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Shengji Strategy: 10 Tips

Declaring and burying

  1. Declare with a long suit. More trumps means more control. A pair of level cards protects your declaration.
  2. Bury to make a void. Bury a whole short suit so you can trump it later. Don't bury points or trumps.
  3. Keep your Aces, Kings and pairs. They win tricks.

As the defenders

  1. Draw trumps. Lead trump pairs, tractors or small trumps to strip the attackers of theirs, so your side Aces and Kings are safe.
  2. Guard the last trick. Keep a few big trumps for the end, so the attackers can't win the kitty bonus.

As the attackers

  1. Cash your winners. Lead side Aces, Kings and pairs early to collect points.
  2. Feed your partner. When your partner's play will win the trick, add your 10s, Kings and 5s.
  3. Save trumps for points. Use them to ruff tricks with points in them, and for the last trick.

Counting

  1. Count the high cards and points. Know how many Aces and Kings of each suit are gone, how many trumps are out, and how many points are left.
  2. Notice voids. A player who stops following a suit can trump it: don't lead points in that suit.

The computer on easy often plays at random; normal collects, feeds and ruffs sensibly; hard also counts cards. Play Shengji or read the rules.

Frequently asked questions

When should you declare trump in Shengji?

When you hold a long suit (seven or eight cards or more) with a level card in it. A pair of level cards is safer, since it's hard to override.

Last updated 2026-10-19

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