A common question I see here on Steemit is new arrivals asking how they can increase their reputation score. Once they have thrown out a few post and realize that getting rich quick on Steemit isn't going to happen, it's a natural next point to move to in regards to a goal on the site. What I have found on Steemit is a lot of people try different strategies to win like in any game. I've come to think of it as suits in a deck of cards that each member of Steemit plays at different points to win. So in this post I'm going to outline the different suits each member of Steemit plays in the game of trying to be successful on this platform.
THE ARTIST:
This is the most common card played on Steemit. Whether it's the amateur writer, musician, photographer, or artist, the most common type of content you can find on any given day on Steemit is being created from an artist perspective. Some of it is good some of it is bad, but the commonality is that you have people piling in in large numbers creating content from their life experiences or imagination. I have watched a lot of these contributors persist and become successful on Steemit. The ones who have jumped in and been consistent with perfecting what they create not only do well in the long run, but also make surfing this site infinitely more entertaining and rewarding for people like myself. It's almost like they grow more skilled the longer they play it.
THE RESEARCHER:
Those who play this card on Steemit are rare but their number is growing. We have people arriving daily bringing years of academic experience to the site and sharing there work. How these users play this card can vary. For instance you can have someone involved in computer programming bring an exciting new application to Steemit and that content plays like a sort of trump card. Whereas someone submitting their work on a subject like biology or history find that it can take a while to fly. Having said that, when those types of posts do fly they skyrocket. I even class those who share their projects in tags like #homesteading as the researcher card, simply because they share their research into self sustainable lifestyles on the site. A good example of a user who plays the researcher card on Steemit is a user named 
THE REPEATER:
This is a real common card on Steemit and it gets mixed results. Like in any game if you play a card the wrong way it can have negative repercussions or positive results. For instance, if I copy and paste something then my post gets flagged and it hurts me in the long turn. But if I take something like a current event in politics or even a researchers work in a field like history and provide an in depth analysis of the subject with examples of their work, then chances are I will fair well if the analysis of the established work is decent. We see this with posts where people are explaining the block chain or with alternative media accounts. The wrong way to play the repeater card is to plagiarize or take something like a market chart and post it with no in depth analysis or content of your own to explain it. Like with any game involving strategy you have to put some serious thought into how you play a card.
THE JOKER:
This is a common card played at different points on this site. Whether it's memes, funny videos, photos, or someone who receives strong votes on their comments because their comical responses to the posted content, a lot of users play this card. However it can be played at the wrong point and hurt a user. I.e. a joke made in cruel or poor taste. Those who play this card through comments don't get rich, but they do build great followings as they are engaging the content and sharing a good sense of humor with the contents creator. It's a great card to play if your new as it gets you straight in the game both playing to win and encouraging others to do so.
THE BEGGAR:
I mention this card because I have seen it played a lot, but rarely seen it succeed. In the game of Steemit it's almost like a card that exist in the deck that takes you to a zero value or behind the starting point on the board. A good example of this are posts that simply say hi, or a picture of something random that has no relevancy whatsoever to anything. These posts never fly. Now some users play this card and it's almost like it exist as a statement of frustration when you see it played. I.e. when you are getting comments that say things like "I voted for you now vote for me." or links to peoples content uninvited in your comments section that's completely unrelated to your post. These are prime examples of the beggar card being played. I haven't seen it succeed yet and it's a bad card to play in the game.
THE THIEF:
Believe it or not this card actually does exist and many accounts play it. A prime example is an account that creates 10 posts a day with something like a market chart from Bloomberg and up vote their own posts. Then the account makes 20 comments and self up votes those, thus draining the rewards pool. Now self up voting a post you have worked hard to create doesn't necessarily mean you are playing this card. I don't believe those who have invested thousands into Steemit up voting themselves on occasions to receive a return on their investment is playing this card either. If you are working hard or have a lot on the line then I don't believe self reward qualifies you as a thief. Ruthlessly bashing the rewards pool for your own gain and showing no support to others does though.
Balance and not showing greed tend to be the defining factors in what makes a Steemit user a thief. I know self up voting is a hotly contested topic at the moment though so always be careful with it so you don't play this card unwittingly. Accounts that do rarely receive any support and probably won't be here for the long term. In short, it's not a smart card to play.
During my time on Steemit I have seen all of these cards played at different points with different results. No matter what card you choose to play what makes most successful here is a consistent approach with realistic expectations. You infinitely strengthen your hand by being supportive and positive with others as well. As long as your not greedy or negative then Steemit is a game where everyone can win to a small or large extent. It's just down to what cards we choose to play.
Well guys, that's it for now. Thank you so much for reading and I look forward to checking out all your amazing content. Many blessings and as always Steem on.
