These are decisions, not cheats. The dice still land where they land. For the rulebook see Ludo rules.
Get a second token out early
One token on the track is a hostage. A second token lets you use a 6 on the board instead of only on the yard, and it gives you a choice when a capture appears.
When to capture
Capture when it costs the opponent a long walk home and does not leave your token one square from their start. A capture that sits on a star (when stars are safe) is usually worth taking. A capture that strands your last token in the open, with three of theirs nearby, is often vanity.
When to run home
Once a token is past the last busy stretch, finish it. A token sitting three squares short of home can still be captured on some house-rule sets; do not park there to “save a 6” unless you have another token that needs the extra roll more.
Blockades
If blockades are on, two of yours on one square stop everyone else. Use that to protect a partner in Team Up, or to freeze a leader. Do not blockade your own path unless you can break it on the next turn.
Endgame
When you have only a short home column left, Ludo Bangla lowers the chance of a 6 so the last steps are not a 6-farm. That is in the engine; we describe it on Fair play. Plan as if small numbers are more common there.
Online tables
In quick play, computers may fill seats. They capture and they race. Do not assume a computer will “play nice” so you can experiment — open Computer for that.