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Level 2 - Reclues

  • A clue that touches no new cards is called a reclue. A reclue that reveals a playable or trash card has no additional meaning.
  • If no safe action is revealed, such a clue intends the focused card to be playable, promising other playable cards in the hand.
    • The Focus of a reclue is the leftmost touched card.

Special Moves​

The Prompt​

  • When there are clued cards that could connect to the card, the rightmost such card is promised to connect.
    • Connecting cards can match in either rank or colour.
  • This is called a Prompt, since it is like the card is being "prompted" to play.
b1 is on the play stacks. Alice clues 3 to Bob, filling in b3. Bob has two other blue cards on slots 2 and 3.
Alice is prompting Bob's slot 3 to play as b2.

The Finesse​

  • If there are no clued cards that could connect, the leftmost unclued card (usually slot 1) is promised to connect.
  • This is called a Finesse, like the term in bridge.
b1 is on the play stacks. Alice clues 3 to Bob, filling in b3. Bob has no other blue cards.
Alice is finessing Bob's slot 1 to play as b2.

The Bluff​

  • The blind-played card doesn't need to actually connect to the Focus in a Finesse, as long as it is playable.
  • If the card does not connect, this is known as a Bluff.
  • After the blind play of an unconnected card, the receiver will know that a Bluff occurred and stop playing.
b1 is on the play stacks. Alice clues 3 to Bob, filling in b3. Bob plays slot 1 as a finesse, but it turns out to be r1.
Alice Bluffed Bob's slot 1, getting r1 to play. Bob is not promised b2 anywhere.

The No-Info Double Bluff​

  • If a reclue is given that does not fill in the focused card (gives no new information), this is very strange.
  • Normally, a clue is used to fully reveal the card, so the receiver can tell if it's playable, trash, or needs connecting cards.
  • But since this clue is so useless, it gets the two leftmost unclued cards to play as a Double Bluff.
    • Nothing is promised about the focus.
Alice clues blue to Bob, not touching any new cards or filling in any cards.
Alice intends to Double Bluff Bob's slot 1 and slot 2.
  • A No-Info Double Bluff can be performed on cards that are already fully known, even known trash.
    • The only requirement is that the clue gives no new information about any of the touched cards.

Conventions​

Precedence Between Prompts and Finesses​

  • If the focus is more than 1-away from playable, it is ambiguous whether to play into a Prompt or a Finesse.
  • If it is possible that no Finesses are required, only Prompts, then this is the preferred interpretation.
  • If at least one blind play would be required, it should be performed first.
    • If the blind-played card doesn't connect, this becomes a Bluff and the receiver isn't promised anything else.
Bob clues 5 to Alice, filling in a green 5. Alice has two other cards clued with green.
Since 1 blind play is required, Alice should play slot 1 first. She is promised g4 in slot 4 and g3 in slot 5 only if slot 1 is g2.

Differentiating a Bluff and a Finesse​

  • If more than 1 blind play would be required, it is always a Bluff.
  • Otherwise, it is only a Finesse if the blind-played card could connect to the focused card.