| Other variations found their way in; however, the above five have become universal.
Pioneers
Many games have variations, conventions, or plays named after their creators. In Bridge, the true legends have conventions bearing their names, for instance, Blackwood, Jacoby, Stayman, and Gerber. The game of Chess has recognized its Grand Masters with the names of openings or defenses including Alekhine, Morphy, Marshall, Reti, Nimzovich, and Petrosian.
Hearts has been popular for less than sixty years and, thus, has less of a history from which to draw. In the early 1970s a number of regions around the country conducted tournaments.
The New England Hearts Players' Association conducted more than one hundred events (1971-'81) averaging more than 120 players each -- an astonishing number for that period! Another group in Chicago has been organizing four tournaments per year for more than 20 years!
Win at Hearts was written in 1983 and revised in 1998. There are several plays and techniques which are mentioned. Some are named after their innovator. For example, here is the "Rubin Maneuver" (passing the Spade Queen from along Spade suit, and driving her out). It was first used by Steve Rubin, one of the original members of the New England group.
You are dealt this hand, and you are passing to the low player (across the table).
 K Q J 9 7 3
 K 9 4 3
 A
 A 9
Steve Rubin's pass is the Queen of Spades, 9 of Hearts. and 9 of Clubs. The plan is to take the first Club lead, and immediately push the Jack of Spades. Depending on the pass, and where the A-10 of Spades are, there is an excellent possibility of driving out the Spade Queen. Of course there is marginal risk of receiving high cards in the minor suit, and then having the Spade Queen dumped in your lap!
Dave Fanning, an excellent Hearts player and former "Zone.com" regular, came up with this cute stratagem:
Dave is low man by more than 30 points (over the second-place position) in a typical advanced-level game. The high player has 85 points. Dave holds these cards after the pass:
 Q 5
 Q J 9 6 4
 K 9 4 3
 A 5
Dave knows that the opponents will be "gunning" for him, as he is the low scorer. If he tries to "clear" the Clubs by taking the Ace and then the five, the Spade suit will be led, as the others will know that he has a Spade problem. And since the opponents have 11 Spades between them, her royal highness, the Black Lady, will soon drop down! This calls for a little deception. Dave takes the Ace of Clubs, and shifts to the 5 of Spades! Now the opps think that Dave does NOT hold the Spade Queen, and are reluctant to continue with the suit for fear of driving the high man out of the game. They may shift to either minor suit. If Dave can get one more round of Clubs through, he will be set up for a drop of the Lady! Very cute -- to be sure! Of course, it may not work at all. It all depends on the player who wins the first Spade lead.
Now we come to the "falsecard" -- a specialty of Dick Freedman, Hearts player extraordinaire from Newton, MA. Dick is in a dogfight for first place in a close game. After the pass, Freedman holds his assortment.
 Q 5 2
 A 10 6 5
 Void
 A Q 10 8 5 3
Freedman, playing in fourth seat, deposits the 3 of Clubs under an opponent's King, fearing a Club lead (because of the 3, a Diamond is played -- after all, the whole suit is divided among the others). If the player who wins the first Club trick has a weak Ace or King of Spades, he may naturally shift to a Diamond, believing that Freedman is now void in Clubs.
Do these trick plays work? Well, when you have nothing to lose, they may fool someone, and give you a nice result!
The April column will feature more unusual plays, and the psychology of Hearts. | |
