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Nearly 8 years since the debut of online Triple Triad, card players, collectors, and FF enthusiasts alike STILL argue one of the most controversial questions in the history of Triple Triad: “Which is better… Open, or Closed?”

Keep in mind that the question on its own is quite vague. When players argued over a stance (whether it was for Open, Closed, or even for both), what did they really mean when they say, “Which is better”? Is it a simple matter of preference? A matter of whether one is more entertaining over another? Perhaps it’s a matter of simplicity and convenience? Or perhaps players are deliberating whether one requires more skill over another?

You can definitely argue the topic in a myriad of scenarios, only for the passionate debaters to reach an indecisive deadlock. Let’s explore the arguments for both sides:


Open: “A Strategic Battle of Chess, Using Cards”

Legendary TT player of the TT.com era, Kami (not to be confused with Kamikaze. Also, he's one of the original innovators of the “Card In The Middle” strategy), once uttered these famous words:

“A game of Open is played like a game of Chess…”

The sympathizers of the Open rule would probably use this quote as an introductory statement for their argument. In more ways than one, this is absolutely accurate!

For one, your starting move is one of the most crucial moves you’ll ever make in an Open Game, much like Chess. It is THE move the dictates the action, reaction, and behavior of the 2nd turn player. It is the move that eventually transitions into one of the countless winning formations of TT that can lead you to victory. Finally, it is imperative that your starting move conceals most of your game plan for as long as possible (again, just like in Chess), as your opponent can see your other cards!

The comparisons to Chess don’t stop there. For one, your second move in an Open game is just as important (if not more important) than your starting move. In Chess, your middle game becomes VERY crucial especially since it is the prelude to setting up the checkmate that nets you the win. In an Open game of Triple Triad, your second move can be quite decisive to the point that it can already be determined whether you have tied, lost, or won the game! Therefore, it is not a huge surprise that most of the “thinking” time spent in an Open game is mostly found during the first and second moves of that particular game.

Secondly, like Chess, an Open game can be dictated with countless of established, winning formations and patterns. Some formations are better than others, depending on the situation, the type of cards, the rule set, and to a smaller extent: the skill level of your opponent. However, despite winning formations being an essential knowledge for most Open players, it is equally important for an Open player to be able to adapt and adjust to any situation presented to him or her. With cards easily viewable on both ends, there is an obvious priority on safety and defense… so even if you’re using an optimum formation, your opponent can easily jeopardize your game plan once he spots a weakness or fault within your formation. Hence, every once in a while, you might want to deviate (or even abort) from your original game plan, and prioritize your own safety first. For the most part, a typical Open player will want to make the safest moves possible by checking every square, much like a meticulous Chess player would check every spot on the board to see if integral pieces are safe.

Also, if you are familiar with Chess, certain pieces may be sacrificed to set up an opening or formation… while at the same time, certain pieces are very valuable that you want to keep them for the duration of the game for their own respective purposes. You can apply this simple analogy to Open games, as well! Some cards may be sacrificed as a starting move to set up a specific formation… while in the same token, you want to protect certain cards (or more specifically, protect the exposed side of certain cards) in order to have an optimum chance of winning.

Finally, just like Chess, there is a major importance as to who goes FIRST in an Open TT game. In Chess, statistically, White is a slight favorite to win over Black, simply because White gets to dictate the tempo and action first. For anyone who is fortunate enough to have the first turn in an Open TT game, the obvious objective is to win, while the worst-case scenario should be a tie. That’s not to say that the second turn position is “impossible” to win… between two players of equal skill, it can be incredibly difficult to win a game from second turn, and it may end up as a tie the majority of the time.

Admittedly, there have been a lot of top players over the years that have had a preference of Open over Closed games, especially in important tournament games. Unless the Random rule is turned on, there is very little factor for luck in Open games, and the lines between winning, tying, or losing are solely dependent on the players’ choices alone. As a result, there is a clear bias of Open over Closed games. In addition, since a good amount of Open games revolve around setting up (or preventing) winning formations, there is also a high emphasis on devising effective hands to effectively set up those aforementioned formations.

