Sheriff: how to choose a check

Why this matters. A check is valuable not only for the colour of the player but for how many conflicts it resolves.

What to do. After the day, write out two alternative black teams. Choose the check that tells the versions apart best. With a red check, think about who attacked the player by mistake; with a black one, who defended them and who could have distanced themselves.

How it sounds. "If six is red, suspicion moves to two. If six is black, I will reconsider my support for three."

Practice. Pick a check from five candidates and justify its information value.

Typical mistakes. Checking only the loudest player, or treating links as unambiguous.