A STOLEN BID is legal. We all know how to handle a STOLEN BID, but a STOLEN BIDDING BOX, that’s another matter! Today’s column is for laugh-out-loud!
We are delighted to have visitors to our bridge games in Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Port Carling over the summer. We have larger games and get to meet interesting and friendly people. But sometimes, though, the players from away do things a little differently.
Before I begin this story, I’ll say just a word about bidding boxes. To people who aren’t familiar with duplicate bridge, one of the differences in the game is that each table is decked out with four plastic boxes with bidding cards that are used for bidding the hands. These boxes are provided by the bridge club. They allow bidding to take place silently, so that players at neighbouring tables, who will be playing the same hands later, won’t overhear the bids made at other tables. The bidding boxes also have the advantage of making the bids easier to remember for those of us with short-term memory issues, because all the bids are visible until the bidding is completed. In addition, they make bidding clearer for players with hearing problems, who otherwise might fail to recognize that her partner has made a jump bid. This could be disastrous, if she missed recognizing, and passed, her partner’s forcing bid. Perhaps, they will have missed a slam.
Now for the story. I arrived at a table recently. The woman sitting at the table was waving her arm in the air and anxiously calling “Director, Director.” I asked her what was the problem. “That woman,” she said, pointing at a retreating figure in a blue blouse, “took away my bidding box. I asked her why she was taking it, and the woman huffed ‘because it’s mine.’ Imagine that!” The woman raised her arm again and resumed calling for the director. “What are we supposed to do with only three bidding boxes?” she exclaimed to me.
Now, I had played with the alleged culprit the week before and I knew what was going on. “It’s OK,” I replied. “It is her bidding box. It’s a special box designed for left-handed people. She’ll bring you another one.”
Sure enough, the woman in the blue blouse returned and plunked a bidding box onto the table. The director then appeared. “How may I help you?” he said in good director style.
“It’s OK,” I answered. “This player thought that someone had stolen a bidding box, but it’s been settled.” A poor director’s work is never done. He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and mumbled “whatever,” and then took off for his next call.
I checked Vince Oddy’s web site, our supplier of bridge paraphernalia in this area. He carries special bidding cards for left-handed players at a price of $10.00 for one set. If you happened to have a bridge club made up of four lefties, you could get four sets for $29.00. You would have to buy the bidding boxes separately or use one of the club boxes. Call Vince at 905 727 2300 or 800 463 9815.
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 include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Sep 6 with 11 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Bruce Elliott and Rod Dixon; 2. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 3. Betty Fagin and Sheila Jenset; 4. Donna Jensen and Bill Jensen; 5. Marilyn Waltho and John Waltho; 6. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; East-West 1. Mary Whitehead and Helen Pearson; 2. Yvonne Cox and Dorothy Russell; 3. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 4. Joanne Garvey and Barb Green; 5. Liz Graham and Sandy Graham; 6. Marion Bayfield and John Bayfield
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time.
The following winners are from Monday, Sep 5 with 11 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 2. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 3. Betty Fagin and Bev Howard; 4. Jinty Stewart and Jane Insley; 5. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 6/7. Lorna Wagner and Vern Foell; 6/7. Gerry Flaherty and Ralph Hair; East-West 1. Pat Davies and Sue Scott; 2. Betty Rintoul and David Bryce; 3. Gaye Kastning and Bill Kastning; 4. Joanne Garvey and Kelly Andresen; 5. Hazel Bowes and Lyn Walisser; 6. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber
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