The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-10-30
From collier,s Meekly.
t how bridge whist got its name

Just how bridge whist got its name
IS not generally known. 1t is inpos-
sible that 1t is called bridge because
so nan people get cross over it. 1t
Is sometimes called the bridge" of
cusses, to distinguish 1t from that other
famous bridge in Venice.
Bridge is a quaint and ceremonious
game as far as the actual playing OF
cards goes. though often resembling a
stock market afterward. 1t Ia as full
Of etiquette as fencing. 1t doesn't
matter what o do to your opponent.
but you must do 1t just 30. The cards
are dealt just as they are in d%enatured
whist-13 to each player. This proves
that there is something III the 1S SUI
perstition, for every player tmnledi-
ately remarks about his or her a
luck. When the dealer has nnished
his nefarious work. he looks over his
hand and figures out which suit is
most likely TO make his opponents
wish they were dead. If he can't II
a good suit, OF II hts partner kicks him
under h table. or IL he thinks it Is
! more fun to criticise someone else's
choice Of trumps. he passes 1t over"
to his partner. compelling her to
choose. When the trump has been de-
| cided. the eldest hand. which may or
may not belong to the youngest player,
coy!y inquiries:
Shall l play, partner"
And the latter
Pray do"
This is positively the only time that
prayer and bridge whist get into the
same room together.
When the game really starts, q most
important thing happens. The dealers
mariner spreads her cards down on the
table, face up, neatly arranged i'll suits,
and retires from the game. leaving her
partner to play both hands. This pro-
vision lad been found necessary from
the fact that the pa mo offnrHa dO0
times more anc for getting mad
than ordinary whist. BY giving each
player in turn a chance to go out OH
the porch and cool off. by kicking the
the wise inventor of the game has
made 1t possible for our mad people to
play through an entire evening without
biting each other.
\ Having everything his own way. like
the speaker of the House OF Represen-
the game, playing both hands with u
confident "I-know-what-you're-goi going
to-get-next" expression that is most
disconcerting. Formerly bylaw 81, sec
ton 6, prescribed that II the dealer
lead from his own hand when he should
have led from the dummy" hand he
must be penalized one trick. h rule,
however, led to SO much nervous pros
%tration n temporary insanity that Ii
has recently been suspended from al
bridge whist that is played on the low
gear.
When the hand has been played the
winners add up their extra tricks, null
tiply the score properly, and enter ii
IN the prope place on the score card
Both sides then quarrel over the ques.
tion Of "honors" or court cards, ani
the side which wins enters its homo
score in another part of the ledger
Thirty points constitutes n game anG
two anne out Of three make a rubber
The winner OF the rubber gets 100 ex.
ira points for it's honor score, which j.
the evenings play is over the player:
retire for refreshments. leaving theil
secretaries and tellers to post up Tho
books and compute the returns. WhcI
the game is played merely for amuse-
ment this ceremony is often omitted