Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-27
BRIDGE MANNERS.
mrE THINGS THAT REALLY
AMOUNT TO CHEATING.
u.s,osAL PLAYERS WHO WILL NOT
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PART
NER's SIGNS.

a., avery year to settle Wa8erS upon the
~, ~, =, the game, bat there 10 not on
- q single case of any one having
.ds bet upon these rules OF etiquette,
.,hopgb these rules are probably broken
.a-s frequently, more consistently and
more flagrantly than all the Others COM
bined.
...,oh of law No. s, which reads: "A
s,.ysr should not give any indication by
- or GESTURE as to the nature OF his
IND or as to his pleasure or displeasure
ct the play"
A man who would scorn, outside the
ard room. to steal or cheat, seems to
s,vs no hesitation in expressing his
or;nion about his partners play
- bridge. even when 1t is clear that the
Comment may influence very largely the
rsrtuer's future course. Perhaps it is
nothing but frown; sometimes it is
sbrug: occasionally it is q grunt or per-
hans look of pity shared with the spec
tstors or the adversaries. The interpre-
tation Is always the same: ibid you
ever see such rotten play?'
II such an expression is the means Of in
ducing the partner to change his play
either at that time or later in the hand,
both are clearly partners to species OF
,raud. all the more contemplate on ac-
count OF its pettiness.
The president of woman's bridge club
in Brooklyn tried very hard to cure GER
. ~. lob ~ ,rn hor
cards very rapidly when her partner dealt,
and then beaniing upon her II she were
willing to have the make passed. Every
time she did this the dealer made it spades
no matter what she had, but the partner
was too obtuse to see the point, and left
the game with a settled conviction that
the president was the worst that ever hap
pened when it came to makes.
No one can watch bridge game for
even half an hour without being forced to
the conclusion that close observer could
tell pretty nearly the character OF the hands
In poker a good player makes a special
effort to conceal alike his satisfaction
and his sorrow, but in bridge the dealers
partner seems to exaggerate the contor-
tions OF the features that would be APP
proximate to the hands he holds. The ex
preston of assumed indifference which
Immediately appeass on the face of the
holder Of four aces at poker and the sud-
den look Of joy and expectancy which the
same cards call forth at bridge are a fair
study for the psychologist, il not for the
criminologist.
To the student OF human nature moth
ing is more remarkable than the sudden
changes of humor which the average
bridge player will undergo in the course
OF rubber. Hand after hand he will
sit there like a bump on q log, and as
the cards fall from his hand the reason
for his gloom becomes apparent. He
has absolutely nothing in his cards, a
fact to which he calls repeated attention
by the remark that he is notorious as
poor card holder.
All at once, as he begins to sort partic-
ular hand, his whole expression changes,
and a smile fits over his face. He
even ventures some jocular remark or
beams upon the man who sits behind him
watching the game.
What has occasioned the change? He
mas not had any champagne, although the
ehect looks 1t. No one has told him q rich
uncle has just died and left him million.
There IS only one rational explanation and
tnat is IN the cards. 1t is they that have
changed, and he now holds four honors in
hearts or nine diamonds or something of
that kind, and sees that he is going to win
arubber at last.
lake the case Of the player who picks up
us cards on his partners deal, with the
score twenty-four to nothing against
'nem, rubber game. The .feverish haste
win which he runs through his hand
panty shows that he knows this is their
iast chance. After the first rapid survey
vi MS cards il the sorting is continued
WIN alacrity and the outside conversation
~ maintained with rising infection all |
Is well. tie has the goods and the rubber |
. saved. II, on the contrary, the cards OF |
.aon SUIT are stuck slowly and spitefuiIy |
."'o .her respective places, and he sud-
ueniy reduces his part Of the dialogue to /
monosy ilsbles that rubber Is already lost.
mess the dealer has . phenomenal hand
NC may as well make it spades himself and
save MS time and his breath.
very common and also . very bad
uAon Is that OF drawing q card before
'Ae time to play it. The moment Q card
=. 'eo the fourth hand yanks one from
a'' own hand and holds it up with pretty
uuch the same sort Of expression on his
'aoe mat We see upon cats when about
spring at bird. OF what use is it for
'seono hand to cover under such cir
'umstances?
~ Oh the other hand, the card is drawn
I. Nieh an expression Of detection or in
Aeience, 1t should not be difficult for
~ second hand to infer that unless he
lake. l.,s bid for that trick any old thing
,a WIN 1t, so far a. the fourth player is
oneerned.
- .oa continually see player following