MTG mulligan guide: when to keep or ship
2026-08-03
Keeping a bad opening hand is one of the most common mistakes new players make. Learning when to mulligan wins more games than any single card upgrade.
London mulligan recap
Draw seven, mulligan to seven again if needed, then bottom one card per mulligan taken. You can mulligan until you find a playable hand — but each step costs a card.
In Commander, some playgroups use free first mulligan or partial Paris variants — confirm with your pod before the game.
Keep vs ship heuristics
Ship hands with 0–1 lands unless you have extreme ramp. Ship flooded hands (5+ lands, no action) in aggro and midrange. Keep hands with a clear play line turns 1–3.
Against known aggro, keep interaction even if the curve is awkward. On the draw, you can keep slightly riskier hands because of the extra card.
Format-specific notes
Limited: 17 lands in 40 cards — mulligan aggressively on mana screw. Commander: keep hands that cast your commander on curve. Modern: respect the opponent's turn-one play.
Track your mulligan outcomes in our game tracker to see if your keeps are actually winning.
FAQ
- Should I mulligan a one-land hand?
- Almost always yes in constructed. The chance to draw enough lands in time is too low unless your deck is full of free spells and ramp.
- How many cards after two mulligans?
- You draw seven, then bottom two — you keep five cards.