Evening star., 1932-04-18
BRIDGE ACE LOOKS
AFTER RH|SPARTNERS
Karn Thinks Experience, Sci
ence, Mathematics Bring
Success.
BY ROGER BATCHELDER.
special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, April 18 (NAN.A).-
"Just assume for the moment that you
had a contract bridge evening ahead,
that you were playing for high stakes,
and that Jacoby and I we're to be your
opponents What would you do?"
We looked past Willard Karn. pro-
nounced the best contract player in the
world. toward the window. Park avenue
was 10 stories below.
Jump" we sighed.
"Supposing it was poker. What
them"
The morning sunlight suddenly be-
cane apparent in the modernistic room
with its red bookshelves.
You'd stick" said Mr.. Karn, with a
laugh. And you'd probably win. That
is because contract, played in immature
forms for hundreds of years, Is real
sport Poker is card game, and you
and l. both with good card sense. are on
even terms. Contract is rs per cent
science, experience and mathematics.
Poker is a card game-and good one"
Karn, beaming with enthusiasm over
his great hobby, was not Dragging about
his contract. He is not the sort who
would But his eyes said that 1t was
the idol of his existence and that he
was glad to explain why to the amateur.
Served as War Flyer.
Mr.. Karn will be "a next January.
He came from Montgomery, Ala, and
was at Cornell at 10, when the war fever
caught him. He distinctly does not
wish his record with the Royal Flying
Corps of Canada to be brought into the
story. 1t is a corker, however.
Auction was quite the thing every
where during the war, particularly in
the officers clubs. Karn had played his
poker at school and college, and liked
1t. The Canadians taught him auction,
and as he went from one airport to an
other, eventually overseas, he found it
the only game which satisfied him. Be-
fore long he was good enough to pick
up bit on the side, and when the war
ended any one would have been de-
lighted to have him across the auction
table OF an evening.
He has always been a gambler
though not in the cold monetary
sense-and he admits the fact. The
New York Stock Exchange and the
Curb enthralled him. One took a
chance and sometimes won. Those
who were always ahead knew their
game. He became a member of the
Curb, but 1t palled, and he went out
IN 1878 TO sell oil burners. His proce-
oure was exactly the same as in the
evenings when playing bridge. He knew
his subject; and he knew that he was
lucky.
He never took bridge seriously until
friends at the Cavendish Club pushed
him into the Journeys. That was in
the Summer Of 1880, when he went to
Asbury Park, and made notable show
Ing. In the Summer meet of the
american Bridge League, he came out
nrst with Whitehead, second with Sims
and with Barclay topped the third
Captures Own Trophy.
year later-and he is proud of this
-karn offered gold cup for the win
ner OF the National Individual Masters
Contract Bridge championship. 1t was
the first time that an individual c1In
had been offered in the century-oId
history OF the game, and Karn won it
himself. ~
In the last year, Karn garnered more
cups than any other bridge player in
the country. He had miniatures made
ano gave the originals to his card
CLUBS: The only cup that he kept is
t1e delicate one of gold which he had
offered and won himself. He also kent
the scroll presented him by those whom
he had defeated.
Some have said" Mr.. Karn declared.
that contract has made matters much
Easier Tor the expert, or the professional
player. That 10 not so. The good
player had q much greater advantage
AZ auction, for now In contract. he is
even mere than ever In the hands of
his partner. The situation for the ex-
pert with bad partner was much
better IN auction. Bids could be taken
eEay more easily. and penalties were
not so drastic
1t is ridiculous to believe that con-
tract has made the game less popular
when there are now 80, ,0O0, 900 PLAYERS.
Looking at the game broadly, it
oders 70 those who must gamble the
same opportunity as any other game.
But II gives the chance for pleasant
companionShip. relaxation and the
privilege which every one needs def
nitely 70 express his or her ind:vidu-
atty
There are g hundred types Of con-
tract players, and they all interest me.
There are the overbidders, the under
bidders and so on"
Learns From Partners.
Then they don't bore you-the poor
playerE?" We asked
ON the contrary" protested Karn.
AAFC ACFcA Pldycu COIlLI6cL Is a
game. have played 1t with my partner
and with each different partner I have
had new problems, new difficulties to
solve. that have made the game all the
more interesting"
We urged specific encouragement for
the beginner.
The simplest formula in the world"
Mr.. Karn replied. Almost any one
with good card sense can play well.
Start in this way Admit that YOU
know nothing about playing, or forget
what you know. Spend an evening
looking over the shoulder of a good
player, never watching the cards of the
ether three until they are played.
Quietly decide what you yourself would
dc, why the good player did what he
did. Make a study of his play. and
take notes. Read book on the SUBJ
Ject. Until I did thought Vienna
coup was some kind of pastry"
Ksrn, who with p Hal Sims, Oswald
Jacoby and David Burstine, is of the
invincible -Four Horsemen" of con-
tract. varies his style of play. His
game is one of constant surprises, un-
expected sorties, and daring pSychics.
During the last year when even the
best Of the players were attempting to
pigeon-hole and blueprint the "psy-
chic" the most feared player of the
bridge table calmly walked away with
event after event, using that gamble
consistently at the right moment
karn believes in runs Of luck. II
the cards are against him. he may be
deadly conservative. II they are 60