Hockeyathlete,
If you're getting a lot of unwanted combos, you should slow down. Make sure you know exactly what is going to happen before you make a move.
When rotating 6 pieces around a star, I use a system I call Inner Danger/Outer Danger (others probably have other names for it) that lets me quickly assess whether I'll get an unwanted combo or not. First, look for 'inner danger' in the 6 pieces that you will be rotating around the star. If there are doubles (two consecutive pieces of the same color, two consecutive star-mulitplier colored pieces or two consecutive star flowers), then you know there is "inner danger" ... so you have to look and see if there is an outer piece that could cause an unwanted combo.
Then look for 'outer danger' ... which would be two consecutive alike pieces in the ring of 12 that surrounds the ring of 6. If there is outer danger, then look to see if there is a matching piece in the inner ring that would cause an unwanted combo.
Drawing of Inner Ring (red) and Outer Ring (yellow)If there are no doubles in either ring, you are safe to rotate at will.
If there is inner danger, but no matching piece that would make a triple in the outer ring, you are safe
If there is outer danger, but no matching piece in the inner ring, you are safe.
Otherwise you need to be extremely careful.
Taking the extra few seconds needed to scan those 18 pieces will save you a lot of headaches.
Everything's coming up Milhouse!
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