Cabo card game strategy
Ten habits that separate players who win at Cabo from players who just hold cards. New to the game? Read the rules first.
1. Memory is the whole game
You see two of your four cards once. Say them to yourself with their positions ("left, 3; right, king of diamonds") and do not look away. Every swap changes what you know, so update your mental hand after each turn.
2. Keep low cards, swap out high ones
Aces, twos and the zero cards (king of diamonds and joker) are what you want. Any 10, jack, queen or black or red king you know about is a swap target. Swap an unknown card for a low draw: on average an unseen card is worse than a 3.
3. Know when to discard the draw
If the card you drew is higher than what you expect to hold, discard it, ideally a power card so you get the effect. Swapping a 9 into a hand you know is full of low cards only adds points.
4. Spend powers on information
A 7 or 8 peeks at your own cards: use it on the one you know least. A 9 or 10 peeks at a rival: look at the player closest to calling Cabo. J or Q swaps any two cards on the table: swap your known high card for a rival's unknown one. You can skip a power if it would not help.
5. Burn only when you are sure
A correct burn removes a card from your hand, which is the fastest way to lose points. A wrong one gives you a penalty card. Burn your own card when you clearly remember it; guessing at a rival's card is a gamble.
6. Watch the discard pile
Each discard tells you what a rival swapped out and what the pile now matches. If a rival discards a high card right after drawing, their hand probably got better.
7. Call Cabo at the right time
Calling locks your hand and gives everyone one more turn. Call when you are confident your total is lowest, not when it is merely low. A hand of about 5 or less is usually safe at a small table. If you are tied, the caller wins.
8. Do not give your hand away
Fast, confident plays reveal that you have little to improve. Vary your pace so rivals cannot tell when you are close to calling.
9. Track the dangerous cards
The zero cards, the king of diamonds and the joker, are rare and swing the game. If both are gone, a hand of 4 or 5 becomes very hard to beat.
10. Practise memory away from the table
Recall, the solo game in the Cabo app, trains exactly the skill you need: remember where cards are and find them fast.
Questions
What is a good score in Cabo?
A hand total of about 5 or less is strong. The lowest possible hand is 0, using the king of diamonds and jokers.
Should I always call Cabo early?
No. Call when you are confident you hold the lowest hand. Calling too early gives rivals one more turn to beat a hand you only guessed was low.
Is Cabo luck or skill?
Both, but skill decides more over many games: memory, tracking the discard pile and timing the Cabo call all reward practice.
Play it
Free on iPhone and Android. A short tutorial table teaches the rules before your first real game.
More: Cabo card game rules · Play Cabo online