Two points for nothing September 3, 2004
Dire Straits could get a hit out of this hand.
The king of clubs was turned up, and down.
Big Mon, on the dealers left, held the ace, queen and nine of clubs, the queen of hearts,
and the nine of diamonds.
Disappointed not
to be playing clubs, he passed again on the second round.
Hillary, the dealers partner, held the ten of clubs, the ace, queen and ten of diamonds,
and the queen of spades.
What the hell?
Diamonds were across (reverse next), and she had three of them.
She called diamonds.
Judy, on Hillarys left, held the jack of clubs, the ace, king and nine of hearts, and
the nine of spades.
And Saginaw Phats, the dealer, held the king of diamonds, the ten of hearts, and the jack,
king and ten of spades (the jack of spades was his only club on the turn, and it was a
club only if he picked up the king, which he would not have been allowed to do in
Michigan).
If you think thats interesting, watch the play:
Big Mon led the ace of clubs; Hillary followed with the ten; Judy played the jack (it
could have been a bower!), and Phats took the trick with his only trump, the king of
diamonds.
He returned the ten of hearts.
Big Mon played his queen; Hillary trumped with the ace of diamonds (her biggest but,
with the king already played, her ace, queen and ten all were equal in her hand).
Judy had to follow suit with the nine of hearts, and Hillary had won a very expensive
trick.
Hillary came back with the ten of diamonds, her lowest trump (oh, I forgot!
They were equal).
Judy, who had no trump,
played the nine of spades.
Phats,
Hillarys partner, who had no trump left, sluffed the ten of spades.
And Big Mon finished the trick with his only trump, the nine of diamonds, not quite
big enough to beat Hillarys ten.
So Hillary and Phats already had a point, on nothing.
Now Hillary led the queen of spades, looking for help from her partner; and Phats took
the trick with his king of spades, topping his partners card by one pip.
Judy sluffed the king of hearts (saving the ace), and the best Big Mon could do was play
the lower of his two remaining clubs, the nine.
Phats, now thinking he had something, led another spade, the jack, to the final trick.
All Big Mon had was the queen of clubs; Hillary trumped with the queen of diamonds, and
Judys ace of hearts was no good.
Hillary and Phats had just scored two points on nothing.
Lets review:
First trick was taken by king of diamonds, a medium trump.
Second was taken by ace of diamonds, another medium trump.
Third was taken by ten of diamonds, a particularly mediocre trump.
Fourth was taken by king of spades, not exactly a power card.
And fifth was taken by queen of diamonds, another mediocre trump.
For a march.
Big Mon would have been smarter to have led his queen of hearts (you dont want to
lead the suit the dealer turned down); but Phats and Hillary still would score, on
nothing, and they still would march, if Hillary let Phats run his little spades.
By now you have figured out what was buried:
Besides the king of clubs, which was turned down, it was the ace of spades and both red
jacks.
This hand was so bizarre you might have to see it to believe it.
Here it is in Gerry Blues Euchre
Laboratory.
If theres a lesson here, its in the value of reverse next (or
across) the dealers partners calling a suit opposite the
color turned down, if she has the chance, on the second round.
Big Mon would have scored, on the other hand, by ordering up the king of clubs in the
first place.
But such a weak order is
practically begging for a euchre.
Its
recommended only when the opponents have nine points, or when youre seven or eight
points behind and have nothing to lose.
Natty Bumppo, author,
The Columbus Book of
Euchre
Borf Books
http://www.borfents.com
Box 413
Brownsville KY 42210
(270) 597-2187
[copyright 2004]
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