Denial Drinking Strategy

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Denial drinking is summarized by a very simple strategy: The harder it is for your opponent to clear a row, the better.

Strategy

The simplest way to accomplish denial is to put pieces adjacent to a spot that you determine necessary for your opponent to clear a row. Since pieces can only go next to other pieces of the same color or shape, putting two completely contradictory pieces together — a red jug next to a green cup, for example — makes it all but impossible to put a piece in the spots beside them.

In addition, you can use hooks to steal away valuable fries and other pieces that can't be so easily replaced, effectively clogging the square or allowing it to be clogged before the piece can be replaced. Kegs also clog some by forcing a particular color, but must be used with other pieces to be effective (see below).

Denial also covers clearing perpendicular rows, effectively stealing away pieces in the same manner a hook does, not to mention being more profitable.

Flaws

This strategy fails under the following conditions:

• There are fries available to play, as these pieces can go anywhere. Should they appear on your opponent's turn, they can complete otherwise impossible rows and cost you the game. Should fries appear on your turn, there are two recommended options: use them to your advantage, or at least make sure your opponent cannot by using them yourself or "drinking" them.
• Kegs count as no particular shape, but a color. As such, you'll need to have two pieces surrounding the necessary square of different shapes (as well as a different color from the keg) in order to clog a square.
• Your opponent has a hook they can use to remove your clogging pieces.
• Your opponent either has pieces that are more valuable drunken, or has an appropriate mug that takes advantage of such things. A longer game of denial eventually leads to heavy chugging, so pitchers are the Denial player's worst enemy, since it only takes a couple chugs to make the same amount of points as clearing a row.
• When both players deny, the game eventually gets very slow, forcing lots of chugging and increasing the chance that either a special piece will appear or that someone will clear a row by virtue of it being the only spot to put a piece, which may or may not work in your favor.