Bulls and Cows Strategy: 5 Techniques

Every guess is a question. Good players ask questions whose answers cut the possibilities most. New here? Read the rules first.

1. Open with disjoint guesses

0123, then 4567. The two answers tell you how the four secret digits split between the three groups (and 8, 9 get what's left). That's the fastest way to learn which digits are in.

2. 0A0B is gold

An answer of 0A0B eliminates four digits at once. Don't be disappointed by it; it's one of the best results you can get.

3. Move digits to split bulls from cows

If 1234 scored 1A1B, try 1243 next: swapping two digits tells you whether the bull was among them. Permuting known digits turns cows into bulls.

4. Keep a list

Write the digits 0–9 and cross off what's excluded; mark digits that are certainly in. With five digits, this is the difference between six guesses and twelve.

5. Watch the counter

kawu shows how many numbers still fit. A guess that halves that count is a good guess; the hint picks the one that splits the remaining numbers most evenly.

Last updated 2026-10-20