ent001386-007

UPLICATE ids and two club*; for a total of twelve International Rubber Bridge Tournament, held annually at the Sands Hotel Las Vegas. iw sajcty in a notrump contract fhSt Ke'ttaS'the'aoe of (State (MORNING) D' 234,733 SUN. 532,600 ^)cc. Sheinwold on AUG 20 1967 PoUsh Up Brains, Not Charm When the annual Interna- tional Rubber Bridge Tour- nament t&kes place during the last week-end of Octo- ber, a few hundred bridge players will be polishing up good luck charms of one kind or another. That?╟╓s a waste of time and polish, because if they really want to share in the $20,000 prize money they?╟╓d be better oc- cupied polishing up their brains. During the 1966 tourna- ment at the Sands Hotel in Las Vega* I ^s calle3over to"?╟ ST TSftle where a rather grim-faced man and woman were playing one of the qualifying matches against two smiling men. The grim- faced woman asked if under the laws of the tournament she could, compel her part- ner to sit on a handker- chief. ?╟úThe laws allow you to demand that your partner sit on a handkerchief,?╟Ñ I said in my best conciliatory tone. ?╟úYou can even insist. But Nevada is a freedom- loving state, and the State Constitution says That he doesn?╟╓t have to sit on a handkerchief if he doesn?╟╓t want to.?╟Ñ After all, when a fellow male is in distress we must do what we can. But then I tried to pour oil on the troubled woman. ?╟úWhy do you want, to have the law. on your partner? Is he your husband??╟Ñ ?╟úD?╟╓you think I?╟╓d play with her if she weren?╟╓t my wife??╟Ñ the man muttered under his breath. But the lady ignored I this. ' ?╟≤ ' . 131511 31 ?╟úYou get better cards that But tfielSdy""r' "you get better cards that j? SM J way,?╟Ñ she explained. ?╟úIt?╟╓s^/o,^ North worked for years in my Tues-ilfe* ' * * day afternoon game, but - ma * I bes can . Ilfi the he j hand to?╟Ñ! Aft is in we d| ?√ß oil oi ?╟úWhy law o; husba ?╟úDT she clarer ruffed with the queen of spades, and West discard- ed the deuce of clubs. South led a low spade to dummy?╟╓s ten, and the lady won the ace of spades and returned another heart, evi- dently hoping to make dum- my ruff vfiih the king. But South ruffed in his own hand, and West discarded another club since it would do him no gopd to overruff declarer and then be over- ruffed by dummy. South led a spade to dum- my?╟╓s king, got back with a diamond and drew the last trump with the jack of spades. Then he showed his hand, claiming the rest of the tricks. West tried to get rid of his hand quietly, but his wife grabbed the cards and turned them face up in all their beauty. ?╟úThat?╟╓s what you get for being stubborn,?╟Ñ she gloat- ed. ?╟úA complete Yarbor- ough! And you?╟╓ll go on holding Yarboroughs if you don?╟╓t mend your ways.?╟Ñ The poor man was so crushed that I had to say a word or two in his defense. ?╟úYou aren?╟╓t doing yourself justice,?╟Ñ I observed to the lady in my oiliest tone. ?╟úIt?╟╓s very clear that you?╟╓re a first- class player, but you?╟╓re al- lowing the absence of a handkerchief to hurry you into the wrong play.?╟Ñ ?╟úHe?╟╓s driving me crazy,?╟Ñ she grumbled, ?╟úbut I prob- ably did play too fast. Could can?╟╓t get that stubborn mule to try it.?╟Ñ ?╟úTry imagining that he has a very pretty lace handkerchief on his chair right now,?╟Ñ I ad- arts, and Our rubber bridge player ?√ß7eat satisfaction. He is sure to make ^nissing spades break 5-0. ft heart trick In either hand and leads vised her. ?╟úClose your eyes for When both opponents follow suit, a second to help your imagi- & on ice. nation ?╟÷ and then deal.?╟Ñ Hrand with a diamond and leads a low The lady looked at me scorn-'West discards a diamond, but South is fully and then dealt the cards, the jack of spades from dummy, losing When I saw the cards picked up < 'East?╟╓s return, South can 'get to in the fwrof spades the 10.8j .o that with his nine of spades, The rest of the spades will then be good, and South will take four spades, we have beaten four spades??╟Ñ A gleam of understanding ^ AND came into the husband?╟╓s f:/ eyes, and the two opponents " w ^ ^ ^ looked interested and sym- pathetic. They were obvi- ' \ - jj *****.;'*?╜'.' ously married, too. ?╟úYour ightest encouragement, South will tell husband will explain it,?╟Ñ I safe against four spades iii the West told her. ?╟úI never butt in fhe second round of spades, dummy when there s a discussion be- ?╟≤ ^ ^ ki* tween a husband and wife.?╟╓* s ?·&?· ** T If. 1 And with this shameless iie the rw* of the with the I hurried off so that I could * nine* If West Mis to step right up | watch his explanation from dummy?╟╓s jack will win the trick;* and a distance. e ace of spades and give up a trick The reader has, of course, * \ '?.* | '*'.r 'V'V seen the correct defense by the spades belongs to a family now. East should refuse the idea of all such maneuvers fes? wmm - Wk ** r leads the fourth heart reak- to the process, declarer usually through declarer. chance to make an additional ?╟Ñun- , Now there is no trump in & ?╟╓ . jj I the dummy to protect South actiy where the tournament player against an overruff by West, fcber bridger. To the tournament ex- If South ruffs with a low He plays safe if be is in trump. West will overruff ^ ^ t^e contract is normal he ruffs with the jack of M Possible tnck. ; ' trumps, West?╟╓s nine becomes U playing the same hand, looks \gt , j the top trump. Either way appears) ^ with only modified sari*- West takes the setting trick ,card pointsin the combined hands, with his nine of spades. ?╟  NortbrSouth pairs will likewise get It may seem unlucky to m pjaye<| or kibitzed a tournament, be dealt so^ ghastly hand as jea remembering that the same steadily would become win- ptoyera who hold tb? same card*.),, ners if they played their bad worried that some competitors will cards better?╟÷and if their m ootrnmp, which can be made if partners in sickness and in doybleton or tripletdn queen of health were also partners jj| Jgjffe III?½ with high cards and with yunmmmt expert will fget ready to Yaroorougns. !cks> even thohgh this may jeopatv ou t the a#, he will go down. In the average high-level tournament, probably half the declarers would go down at six spades or six notrump! > This is, of course, pure anathema to the rubber bridge player* Even at a lowly part scorn contract the rubber bridge ;?╟≤ expert will make safe of his contract ?╟╓before he makes any teal attempt to score an overtrick. At a slam, the rubber bridge expert will go to unbelievable lengths to protect his contract against bad breaks- The overtrick is worth only 20 or 30 points, ;| and the slam is worth roughly?╟╓ 1000 or 1500 points; and the rubber bridge player firmly believes that only an idiot would j risk a thousand points simply' to improve his chance to pick tip thirty. r'4 / :j . The, differences: are less?╟╓, extreme '-at ?╟╓ game; contracts* but-the.?╟╓ same basic difference of attitude exists* This item has not been digitized in its entirety. The original item is available for research and handling at the UNLV University Libraries. 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