Hand management games reward players for playing cards in a certain sequence or group. The optimal sequence or grouping may vary, depending on board position, the cards held and played by opponents. Players manage their hand by playing cards that will net them the most value out of available cards given the current circumstance. Typically, cards have multiple uses in a game, which further obscures an “optimal” sequence or group.

Guillotine is a popular card game that uses hand management. Some of the cards in a player’s hand can change the sequence of nobles in line to be beheaded (affecting a player’s scoring), while others can change the point value of certain nobles already beheaded.