How to Win at Ticket to Ride

Draw from the top of the deck unless you need trains for a specific route. This has two advantages: Your opponents won't know what you're doing, and you may get a locomotive at half-cost.

Draw train cards early and build up a few cards before you start laying out tracks. This will give you an idea of which colors you want to save and which ones to use for the gray routes.

Play trains on longer routes to the same destination when you can. The scoring for 6 one-train routes or 3 two-train routes is worth much less than a single five-train or six-train route.

Control the choke points. When trying to go from east to west, or north to south, you may notice a small one-train or two-train gray route, to which the only alternative is a long series of other routes that would be inefficient. Grab these choke points early, or you'll be the one forced to go around.

Draw some more tickets once you've connected one of your tickets and have a dozen or so train cards in your hand. You're looking for tickets that include cities and routes you've already built, so if you can grab a few more of them, you'll have a better chance to win at the end of the game.

Take the non-negotiable pieces of your routes first. If you're trying to get from Los Angeles to Atlanta, some sections have multiple route options, while some sections really only have one good choice. Place trains on the less optional routes first, lest other players get in the way of your destination.

Watch your opponent. If you see your leading opponent working on a long connection and there's a small route in the middle you can play to stop him, go for it. This is rarely worthwhile in the early game, but at the end of the game, it can be devastating.