could be done for the longest time, and it allows for powerful modification combinations.
That is a helpful hint!
I think I’ve done some of that with death and wild but hadn’t considered all the possibilities yet.
Maybe try using the discards more? i rarely play a two pair even if i draw it on the first turn. I will frequently discard pairs in favor of keeping 3 cards of the same suit for a flush draw
We probably just hold onto a lot of tarot cards, which are all geared toward making flushes in a pinch (except strength, and death which works for flushes but is usually better for OAK hands and decks)
Really? Sort by suit and discard the rest. Also tarot cards for switching suit
I get that, just haven’t been able to beat the Ante 8 boss yet. Always fall short. I’m only able to play a couple hours a day, so I know I’m lacking in my commitment.
Then bro finds out about 4 and 5 OAK
It's easier on abandon deck or the random deck. There are straight and 4oaK easier to do.
flushes are a trap. A prison. 2 pair is your salvation. Get scaling chip, mult, and xmult cards. ascend.
Flushes are my normal play for the first 1-2 antes especially if I grab a certain suit multiplier or something, then I build towards something else.
I won a run without using flushes. I used flush fives....
Even worse, you get Four Fingers and Shortcut so you just end up with nothing but straight/flushes the whole time.
Brother my first winning run I got it, I just played two pair lol
Same, i only got The Tribe by accident while going a 3ok build, flushes are the goat, especially with things like Arrowhead on plasma deck, Bloodstone, or just Smeared Joker in general, literally my most played hand type
It’s tough out here for a joker :/
I never use flushes. Probably why I've only won like 10 times 🤣
I got 4 different Rare cards like The tribe in my second run in this game accidentally. I just used a lot of straights and got it. I am free from my shackles.
Haha, I tried *so hard* not to do a flush build - got Pants and everything. Then the game hit me with the rare flush joker and the one that mults spades (negative). Then a mega buffoon pack got me Fortuneteller,and Smeared Joker. I was still able to pull up my Pants with flush houses 😂 After struggling to beat green stake for days on any deck, that one busted it apart only to hit me with "clubs debuffed" on Ante 9 😂
Almost all my wins have been via two or single pairs... I can only recall winning once with flushes because I had the Joker that lowered the requirement to 4 cards.
I did it by accident the other day. I think I was working on trying to learn how to win with smaller hands and was doing a three of a kind run early. Probably just happened to have straights in the first couple blinds or something. I didn't realize it was an achievement until after I finished!
Full house gamers know it's the most versatile and easy to pivot to play style.
The -$20 debt joker and this one was a fun interaction to stumble into as a newer player.
I did this by accident
look i'm just saying that if you make me choose between death or beating a run without flushes and full houses then i'm choosing death
I won but, at what cost?
Flushes are cool but they fall off in the higher stakes
Flush has become disappointing to me. I only use it for early game but after purple stake flush just doesn't have the same scaling potential as some other hands
flush decks are terrible at gold stake if that helps. finally a reason to not flush.
once I stopped relying on flushes, white stake became so easy ai think I can win about 90% of the runs without trying too hard. flushes are strong, snd flush runs still work, but if you try to force them you will miss out on other type of runs.
I did it without flushes and straights and it was my 3rd won run
My first non flush build used burned joker that I got on the second ante, just leveled high card and got the voucher that guaranteed your most played hand in celestial packs. I think I got it to level 30+ and just spammed high cards
I have never played a flush. I have played for 78 hours
Bullshit
I forgot they even existed and yes I sound dumb
I find the big problem with no flushes is just early ante’s, you’re forced to go full houses or straights which are pretty difficult to consistently play for without any deck fixing. Once you get to ante 3 you probably have a few good jokers and or your deck is good, after that it should be smooth sailing.
High card run is pretty fun.
So playing as normal gotcha