Alcatraz coup
Encyclopedia
The Alcatraz coup is an illegal method of learning about the opponents' cards in contract bridge
. It is not a true coup
; the word is being used facetiously in conjunction with the name of the former Alcatraz penitentiary. The "coup" consists of a deliberate revoke by declarer, causing the next player to reveal whether he holds the key card whose location is sought. The declarer then corrects the revoke (which is allowed without penalty if done soon enough) and the defender may change his play, but declarer now knows about the key card and can choose how to finesse
accordingly.
South wants three tricks from clubs but the opponents have been successful in concealing the location of the Q. South calls for the J from dummy, and East follows suit with the 3. South now perpetrates the Alcatraz Coup by discarding from a different suit, thus committing a revoke. Then:
:
Thus, the name originates some time between 1947 and 1961. In a 1973 article in The Bridge World
, Kit Woolsey
, describes a fictitious visit by a bridge expert to a bridge tournament at Alcatraz, where he was subject to various tricks by the inmates by means of "gaming the system
." Apparently, the coup's name inspired Woolsey to write the article.
, so that now a remedy is available for use of the Alcatraz coup.
The most relevant change is Law 16C2 (Law 16D2 in the 2007 Laws Of Duplicate Bridge), which defines information gained from either side's legal withdrawal of a card as unauthorized for the offending side. (Note: although the revoking side may correct its revoke, a revoke has nevertheless occurred and therefore there is an "offending side.") It also states that "A player of the offending side may not choose from among logical alternative actions one that could demonstrably have been suggested over another by the unauthorized information." In other words, even if the coup is executed inadvertently, the declarer may not take advantage of knowing the position of the queen; if he does so, the tournament director may adjust the result accordingly.
Also, a deliberate infraction of the Laws is normally viewed as a serious violation of the Proprieties; that exposes deliberate attempters of the Coup to further sanctions.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
. It is not a true coup
Coup (bridge)
In contract bridge, coup is a generic name for various techniques in play, denoting a specific pattern in the lie and the play of cards; it is a special play maneuver by declarer.There are various types of coup which can be effected.- Pure Coups :...
; the word is being used facetiously in conjunction with the name of the former Alcatraz penitentiary. The "coup" consists of a deliberate revoke by declarer, causing the next player to reveal whether he holds the key card whose location is sought. The declarer then corrects the revoke (which is allowed without penalty if done soon enough) and the defender may change his play, but declarer now knows about the key card and can choose how to finesse
Finesse
In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a technique which allows one to promote tricks based on a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents....
accordingly.
Example
Consider this layout of the club suit:South wants three tricks from clubs but the opponents have been successful in concealing the location of the Q. South calls for the J from dummy, and East follows suit with the 3. South now perpetrates the Alcatraz Coup by discarding from a different suit, thus committing a revoke. Then:
- If West follows suit with a small card, South corrects his revoke by replacing his discard with the 8. Having scored the J, South now cashes the K and later the A.
- If West plays the Q on dummy's J, South corrects his revoke by replacing his discard with the K. West can now take back his Q, of course, but with the position exposed South confidently finesses West for the Q.
History of the term
Presumably, the idea behind the name is that any bridge player attempting the "coup" should be locked up in a maximum security facility. According to a 1961 article by Albert MoreheadAlbert Hodges Morehead
Albert Hodges Morehead, Jr. was a writer for The New York Times, a bridge player, a lexicographer, and an author and editor of reference works.-Early years:...
:
The classic hand for the Alcatraz Coup, which was not then so called, was the following one adduced in 1947 by Oswald JacobyOswald JacobyOswald Jacoby was an American contract bridge player and author, considered one of the greatest bridge players of all time. He also excelled at, and wrote about, other games including backgammon, gin rummy, and poker.Born in Brooklyn, he was taught to play whist at the age of six and played his...
of Dallas, who was trying to persuade the laws committees to change the revoke law...
Thus, the name originates some time between 1947 and 1961. In a 1973 article in The Bridge World
The Bridge World
The Bridge World , the oldest continuously published magazine about contract bridge, was founded in 1929 by Ely Culbertson. It has since been regarded as the game's principal journal, publicizing technical advances in bidding and the play of the cards, discussions of ethical issues, bridge politics...
, Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey is an American bridge and backgammon player. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1964. He earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1965....
, describes a fictitious visit by a bridge expert to a bridge tournament at Alcatraz, where he was subject to various tricks by the inmates by means of "gaming the system
Gaming the system
Gaming the system can be defined as "[using] the rules and procedures meant to protect a system in order, instead, to manipulate the system for [a] desired outcome".According to James Rieley, structures in organizations Gaming the system (or bending the rules, playing the system, abusing the...
." Apparently, the coup's name inspired Woolsey to write the article.
Legal implications
According to Morehead's article, "The laws committees have considered the Alcatraz Coup too unusual a case to be dealt with specifically, but it is no less typical of rare irregularities that committees must consider when a new code of laws is being prepared." However since 1973 when that article was published, there have been changes in the LawsLaws of Duplicate Contract Bridge
The Laws of Duplicate Bridge, formerly known as the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge, is the official rule book of duplicate bridge promulgated by the World Bridge Federation. The first Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge were published in 1928. They were successively revised in 1933, 1935, 1943,...
, so that now a remedy is available for use of the Alcatraz coup.
The most relevant change is Law 16C2 (Law 16D2 in the 2007 Laws Of Duplicate Bridge), which defines information gained from either side's legal withdrawal of a card as unauthorized for the offending side. (Note: although the revoking side may correct its revoke, a revoke has nevertheless occurred and therefore there is an "offending side.") It also states that "A player of the offending side may not choose from among logical alternative actions one that could demonstrably have been suggested over another by the unauthorized information." In other words, even if the coup is executed inadvertently, the declarer may not take advantage of knowing the position of the queen; if he does so, the tournament director may adjust the result accordingly.
Also, a deliberate infraction of the Laws is normally viewed as a serious violation of the Proprieties; that exposes deliberate attempters of the Coup to further sanctions.