Evening star., 1939-03-05
In Local Bridge Circles
Bridge Rule Would Penalize Large Sets

ever offered an explanation as to
why the ace, the one spot of the
deck, should rank first in nearly all
valuations. In the established order
OF society as it existed when cards
were first invented it was quite
natural that the king should super
cede the queen, and the queen the
knave, but no one has ever ad-
vanced any reason why the one
spot should be higher than either.
1t is purely arbitrary. Arbitrary
valuations are given to the nine
and the five in Don Pedro, and in
the old game of whist and Swab-
bers" which ante-dated the whist
Of Hoyle, the knave and the deuce
were winning cards. They cleaned
the deck, and as swabbers are those
lads who o\clean the deck of a ship,
so these cards were called swabber
cards.
In certain forms of the once
great American game of poker the
wild cards are the deuces and the
one-eyed jacks-perhaps that is the
reason they are wild. They may
be counted as you please. and the
game is played with much enjoy
ment and amusement by a large
element Of the card playing public,
outside of insane asylums.
The valuations in these instances
are entirely arbitrary. So are the
denominational valuations in con-
tract. Without these variations the
game would tend to become me-
chanical. The author of the Wins
low system, which by the way is an
excellent system. has repeatedly
argued against the present conven-
tons OF bridge which, when used
to the nth degree, do convey almost
exact information between partners
as to their holdings. 1t seems al
most impossible however, to prevent
this, and skill in bidding is what
creates high degree of success at
the game. Mr.. Winslow contends,
not without more than a modicum
OF truth, that players might as well
tell their partners in plain English
what they hold as to do so by recog-
nlzed conventions. 1t is therefore
the extent to which conventions are
understood and practiced that sue
cess is attained.
1t might be said in passing that
our own Col. Logan Golson of
Washington and Orange, Va, has
devised method of play known as
the Thirteen System" which largely
eliminates conventions, but most of
the experts reject it on that account.
Two hundred years ago Edmund
Hoyle, London barrister took ruff
and honours' from the gambling
gentry of the Crown Coffee House
in Bedford street, London, called it
whist and placed it in the homes
OF respectability. For ITS years,
with a few Improvements, but not
radical changes, made by Caven-
dish, Trist and other English and
American players it remained as he
had devised it. Then came old
fashioned bridge. then auction and
finally contract. about IL years ago.
In the evolution of contract many
experiments were tried and innova-
tlons introduced, until finally the
present form was adopted. A few
minor changes may be advisable,
but generally the card playing pub
lie is thoroughly satisfied with it,
including the trick count, the varia-
tions of which give an added in
terest to the game which would not
exist without it.
In behalf of these contented mil
lions while there is yet chance for
the electorate to express itself, we
vote Mo- on all of these proposals.
The changes may be made but not
without protest.
For the first time since the Eastern
bridge championships were estab-
lished in New York City II years
ago. Washington pair succeeded in
capturing one of the major prizes.
Mr.. and Mrs. James H. Lemon, the
former president of the American
Contract Bridge League, playing
with DR.. and Mrs. L. w. Lord of
Baltimore in the mixed team event,
won the highly-prized Whitehead
Cup against some of the strongest
competitors in the field of bridge.
Their closest rivals were the Phila-
delphia team of Charles H. Goren,
Mrs. Sallie Young, John R. Craw-
ford and Mrs. j. j. Mitchell, Sd,
whom they defeated by a narrow
margin. Third in the contest was