Revoke Basics

[Xiaolongnu]

When someone revoke ruffs with the ace of trump, established, found out, etc, is that trick really going to be considered lost? Along with one more subsequent trick if any? The law is clear, but, could someone explain the logic of this? Someone is in a grand slam missing the ace of trumps. On no normal line of play, wrong, on no possible line of play, could declarer make 7, but when such a revoke happens, even with losing another subsequent trick he still makes 7.

 

I mean, isn't this absolutely impossible a result?

[paua]

When someone revoke ruffs with the ace of trump, established, found out, etc, is that trick really going to be considered lost? Along with one more subsequent trick if any? The law is clear, but, could someone explain the logic of this? Someone is in a grand slam missing the ace of trumps. On no normal line of play, wrong, on no possible line of play, could declarer make 7, but when such a revoke happens, even with losing another subsequent trick he still makes 7.

 

I mean, isn't this absolutely impossible a result?

 

This is correct. Dumb isn't it, but then you'd only ever do it once.

[Vampyr]

Don't worry. The way the trend with the Laws has been going, in the next revision it will be normal to gain from a revoke by your side.

[nigel_k]

The laws come originally from rubber bridge where there was no director to decide what is an equitable outcome. So there were fixed rules covering this kind of thing. In the duplicate laws, some of the rubber bridge rules have been replaced with ones designed to restore equity. The revoke law isn't one of those.

[bluejak]

Revoke Law is a mix of penalty and redress. If you do not want to pay the penalty, it is easy: always follow suit if you are able.

 

You do not lose a trick won with the ace of trumps: you have a trick transferred at the end of the hand for scoring purposes to try and stop you doing it again.

 

For simple TDs in clubs, judgement decisions are difficult, and to be avoided. In clubs, especially simpler clubs, there tend to be no MI or UI cases, claims are dealt with by common sense, Law 27B1B is generally ignored, and that leaves revokes as the only common cause of judgement decisions. By making a rectification which often provides redress, and often provides a penalty when redress is unnecessary, this Law makes it workable in clubs.