By Val Rhead
BIG HANDS PART SIX: DIFFERENT KINDS OF BRIDGE PLAYERS
There are different kinds of Bridge Players. There are those players who are intent on becoming Life Masters, and then up the scale to Bronze Life Master, Silver Life Master, Gold Life Master, and beyond. Some of these diehards play at least six times or more a week!
Then there are those players who play Bridge much more casually and just concentrate on not playing too badly. They enjoy the game, but they intersperse it with a bit of politics, some juicy gossip and lots of jokes and laughter. A friend of mine, I will call her Matilda, was like that. I told you about her last week. She had picked up a fantastic 31-point hand at the end of a game. Matilda had bid Six No-Trump. She had made Seven No-Trump and wanted my suggestions about how she could have bid the Grand Slam.
The next time I saw Matilda, she broke into laughter when she told me that her terrific hand had been a fake. She had left the table just before the end of the game. She had held horrible cards all afternoon.The other players at her table felt sorry for her and wanted to cheer her up. While she was away, they stacked her hand with 31 high-card points. She was delighted. She was excited as she told me about the marvellous hand she had just held. Finally, the other players fessed up. It may have been a fake hand, but it did provide a good lesson about what to do when sometimes she does receive a top hand.
Matilda’s adventure reminded me of a game I played in Texas a few years ago. There had been a water leak in the cupboard below a sink where the Bridge cards had been stored. One of the players neatly replaced new cards into the boards, but neglected to shuffle. When the bidding started, the first player hesitated for a long time, squirming in his chair. Finally, he bid Six Diamonds. “Wow,” I thought in fourth position, wondering what was going on. The next player also took a long time to bid, and finally bid Six Hearts. By the time we got to player number three, he had a bit of a smirk on his face, but he did bid Six Spades. Then the jig was up. The players were disappointed that their hands were fakes that just hadn’t been shuffled.
What puzzled me the most though, wasn’t that the players were so slow to figure out the obvious. It was that if they truly believed that they held valid hands, why had the first bidder opened the bidding at the six level, and the other bidders followed suit. Why hadn’t they opened their hands, holding thirteen cars in the same suit, with a bid at the seven level?
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to vrhead23@gmail.com and I will try to include it in this column.
NEW SOCIAL BRIDGE GAME IN HUNTSVILLE
Games are at the Active Living Centre on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room on the second floor (elevator) at the back entrance of the Canada Summit Centre. Just come – with or without a partner. For information, please contact Donna or Peter Tikuisis at 647 471 1774 or [email protected].
For now, this game will be played following Chicago Rules (allowing both fast and slow games). You will keep your same partner for the entire evening. Cost is $1.50 per person. Parking is outside the North Entrance opposite Heritage Village Railway Station.
PORT CARLING SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Port Carling Social Bridge Club are Monday afternoon 1pm at the Port Carling Community Centre, 3 Bailey Street. Please arrive with your partner at least 10 minutes before game time.
For information, contact Andree or Scott 705-764-3827 [email protected]
Winners for Monday, April 22 not submitted.
Winners for Monday, April 15 were 1. Joan & Len Frost with 3,710 points 2. Kathy & Jim Haller 3,430; 3. Susan & Ted Daglish 3,290 points
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games are now EVENING PLAY, Tuesday 7pm Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive with your partner at least 10 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Liz Graham (705) 789-7187 or email at [email protected]
The following winners are for Tuesday, Apr 23 2019 with 9 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon; 2. Liz Barnes and Bev Howard; 3. Joanne Garvey and Barb Green; 4/5. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 4/5. Val Rhead and Gail Lederer
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive with your partner 10 minutes before game time.
The following winners are from Monday, Apr 22, 2019 with 12 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Lyn Walisser and Bev Howard; 4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 5. Art Insley and Don Evans; 6. Joanne Garvey and Val Rhead
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