A Summarised Extract from a Paper by Chancey Gardener
Submitted as Final Year Thesis, July 1999
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Abstract
3. The History of Misdirection in the Game
4. Examples of Classic Misdirection
5. Combining Misdirection with other Game Techniques
6. Conclusions
1. Introduction
The game of GoGoJohnnyGoGo! (henceforth termed solely as 'the game') is thought to have been initially contrived by James Stuart the Earl of Yorkshire in the latter part of the 18th century. Most modern scholars now agree that the game was started during a visit to one of the Earl's many public houses just outside Manchester known as the Rampant Lion (and which still exists, with commemorative plaque, to this day). The identity of the other two players in the first game remains a mystery though new evidence found in Manchester Cathedral seems to indicate that the Lady Horsfal (later uncovered as 'the impostor of Pankhurst') was travelling with the Earl after leaving her ancestral home in Coventry. She may well have been the first 'lady of the game' and was probably the first player to employ misdirection. The evidence also suggests the third player was the Hertfordshire landowner Stephen of the Green Land (known to be a keen player of the game), famed for his theoretical work into stresses and strains of cart shafts and who was often to be found in the area visiting the local watering holes.
Whatever the truth about the original players of the game it is known for certain that the game quickly spread and the first recorded game took place on the 17th of May 1793. A transcript of this game may be found in the appendix. The modern game has changed little since this time, although these days any player, rather than just the 'lady of the game', can employ misdirection. To this end it has become an integral part of the tactics for any player particularly towards the end of a game when moves become limited and whole play areas become dry.
This paper intends to develop the current thinking as to when misdirection should be employed and analyses the game strategy of a number of great players whose misdirection tactics will live on in the memory of anyone privileged enough to watch or even play with them.
2. Abstract
After discussing many historical important games in which misdirection played a crucial role for the victor this paper concludes that the use misdirection should be considered in the following situations:
(a) When a player is called upon to perform a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! by a player whose position is thought to be more tipsy than themselves (and vice versa).
(b) When there is the maximum amount of confusion in play.
(c) When an active player needs to utilise an unoccupied 'Table' to sucessfully complete a GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
(d) When players are found to be empty and it is not the misdirector's round.
3. The History of Misdirection in the Game
As has already been stated it is believed that Lady Horsfal began the tactic of misdirection as she always tried to ensure she was in a less tipsy position than her opponents. In this less tipsy position she was then able to misdirect without the knowledge of the other players in the game and consequently became known among her compatriots as 'the impostor of Pankhurst'. A friend and later protégé of Lady Horsfal known only as Sebastian was the first user of misdirection to document his thoughts about its tactics in the book 'Misdirection in GoGoJohnnyGoGo!'. Much of this immense work, spanning over three epic volumes, has since become irrelevant since the scrapping of the 'lady of the game' misdirection rule in 1842 at the wish of the young Queen Victoria. It was during this shake up that the 'Misdirection Doctrine' was penned and published providing players with a definitive reference so major misunderstandings between players ceased and the golden-age of the game was born.
4. Examples of Classic Misdirection
The most common case of misdirection occurs soon after a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! has been called and is, more often than not, performed by the active player. Usually it takes the form of a 'Shabby Shuffle' indicating to those players paying careful attention to the active player that a misdirection has been initiated. From this point the active player has complete freedom to chose another zone or 'Table' of play. If the calling player has not noticed this misdirection then the active player then has complete freedom to pick any 'Table' regardless of whether it is occupied or not. This therefore provides a useful get-out for an active player if a zone is deemed too dry for a sucessful GoGoJohnnyGoGo to be performed.
The following is an example of such a situation occuring in a late-night game for the European Cup which took place on the 19th May 2002, 10.00pm, in Manchester using traditional Pankhurst rules:
PLAYERS
Jamie
Katie (lady of the game)
Steve
|
TIPSY RATING
Good
Fair
All Out
|
GOGOJOHNNYGOGO!'s
3
2
3
|
WORLD RANKING
4
6*
1
|
*based upon Womens League Ranking (WLR) - the game is still rather sexist despite modernisation attempts.
As we join the game Steve is the calling player while Jamie is currently active.
Steve: calls a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! only to discover his position at all out has become all out and empty.
Jamie: engages upon GoGoJohnnyGoGo! only to perform a 'Shabby Shuffle' witnessed only by Katie (Steve is distracted by his own empty position).
Katie: keeps the peace regarding the shuffle and allows play to continue without interference.
Jamie: with his 'Table Open' position (allowed by the misdirection) moves to an unoccupied zone to claim a GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
with the score 4, 2, 3 in favour of Jamie he takes home the European Cup under the noses of Steve and Katie for the second time in his 5 year career...
Another situation where misdirection is often used in the modern game is by the calling player to fool the active player into believing a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! has been initiated. As all players should know this may be done in a number of permutations so long as there are four 'Go's' and one 'Johnny' in the call (for example GoJohnnyGoGoGo! is a valid call, whereas GoGoJohnnyGoGoGo! is not). To this end misdirection maybe used by the calling player either into converting a valid call into an invalid call or vice versa. A memorable example of an invalid call being misdirected into a valid one took place at 10.00pm on the 31st December 1999 for the WGF (World Gaming Federation) charity shield, again held in Manchester under Pankhurst rules:
PLAYERS
Steve (lady of the game)
Sebastian
Marty
|
TIPSY RATING
Fair
Fair
Good
|
GOGOJOHNNYGOGO!'s
5
4
0
|
WORLD RANKING
1
4
unseeded
|
At this point in the game the surpise finalist Marty is yet to score being outmanoeuvred by the two more experienced players. At this time Steve is the calling player, Sebastian is active and with all players on a fair-good tipsy rating the game has become a two-horse race.
