Crocodile coup

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This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.

The Crocodile Coup is executed by the defense: specifically by the second hand to play to a trick. It is the play of a higher card than might seem necessary, in order to obtain the lead to the next trick.

In this example[1], West executes the Crocodile Coup:

♠ -
♥ -
♦ 107
♣ A94
♠ -

N

W         E

S

 ♠ -
♥ - ♥ 73
♦ AQ ♦ K
♣ QJ8 ♣ 63
♠ 9
♥ -
♦ 94
♣ K10



With spades trump, South hopes to win four of the remaining five tricks. South leads the ♦4. Now:

  • If West plays the ♦Q, East is forced to win the ♦K. If East then returns a heart, South ruffs and West is squeezed in the minors. If East returns a club, South wins the ♣K and plays the ♠9; again, West is squeezed.
  • If West plays the ♦A, executing the Crocodile Coup, West then cashes the ♦Q and holds South to three tricks. West opens the jaws of the ♦AQ to swallow up the ♦K.

Note that if the East-West hands were reversed, it would take no special acumen for East to overtake West's ♦K and cash the ♦Q.

[edit] References

  1. ^ West was Augie Boehm. The hand was played in New York in 1980 and reported in the July 1 1990 issue of the New York Times.