Pros of Open Games: They can be skillfully rewarding, in terms of hand creation, formation usage, in-game adaptation, and general awareness of the game at hand; A reliable and staple rule for most tournament AND trade games; Is less dependent on luck than Closed games; It is an easy measure of skill between 2 players because the outcome of the game is heavily dependent on the player’s real-time, methodical game decisions, rather than mere educated guesses and luck.

Cons of Open Games: It may result in a lot of ties between players of near-equal skill; Games may take longer to finish depending on how calculating and meticulous the players are with their in-game decisions; May be incredibly daunting to beginners and novices of the game; Players who set up casual Open games may wait for a very long time to actually get a challenger; Between players of equal skill, the outcome of an Open game may depend on who has the better hand/better cards/better position (1st turn or 2nd turn).

Closed: “A Game of Wits, Foresight, and Courage… Like Poker”

As everyone would know, there is always a flip side to a coin. Although a small and distinct group of top TT players prefer Open games over Closed games, there is an overwhelming majority of the TT population who actually prefer Closed Games over Open games.

Reason being? There’s less pressure for any player in terms of checking each square on the board for the safest moves, and more emphasis on making educated guesses and logical choices, despite not being able to see your opponent’s cards. As a result, games also tend to finish faster than the average Open game, making it the perfect choice for players who prefer to play a quick TT game on the go. It is absolutely not a surprise that most beginners and novices of the game play the majority of their games with the Closed rule on, simply because:

1) Closed games allow for lucky wins, which may aid beginner and novice players level the playing field vs. players of higher skill level;
2) It is easier for players to quickly save up points (and hence, acquire new cards), since Closed games are more common Does that mean that Closed games are less skillful than Open games? The answer, arguably, is no. Closed games actually require a different set of skills, and a different philosophy of winning. Tactics and formations that work very well in an Open game may not work as well in a Closed game, for obvious reasons (you cannot see your opponents cards, and there’s always a factor of luck to consider, among other things).

Earlier in this article, you’ve seen Open games being compared to a game of Chess. In similar fashion, you can actually compare a typical Closed game to another type of card game: Poker! First, the most obvious comparison to Closed game that you can make with Poker is that you cannot see your opponent’s cards. Because of this fact, even though you don’t necessarily have strong cards, you can set up your game formation so that it seems like you’re representing something strong (even though you don’t), therefore forcing your opponent to guess, and adjust to what he/she thinks you may have. This type of trickery and deception is called a bluff in Poker, and it may work in a similar fashion in Closed games!

Another aspect of Poker that is comparable to most Closed TT games is the concept of trapping. In Poker, you can lure and bait people into betting chips into you, when you have a monster hand, especially if your opponents are aggressive enough. In Closed TT games, the usual winning philosophy is to create HOLES on the board through certain formations, which may or may not be traps. More often than not, however, those holes are devised to ENTICE inexperienced players to fill in, therefore, “falling” into a trap and placing themselves in a very precarious and dangerous situation.

Also, while there are traps in almost all Closed games, there are also well-placed decoys. A superb closed player will also put out “decoy” traps… holes on the playing board that seemingly look like REAL traps, but in reality, they are devised to make your opponents REACT to the decoy trap accordingly, and therefore enabling you to follow through with your intended game plan/finishing maneuver. Again, you can compare this to a “bluff” in poker, which makes Closed games a test of wits, deception, trickery, foresight, and courage. These are a set of skills that are ESSENTIAL to Closed games, but not necessarily useful in Open games. And likewise, there are several optimum formations that work really well in Closed games, but are not necessarily effective in Open games.