Steve: notices that both Sebastian's and Marty's position is close to empty and so orders a new round to be played.
Marty: concedes the round and collects his own and Sebastian's 'Empties' allowing them both to return to full positions.
Steve: in the confusion calls GoGoGoJohnnyGoGo! but in addition employs a half 'Shabby Shuffle' unnoticed by the two other players.
Sebastian: believing the call to be invalid does nothing.
Steve: reveals the misdirection.
Sebastian: uses up the round just conceded by Marty and again drops to empty although this time his tipsy rating has moved into good to all out.
Having lost his fair tipsy rating Sebastian is powerless to prevent a 6, 4, 1 victory for Steve who claims the charity shield for the fifth consecutive year...
5. Combining Misdirection with other Game Techniques
To make full use of misdirection in the modern game it is best to combine the tactic with others. This will serve not only to conceal the misdirection more effectively but also will provide a greater confusion over other players.
As we saw in the above example Steve played a half 'Shabby Shuffle' when both the other players were in disarray and declared empty. This is a common form of combining misdirection and is certainly something most players of the game have become well accustomed to. More complex combinations combine misdirection with other situations when the players may become distracted such as the introduction of a new player or the opening up of another 'Table' of play.
The above misdirection combinations are very useful but such situations are difficult to predict and so it is better if the calling player has a position where he knows misdirection is likely to occur. If, for example, the calling player find that they are empty or close to empty in another player's round it could be called in while initiating or mocking a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! Perhaps the best time to perform misdirection is just after play has fallen to the calling player after a sucessful GoGoJohnnyGoGo! and is known as a 'Parry' as the player parries control from them to the active player as quickly as possible with the maximum amount of confusion.
The tipsy rating is also a good indication of how likely a player is to fall for misdirection varying from hardly any chance at all in a dry rating to highly probable when a player is all out.
6. Conclusions
From this paper it is possible to conclude that the best times to play a misdirection is when there is:
(a) When a player is called upon to perform a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! by a player whose position is thought to be more tipsy than themselves (and vice versa).
(b) When there is the maximum amount of confusion in play.
(c) When an active player needs to utilise an unoccupied 'Table' to sucessfully complete a GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
(d) When players are found to be empty and it is not the misdirector's round.
Appendices
The First Recorded Game - Lady Horsfal (lady of the game) versus Earl Stuart and Adam the Insane
The game took place in the Rampant Lion on 17th May 1793 around teatime. It is important to note that at the time the rules stated only the 'lady of the game' could employ misdirection...
Adam the Insane: initiates the first round so that everyone starts full and with a dry tipsy rating.
* Play Proceeds - sequence of play is Lady Horsfal, Earl Stuart (calling), Adam the Insane (active) *
Earl Stuart: calls GoJohnnyGoGoGo!
Adam the Insane: misses call and so drops to empty position and a fair tipsy rating.
Earl Stuart: calls GoGoJohnnyGoGoGo!
Adam the Insane: realises the call is invalid.
Earl Stuart: drops to empty position he then concedes the round and collects the empties (all players full again).
Earl Stuart: calls GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
Adam the Insane: sucessfully completes the GoGoJohnnyGoGo! and immeadiately calls his own.
Lady Horsfal: misdirects using Pankhurst imposter, completing her GoGoJohnnyGoGo! from an unoccupied table, leaving Adam empty with a good tipsy rating.
* Play Proceeds *
Lady Horsfal: calls GoGoJohnnyGoGo! but again misdirects (NB. probable that Earl Stuart was distracted by Adam the Insane's ramblings)
Earl Stuart: completes a GoGoJohnnyGoGo! but on an invalid call and so he drops to empty with a fair tipsy rating.
* Play Proceeds *
Lady Horsfal: drops quickly from half-full position to half-empty before finally declaring herself empty and conceding the round.
Earl Stuart: in the confusion calls GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
Adam the Insane: again misses the GoGoJohnnyGoGo! immeadiately dropping down to empty and an all out tipsy rating.
Earl Stuart: calls GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
Adam the Insane: fails to complete GoGoJohnnyGoGo! but is already on empty so loses no position.
* Play Proceeds *
Adam the Insane: calls JohnnyGoGoGoGo!
Lady Horsfal: still in dry position completes GoGoJohnnyGoGo! with ease.
Lady Horsfal: calls her own GoGoJohnnyGoGo and tries to misdirect using half shabby shuffle.
Earl Stuart: sees her misdirection (Lady Horsfal was never renowned for her shabby shuffles) and calls it.
Lady Horsfal: drops to an empty position with a fair tipsy rating.
* Play Proceeds *
Lady Horsfal: calls GoGoJohnnyGoGo!
Earl Stuart: completes the call and declares
* Game Ends *
Final Scores:
PLAYER
Lady Horsfal (lady of the game)
Earl Stuart
Adam the Insane
|
TIPSY RATING
Fair
Fair
All Out
|
GOGOJOHNNYGOGO!'s
4
2
1
|
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