Guides2 min readWhen to keep your 7
A 7 cancels the whole attack, not just the last card. The longer you hold it, the more it’s worth.
What a 7 does
Played on an attack, a 7 cancels all of it: the +2, the +3 on top, the joker on top of that. Nobody draws. Played on anything else, it’s just a 7 and follows suit or rank.
It doesn’t help against a 4: only another 4 passes a skip on. And it’s a Romanian rule; in Polish Makao the 7 is an ordinary card.
Why waiting pays
Attacks stack. A 7 spent on a lone +2 saves you two cards; the same 7 on a +15 saves you fifteen. Every round you hold it, the attack it can cancel may grow.
A seven is a shield, not a sword. Hold it until the pile is tall.
When to let it go
Play it as an ordinary card when it takes you down to your last card (the app calls Macao! for you), or when it is your last card. Cards left in your hand never score, so a shield you never raise is just one more card to get rid of.