Of course, there is actually “correct” way to utilize the Closed rule, and the “wrong” way to utilize the Closed rule. What am I referring to, you ask? Well, over the years, I have seen countless of players create bread-and-butter hands for the Closed rule, WITHOUT switching up their hands (yet another way to deceive your opponent with the Closed rule). What usually happens is this: Player A would devise a hand with the Closed rule, challenges Player B, and soundly defeats Player B with his hand. But then, Player B challenges Player A for the second time, with a COUNTER-DECK this time around, and Player A loses.

Why? Because Player A didn’t switch up his hand! You’ll be very surprised how many players make that very same mistake, till this very day. With the example provided above, Player A was a basically a sitting duck, leaving himself wide-open for a counter. He placed himself at an obvious disadvantage for three reasons:

1) Player B already knows the hand that Player A is going to play with;
2) Player A does not know what type of cards Player B is holding!
3) In essence, Player B is playing the game as if it was an OPEN game, rather than it being a CLOSED game.
This is where an experienced Closed player shines. There is a saying in Poker that “you don’t just play the cards; you play the person as well”! A seasoned Closed player will constantly keep his opponent guessing by switching up his hands, whether it’s through changing the opening move of the game, or reflecting/rotating the formation of that hand, or changing cards within the hand itself altogether. For beginner Closed players, this dilemma is easily solved by adding the Random rule with the Closed rule. This way, every game is different and fresh, and there would be no need or worry to switch up your hand.

Finally, in a game of Poker, position is absolutely important, relative to what type of player you are. For instance, if you are a safe and defensive Poker player, LATE position is advantageous for that type of player because he gets to scout ahead of what type of players he is up against, and the type of action that is going around on the table. On the other hand, if you are a loose and aggressive Poker player, you can use an EARLY position as an advantage to represent that you are holding a strong hand (even if you’re merely bluffing). Similarly, in Closed TT games, position (whether you have first turn or not) holds no bias to what type of player you are. While it’s true that your chances of winning are statistically higher when you go first (EVEN in Closed games) the finest Closed players actually THRIVE with second turn, only because of their ability to trick and deceive their opponents through counter-formations and traps/decoys.

Pros of Closed Games: Games finish significantly faster on average (therefore, easier to collect points and cards with); Closed games are generally casual and beginner-friendly; Can be skillfully rewarding in terms of formulating the most educated guesses, cleverly luring your opponents into traps, and deceiving your opponent of your real strength, position, and intention

Cons of Closed Games: Games may be decided by luck during the final move of the game (for instance, unexpectedly utilizing a Plus rule that activates Combo, which factors into the decision); Is not a standard tournament rule; Games may be extremely volatile with Plus Wall AND Combo added to the rule set; Is generally better for any player to play Closed with the Random rule on


In Conclusion: My Own Thoughts on Open And Closed

As you can see, I’ve explained and articulated in great detail of the two different modes of play in Triple Triad: Open games and Closed games… in terms of the required skill set, the types of winning philosophy, and the pros and cons of both modes. I can only hope, with my years of acquired and accumulated TT knowledge and wisdom, that I have shed new light into this popular topic. Or at the very least, offer a new insight or perspective that you otherwise haven’t thought of before.

In general, I do not believe that one mode is more “skillful” than the other. However, one mode DOES demand a specific set of skills that may not apply to the other mode, and vice versa. One thing that I HAVE noticed, however (and take this with a grain of salt), is that through playing Open games, it had made me a better player at Closed games, and that through playing Closed games, it had made me a better player at Open games. After all, whether you are playing Open or Closed, Triple Triad is still a game that requires you to make the CORRECT decision at all times. The more correct decisions you make, the better player you’ll be!

My advice to all aspiring TT players? If you are predominantly an Open player, try to develop your abilities in Closed games. And if you are predominantly a Closed player, try to sharpen your skills in Open games! Don’t be content with only being a good Open player. Don’t be satisfied with only being a good Closed player. Master your craft in both areas of the game, and soon, you will become a better, well-rounded TT player, overall! And who knows… you, the reader of this article, may become the next TT champion of the ages…