Turbo 21 is an addictive game on pogo.com. The object: you have 70 seconds to place the cards one at a time into one of four hands to make those hands add up to 21. Every 21 scores points and clears the hand. Every bust clears the lane and subtracts from your score. Any five cards that add up to less than 21 count as a 21, and score points. Luck is a big factor in this game, making it a very satisfying solitaire game of the Simple Addition family. There are a maximum of eighteen 21s possible. A perfect game requires the right combination of luck and strategy. Below I outline the solution to the perfect game for those still addicted to Turbo 21. My advice: if the game goes awry, use the simplest, 11’s complement method, to score as many points as you can.

11’s complement method

  • Use an Ace or any two cards that add up to eleven, and throw a 10 or face card with it.
  • There are a total of 16 cards that are worth 10: four tens, four jacks, four queens, and four kings.
  • There are a total of 16 11-pairs: four 9-2 pairs, four 8-3 pairs, four 7-4 pairs, and four 6-5 pairs.
  • There are, of course four single card 11’s, the aces.
  • This strategy culminates with four unused 11s with a total remainder of 44 points unused.
  • You can only score 16 21’s using this method.

Revised 11’s complement method.

  • Try to score a 21 with 5-5-5-6.
  • Make all other 21’s with the 11’s complement method.
  • You will have have four unused cards left over, with 23 points unused.
  • You can only score 17 21s using this method.

Perfect play method

  • Try to score a 21 with 6-6-9.
  • Then make a 17th 10 with 5-5.
  • Play the rest of the game with the 11’s complement method.
  • You will have a single card, a 2, left over.
  • You score the maximum of 18 21’s using this method.