The Conversation

You must now decide who will have the honor of being the taker, and who will be the giver. The taker attempts to take every trick and the giver attempts to lose every trick.

Almost always the non-dealer becomes taker and the dealer becomes the giver. However, if either player can tell that the hand is impossible just by looking at his hand, then the players switch roles and the dealer becomes the taker and the non-dealer becomes the giver . During the conversation (also known as the opening ritual), both players check their hands to make sure that the hand is not impossible from their perspective.

First, the dealer looks at the hand. What usually happens is that the dealer, upon seeing a normal hand, offers the position of taker to the non-dealer by saying ``Your gorilla.''. However, should the dealer look at her hand and see that all four of the suits are blocked from the top, then she informs her partner of this by saying ``I request the honor.''. This is known as a Presumptuous assumption. See section 7 for a discussion of when a suit is blocked.

After the non-dealer has been offered the Gorilla by the dealer, he generally replies ``Delighted, I'm sure''. (This is the most common response.) It is important that you don't grimace or groan or roll your eyes here. Pretend that you are delighted. At this point, the opening ritual is over. The non-dealer is the taker, the dealer becomes the giver, and the play of the hand begins.

If, however, the non-dealer's hand is blocked from the bottom, then he responds ``I must respectfully decline. Your gorilla''. This is known as a Respectful declination.

If the non-dealer's hand is also blocked from the top (it is possible to have a hand that is blocked from both the top and the bottom; picture a hand with all of the aces and twos) then he replies ``Fates' point'' and the Fates will score one point. These conversations are rare; the ``Your gorilla.'', ``Delighted, I'm sure'' ritual is by far the most common.

The following shows all of the possible opening rituals and their outcomes: Dealer:

• Hand not blocked from top: ``Your gorilla.''
  Non-dealer:
  • Hand not blocked from bottom : ``Delighted, I'm sure.'' Play begins with non-dealer as taker. This is the Standard conversation.
  • Hand blocked from bottom (but not top): ``I must respectfully decline. Your gorilla.''
    Dealer:
    • Hand not blocked from bottom: ``Delighted, I'm sure.'' Play begins with dealer as taker. This is the Respectful declination.
    • Hand blocked from bottom: ``Fates' point.'' The hand is over and the Fates win a point for the impossible hand.
  • Hand blocked from bottom and top: ``Fates' point.'' The hand is over and the Fates win a point for the impossible hand.
• Hand blocked from top (but not bottom): ``May I have the honor?''
  Non-dealer:
  • Hand not blocked from top: ``It will be my pleasure.'' Play begins with dealer as taker.
  • Hand blocked from top: ``Fates' point.'' The hand is over and the Fates win a point for the impossible hand.
• Hand blocked from bottom and top: ``Fates' point.'' The hand is over and the Fates win a point for the impossible hand.