A Blank is good enough to hinder an opponent's Pique or Repique. A misdeal that faces a card does not cause a reshuffle. If you try to change your cards, you lose, and will be accounted a Foul Player. Evaluation Interesting game, with the hardest draw strategies I've ever seen. Pretty much anything you do is likely to foul up at least one scoring phase.
Straight flushes are devastating, but uncommon.
As with all good games, this one has a certain amount of balance. It rewards the careful eye, since winning any phase requires showing what cards you had to win it. Therefore, if you lose the early phases, you can often make up lost ground through careful strategy in the tricks. I am given to understand that this is similar to Pinocle strategy, although I don't know that game. Picket looks horribly complex when you start out, but it's pretty easy to pick up, and becomes smooth sailing after that.