Gorilla

"Gorilla" is a two-player card game invented by Jon Hale (the older brother of one of my classmates) sometime around 1970. It has an unusual twist: both players are on the same team! They play against probability (or, depending on your persuasion, predestination...) - at any rate, the opponent is also known as "the Gorilla."

• Both players are dealt ten cards.
  
• The non-dealing player is tasked with winning all the tricks (a trick is one card from each hand), and always has the lead.
  
• The dealer is tasked with losing all the tricks, and must follow suit if possible. If he can't follow suit, he may discard any card in his hand.
  
• If the dealer holds a hand which cannot possibly lose all the tricks (for example, he has all four aces), he may announce the condition and reverse roles with his partner. If the non-dealer holds a hand which cannot possibly win all the tricks (for example, containing all four deuces), he may likewise switch roles with his partner. Note: The criterion for "role switch" is demonstrable impossibility, not just mere distaste at the quality of your cards...
  
• The players win the hand if they succeed in cooperating to make the non-dealer win all the tricks without making a mistake; otherwise, the Gorilla wins the hand. It is a good practice is to play out blown hands just to see whether they really could have been won.
  
• The two-player team plays against the Gorilla to ten points (or, if you wish, some other score). It turns out that just about half of the deals can be won, so the players usually have very little room for mistakes.

There really is some (okay, rather limited) strategy to this game. Here are some ideas which my sister and I have found useful:

If you're the dealer (the one who's supposed to lose all the tricks):

• Play your highest possible card under the leader's cards - this makes it easier for him to win tricks later.
  
• When you discard, toss high cards or short suits. Getting rid of high cards makes it possible for your partner to use potentially smaller cards to advantage; discarding short suits can create a void, in which case everything the leader has in that suit becomes good.
  
• A "stop" in a suit (a combination of cards which will lead to your having the highest remaining card of that suit no matter how partner plays) can be signaled by playing a very low card on partner's lead.
  
• A doubleton in a suit might possibly be signaled by playing the lower card to the first trick in the suit, and the higher card to the second trick (this isn't too good if used indiscriminately, though...).
  

If you're the leader (the one who's supposed to win all the tricks):

• Lead high cards (well, duh!).
  
• Play off longer, more powerful suits first so that your partner can start discarding.
  
• If partner discards a card of a suit where you don't need help, you can signal by playing a "flip-flop": play a card of a different suit, then return to the original suit.
  
• If you have a void in a suit and sufficiently high cards in the other three suits, you can signal this by playing one card of each suit, followed by returning to the first suit.
  
• A doubleton in a suit might possibly be signaled by playing the lower card to the first trick in the suit, and the higher card to the second trick (this isn't too good if used indiscriminately, though...).

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So...

I hope you'll give this little game a try. It actually is fairly entertaining, and is a nice way to pass time while having suitable opportunity for good conversation. Do let me know what you think!

Being on the Web has its advantages. I received this note today, and Dave gave me permission to add it to this page:

Hi Larry:

I was interested to see your extensive coverage of the gorilla card game on the Web. I thought you might be interested in a little more detail about the game's roots.

In 1970, Jon Hale, Stan Lanning and myself were inseparable buddies and math enthusiasts. One of our budding intellectual interests at the time was contract bridge. Jon and I had originally met (age 14!?) as competitors at the Oakland Chess Club. As our friendship grew, we found Bridge to be of interest because of the partnership nature of the game. Jon took this introduction to bridge and devised the game of Gorilla. Although a simpler game (and essentially a double solitaire game), it exemplifies many of the sophisticated features of Bridge and many other logical challenges. Successful play often requires drawing inferences from what is not played as much as what is (just as you mention the method to signal a doubleton, by playing in 'reverse' order).

I remember that Jon wrote a computer program that could analyze the best outcome of a Gorilla deal (1972). I recently found a Web based version that Jon had posted at his Web site. It allows you to play with the computer. I have always admired the creative aspect of Jon's intellect, the game of Gorilla is a fond part of my memory of a friendship that began 33 years ago.

Dave Glanville

And... a note from Jon Hale!

Hi,

The full rules to gorilla are online at http://www.gorillacon.com/gorilladoc

Have fun,

-jon