Use potion effects and "Ask for Help" to set up a favorable arrangement of marbles before taking one.

When choosing a marble, look for all single marbles of the needed color, especially ones embedded between two of the same color. Choose the combination that fills the most slots in your potions. Take a marble with fewer explosions if it fills a critical slot in one of your potions.

Using the Lavamancer potion to clear marbles of one color reduces the stack to the point where the colors you need remain plentiful in an arrangement that most satisfies your open slots.

Consider the possibility that an initial explosion could trigger others.

Avoid any explosions that favor your opponents.

If you take low-value potions near the start, start taking high-value ones at the end.

When filling your flask, check the available potions to know which ingredients to keep. If the Elixir of Blind Love is in play, consider what your opponents need also. If you have the Potion of Prismatic Joy, consider using it to clear your flask and fill in some spaces, even if you can't complete your potion on that turn.

Do not hoard potions, especially if one can be used to complete a potion on your current turn. Your goal should be to complete both potions each time. This means using potions before (and after) taking your ingredient.

The number of bonus tiles each player has indicates when the game is likely to end.