From: valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty)
Subject: Re: *My* Thoughts on the Jihad and ACBL
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 19:25:33 GMT

sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Myerson) writes:

>I agree with Bob on this one. It happens at club games frequently.
>One of the worst ones I can remember is when my partner and I found
>and made a 28 pt spade slam. When we opened the traveller, we found
>the first four pairs were all in 4S making 6. Well, North said,
>"Ok, 6 spades, making 6, 980, your pair number?".
>Needless to say, every pair that played the board after us
>also reached 6S.

I only play in club games.  I have neither the money, nor the
inclination at this point to spend time at tournaments.  I enjoy the
club game, and realize that the tabletalk and so on are all a part of
playing the game.  To think otherwise, at least at my club, is to bury
one's head in the sand.  (I applaud Asya's insistence on playing only in
National events - however, it explains her insistence that the problem
doesn't exist)

The North player above has only himself to blame.  He failed to observe
Doug's rule, formulated long ago in response to events at my club:
(The fact that Doug's rule parellels general good manners is of course
entirely coincidental...)

	1) When you get a good result, keep it to yourself.
	2) When you get a bad result, broadcast loud & clear.

In the above example, the opps should have been complaining loudly about
the fact that 12 tricks are there on board X, despite the paucity of HCPs.

	*	*	*

Do I really do all this?  Not really.

Do I assume that most people do? Probably.

Do I get irked when people think I am overly suspicious when I point out
a particularly egregious breach of ethics?  Definitely.

And, since every posting should contain an example, consider:
(If you don't read this anecdote, please skip to the next section)

You pick up a flat 8 count with 4 hearts (The actual hand is irrelevant).
Partner opens a Precision 1C, you alert, and the opps, among the better
players in the club, but with a rep for crabbiness, start asking all
sorts of questions.  Then Righty passes, and you, somewhat flustered,
bid 1N.  This is your natural call, but since you are playing transfer
responses over 1C, this shows a club suit (1S was the proper bid)
Lefty immediately likes this not at all, but eventually passes, and you
wind up in 3N amid much crabbing (missing, incidentally, your 4-4 heart fit)

Now, get this, halfway through the hand, Lefty works out for sure that
you do not have the 5+ clubs that your partner so sincerely promised her
you would have, and calls the director (!).  Well, needless to say,
after she had presented her case, I simply stated that I had misbid, and
that was that.

At which point, I should have turned to her partner and asked her just how
many clubs she (the director caller) had...

Needless to say, from the outset, I was not playing for the clubs to split...

	*	*	*

In short, this sort of thing goes on all the time, and the way the laws
are setup, there's nothing you can do about it.  Further, and this is the
point, there is a tradition in the US that if its not illegal, its not
immoral.  Clearly, part of the American way of life is not to leave any
money on the table.  I strongly believe that this explains the US vs.
rest of the world distinction made by others.

I really believe that we expect the legal system to take care of us, and
to relieve us of the burden of personal decision making.
****************************************************************************
The Slug		valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu

"Can I shake your hand or would I be violating about 15 federal laws ?"

(THis [sic] message should be assumed to have been smiley captioned for the
humor impaired)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge