You ever hate it when you make a decent continent, and it stacks right at the island?

Use it to your advantage if you start scattered with your neighbors having larger stacks. Save your 4 stack and connect with the others. No connection? Spread out that 3 pile and hit scattered 1's. With a lucky restack, that wimpy 4 is now a game changing 6.

Location is everything. Try to inch towards corners with your lousy stacks or lay the path for a connect with your big stack next turn. I see beginners suiciding after a failed connect. Why give up when you might have the upper hand next turn?