Is there a way to beat the first ante using only high cards?

[V3N0M]

I've managed to win on red stakes with high card as my most played hand on ante 1 and my only hand played on ante 2-8 but is there some trick that lets me beat every blind with only high cards? Also I've exprimented with a few different decks but only beat my self imposed challenge with the yellow deck (and mr bones on the final blind)

[ulzgoroth]

I don't think it's possible to beat round 1 with only high card?

If it was it certainly would be possible to beat round 2 and 3 after buying an effective scoring joker.

But with no possible jokers or upgrades, playing at best ace-high? Even using plasma deck (or blue deck) won't make that winnable.

[Paul Ryevere]

The only thing that comes to mind is skipping the ante 1 small blind for something like a Buffoon pack, that'll activate before you actually get into a round. A spectral pack or arcana pack could also get it done, with less apparent reliability.

AFAIK, four Aces played individually as high cards is the best you can do in the first round, which falls short of the 300 point threshold on every deck. Blue deck gets and extra hand, but without scoring support, ((11 + 5) x 1 ) x 5 = 80, which isn't enough. Plasma, I think, gets closest with 256/300, but still not enough.

I don't know everything, of course, but aside from a skip, I don't know how it'd be done, and if you insist on playing out round 1, I REALLY have no idea how it could be done.

[malogoss]

About the comment above, no Buffoon pack tag at ante 1.

But...
You could skip the Small Blind for a Charm tag (free Mega Arcana Pack) to get a Magician.
Turn 2 Aces into Lucky Cards for example, if they trigger +20 mult, they are worth 16*21= 336 chips each if played as HC and you are rich if they also hit the +$20. Or even better, hit Magician and also make a Stone card. 66*21=1386 chips

Hit a few good jokers at the shop before facing the Boss Blind and you're good.

So get lucky with the arcana pack content from a tag, get lucky with the +mult and +$20 triggers from your lucky cards and you're set. Easy, right?

[Paul Ryevere]

Originally posted by malogoss:

About the comment above, no Buffoon pack tag at ante 1.

My bad, I wasn't aware. Thanks for setting things straight.

[malogoss]

No problem. There's 9 tags that never show on ante 1 according to the wiki, I never remember them all. But I know there's no joker packs and no hand levelling tags.

[ulzgoroth]

Maybe less goofy than counting on Magician and then lucky cards scoring, if you get Judgement (or Emperor into Judgement) you could get a good joker that actually makes things work out for you.

Judgement -> Riff-raff might be expecially fun.

If you want to add back some of the goofy randomness, ask for Judgement plus Wheel of Fortune.

[x_equals_speed]

What about using one of the challenges as a base? One of them starts with 12 stone cards in your deck, that could see you through.

[자장면]

I did it and here's how:
Seed is BUKM35ZW. Deck is Plasma Deck.

1. Skip Small Blind
   
2. Use High Priestess, this yields Pluto and Jupiter. Use Pluto, sell Jupiter
   
3. Use The Hierophant on King of Spades and 10 of Spades
   
4. Select Big Blind
   
5. Play 10 of Spades, 784 chips total
   
6. Discard 5, thrice, then play King of Spades, another 784 chips, winning Big Blind on Ante 1
   
7. In Shop, reroll and buy & use The Fool to create another The Hierophant. This is an important step, because we'll buy the Arcana Pack in the next step.
   
8. Buy the Arcana Pack. While in the selection screen, click on the Ace of Spades and Ace of Diamonds and use The Hierophant in our inventory
   
9. Use The Emperor, this will create The Strength and The Magician
   
10. Next Round, Boss Ante - 1,200 Chips.
    
11. Select the Ace of Spades, along with 10H, 8D, 7H and 4D or 4S (But make sure to never choose both of the 4s). 841 Chips
    
12. Discard 9S, 6S, 5H, 4S, 3S
    
13. Play the Ace of D

And then that's it. Congratulations. Let me know if you managed Ante 2

[malogoss]

So one more thing is proven not impossible. And in may ways. How interesting.

[V3N0M]

Originally posted by ST. CHROMA:

I did it and here's how:
Seed is BUKM35ZW. Deck is Plasma Deck.

1. Skip Small Blind
   
2. Use High Priestess, this yields Pluto and Jupiter. Use Pluto, sell Jupiter
   
3. Use The Hierophant on King of Spades and 10 of Spades
   
4. Select Big Blind
   
5. Play 10 of Spades, 784 chips total
   
6. Discard 5, thrice, then play King of Spades, another 784 chips, winning Big Blind on Ante 1
   
7. In Shop, reroll and buy & use The Fool to create another The Hierophant. This is an important step, because we'll buy the Arcana Pack in the next step.
   
8. Buy the Arcana Pack. While in the selection screen, click on the Ace of Spades and Ace of Diamonds and use The Hierophant in our inventory
   
9. Use The Emperor, this will create The Strength and The Magician
   
10. Next Round, Boss Ante - 1,200 Chips.
    
11. Select the Ace of Spades, along with 10H, 8D, 7H and 4D or 4S (But make sure to never choose both of the 4s). 841 Chips
    
12. Discard 9S, 6S, 5H, 4S, 3S
    
13. Play the Ace of D

And then that's it. :jimbo:Congratulations:jimbo:. Let me know if you managed Ante 2

What stake was this on. Would it make a difference? I think I was only on red,

[자장면]

Originally posted by V3N0M:

Originally posted by ST. CHROMA:

I did it and here's how:
Seed is BUKM35ZW. Deck is Plasma Deck.

1. Skip Small Blind
   
2. Use High Priestess, this yields Pluto and Jupiter. Use Pluto, sell Jupiter
   
3. Use The Hierophant on King of Spades and 10 of Spades
   
4. Select Big Blind
   
5. Play 10 of Spades, 784 chips total
   
6. Discard 5, thrice, then play King of Spades, another 784 chips, winning Big Blind on Ante 1
   
7. In Shop, reroll and buy & use The Fool to create another The Hierophant. This is an important step, because we'll buy the Arcana Pack in the next step.
   
8. Buy the Arcana Pack. While in the selection screen, click on the Ace of Spades and Ace of Diamonds and use The Hierophant in our inventory
   
9. Use The Emperor, this will create The Strength and The Magician
   
10. Next Round, Boss Ante - 1,200 Chips.
    
11. Select the Ace of Spades, along with 10H, 8D, 7H and 4D or 4S (But make sure to never choose both of the 4s). 841 Chips
    
12. Discard 9S, 6S, 5H, 4S, 3S
    
13. Play the Ace of D

And then that's it. Congratulations. Let me know if you managed Ante 2

What stake was this on. Would it make a difference? I think I was only on red,

Yeah it was Red Stake. I can test on other Stakes.