Device, methods and systems that enable the interaction of merge list construction with other tools and methods in video coding are described. An exemplary method for video processing includes determining, based on a first threshold, a maximum number of history-based motion vector prediction (HMVP) candidates to be checked in a table, making a decision regarding a selective checking of a number of the HMVP candidates in an order, the number of the HMVP candidates checked not exceeding the maximum number of HMVP candidates, constructing, based on the decision, a motion candidates list, and performing, based on the motion candidates list, a conversion between a current block and a bitstream representation of the current block.