Board Game Arena

https://ibb.co/Wvj16Kvv
I'm the top player

In this spot, the clue giver clue left 4s.
From left player POV, he should have both red3/red4 and should wait until I play the 2.
From top player POV (my POV), it could be a finesse to the 4 multi (nothing in discard, not a save, or a chop/chop one), so I should play red2 as 1 multi.
Then left player blind play white1 as red3, then I dunno if my next playable card is a multi or if I should wait for the white2 blind play.

It looks like brilliant, but it comes with a lot of confusions and will also need another clue to change the focus to the white4.
Two clues for 5 cards (1/2/3/4 white and 2 red)
With 2 clues, it's probably better to clue white3 then left player can finesse/bluff the 2red
Two clues for 4 cards (1/2/3 white and 2red) + a 5th card (finesse) or saved cards (bluff)

(Or bottom player can just clue both blues to bluff the white1 and save blue2)
(Or bottom player can just clue white 1/2/4 first then clue 4 next turn for the 3 in my hand)

I don't think it can be interpreted as a finesse to 4mc. By BGA conventions (as far as I'm aware) chop focus doesn't apply here. Saving a double also doesn't apply because it is apparent to top player that a play clue could be given instead, and apparent to left player that top player does not have a 4 on chop.

From top player POV, this is a finesse on white 4, and you carry the w3, presumably in finesse position. From left player POV, this is most likely a finesse on red 4.

Left player should wait. From top player POV, this must mean that left player is interpreting the clue differently, i.e. they did not view it as a self-finesse.

As top player, we can do some thinking. Can our finesse card be a white 1? Possibly, but only if our hand is (1w,2w,3w) all lined up nicely, which would let us complete the finesse. Otherwise, if we imagine we just have a white 1 in our finesse, white 3 must be somewhere, and it would not be playable, because after either top or left plays their white 1, the other will bomb their white 1.

Can our finesse card be a white 3? No, because otherwise left player would have played.

Can our finesse card be a playable non-white? Yes, because the left player doesn't know which color 4 they are being finessed. Given that we can see 1w on left player's finesse, that means we can interpret this clue in one only two ways:

1) we carry the 1w,2w,3w in order.
2) we have an unrelated, playable card in our finesse, and 3w layered under it.

In both cases, we play our finesse. When we see it is not 1w, we realize this must be a layered finesse with 3w somewhere.

After this, left player can interpret this from their perspective. They held off playing, and the 4 clue received a response. The assumption they can make now is that they have the 4r, and must search for a 3r to complete the finesse.

On left player's turn, they will also now play finesse position. From both top and left player's perspective, it should be clear that 3r is the card that we're looking for.

Now on top player's turn, we know we don't have 3r (at least not in a finessable position), because otherwise left player would not play.
We also know left player doesn't actually have a 3r. And we also know we don't carry the 1w,2w,3w. And we also know that we have a 3w layered somewhere.

We should pass the turn, and on left player's turn, they should continue searching for 3r. They will play 2w, and on our turn, knowing the finesse is for 4w and not 4r, we resync information by blind-playing 3w, which from left player's perspective is unexpected. However, this should make it clear that the finesse was for 4w, and that there is no 3r.

Still problems to get the focus when it hit the chop (Number clues)
Do I have already playable cards ?
Yes : Cannot be a save, so left focus

No : Can it be a save ?
- Yes : Save clue
- No : Chop focus

But with layered, even if it hit the chop, left focus ?

AlexT2067 wrote: ↑06 November 2026, 09:59- No : Chop focus

This line is wrong, it's left focus.

If the clue don't touch the chop => left focus.
If the clue touch the chop and can be a save => it's a save per default on the chop's card [note that if the clue's giver hold the only saved card possible, then you can assume that clue was a play clue on the left immediately after].
If the clue touch the chop and can't be a save => left focus.

.

The clue is legal but it got horrific tempo.
Left assume r2+r3+r4 and discard y3.
Top normally on that case can't play (if purple 1 and purple 2 are played on the stacks, then playing risk playing purple 3 and make left bomb w4), but here finesse can't be a 3. If they hold r2+r3+w3, then now them playing said to left that they hold r4. Conventionnally they aren't allowed to play, but should they play? That's another story.
Anyway here after that left play w1, then imo r2 can be played at that time if it hasn't been played, then w2 and w3, then w4.

With some thinking I think I prefer 3, it's more expensive but it save b3+g3.
But I don't think the clue is bad though, you lose y3 and maybe b2 if you can't receive any clue, but that look fine.

A lot of players play with chop focus (number clues) if not a save.