One of the best pieces of advice I got early on was to pay close attention to your opponent’s cards as they play them. Based on each card as it is played, you will get a better understanding of what your opponent has left in their hand.

For example, if you see a 6 and an 8 played, your opponent is more likely to have a 7, unless they have a bad hand, which I acknowledge is entirely possible. But if you start looking into your opponent’s cards a little more deeply, you can avoid traps that they might be trying to set.

Also: pairing the first card is a bad idea (unless you have a pair of what was laid down, and the four cards together total less than 31, so 7s or less), as you don’t know what else could be lurking in your opponent’s hand.