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  Euchre Tips and Strategies

Euchre Column of the Month -- November 2002

By Joe Andrews

2002  GRAND  PRIX  NATIONALS  --  INDIVIDUALS  &  PARTNERS
The Grand Prix National Championship was held in Cincinnati, OH during the weekend of October 18-20. Twenty-eight players participated in the Individuals' Event and twenty players (10 pairs) were entered in the Partners' Division. When the competition was over, the following winners were crowned as National Champions:

·          1st Place -  Pairs  -  Darlene (MI) and Duane (MI)

·          1st Place - Individuals - Dawn (IN) and Ray (MI)  (Tie)

Special thanks goes to Zone.com for their generous donation of the First Place Trophies for this event, and to the organizers of the various qualifiers.

TOURNAMENT HAND ANALYSIS

Here is a rather interesting deal that popped up during the Partnership competition. Can you figure out how many times do you have the opportunity to trump your partner's Ace?

The upcard is the Jack of Diamonds.  Here are the hands:

North/South led 9-7 in a ten-point game.  (Note - In the Grand Prix, the Pairs Matches are played in the traditional best two-out of-three ten-point game format, instead of the modern 8 hands x 8 opponent’s style).

South, who was very familiar with the adage "Turn down a Bower and lose for an hour," grabbed the upcard after he heard three passes. Club 9 was jettisoned from his hand. East was devilishly setting a trap with his three trumps! South was also fearful of a possible loner by one of the opponents. (As the cards lie, this was not a factor). In any case, the prospects were still quite bleak, especially considering the miserable trump suit.  West led his Spade 9, and South was relieved to win the Ace. Disdaining the lead of the Right, South instead trotted out the Ace of Hearts. It was an ambitious hope. North won the gold medal for this hand, as he promptly ruffled with his lone Left; and why not? He knew that his partner had picked up the Right and thus, ruffling with the Left, absolutely guaranteed the point!

Had North lazily discarded a Club, East would have ruffed with the 9 Spot and shifted to his singleton club. South would be forced to guess the position and avoid the mistake of trumping with the 10. (He actually could still get home by discarding his low spade and making West burn his Ace of diamonds.) The theme of the hand is taking the Bowers separately.

Thus, North had the chance to trump his partner's Ace and live to tell about it!

OCTOBER QUIZ ANSWER

"Adventures in Jurassic Park"

Spades are trump.  You have the choice of playing as the Maker (South) or the defender (West).

Hand #1 (West)
 K Q J
 A
 None
 A

Hand #2 (South)
 A 10 9
 K
 None
 J

Only three entries (out of more than 60 received) opted for South's position. Although South holds a numerical advantage in trump (4-3), the West hand is just too powerful, with correct play, to overcome.

West must lead either one of his Aces.  Suppose he chooses the Ace of Clubs. South ruffs low and gets out with the King of Hearts. One trick each. Now West leads his King of Spades and is assured of taking three tricks no matter what South does. If West leads with the Ace of Hearts, the task is easier. It wins, and he simply follows with the Ace of Clubs. South is forced to ruff, and must concede two trumps to West. The only losing line for West is the lead of the Right (??) followed by the King of trump. This is suicidal.

The winners of this month’s quiz were: Alan (MI) and Susan (OH)