Evening star., 1939-01-01
Bv Frank B. Lord.

Dp S"StH LIZ AOI -
All, my Beloved, deal that Hand that
Wins,
Forgive my past Defects and future
Sins;
Nert Rubber! Why. Merit Rubber, it
may be
With Yesterdays Ten Thousand
Might-haUe-beens!
-Rubaiyat of Bridge.
Whatever it's might-have- -beens
the year that ended last night and
went into the limbo of yesterdays,
was replete with happenings and
incidents that made it the most
important and successful in the his
tory of contract bridge in America.
Bridge promoters maintain that the
game has Is million followers in
this country. and while that state
ment may be made with a sort
of poetic license, the fact is that it
has developed to be the greatest of
indoor pastimes and enjoyments.
A recent survey shows that there
are upwards of 10000 who play or
play at, bridge in Washington and
its environs. This is not merely the
estimate of enthusiastic fans but is
based upon information gained from
department stores, stationery and
novelty shops that sell playing cards.
Another source of information is
Guy Helvering. Mr.. Helvering may
not play bridge; he may play poker,
or perhaps old sledge is his favorite
game, but the Internal Revenue
Bureau, of which he is the head, COL
lects 10 cents for Uncle Sam upon
every pack of cards offered for sale
and that enables his subordinates to
form an accurate judgment upon
the number of cards sold. And the
great majority of them are now sold
for bridge playing.
The past year has marked a no.
table increase in the number of
players and in their development of
skill at the game. Perhaps the most
notable advance in organized bridge
playing last year was the success
OF the American Contract Bridge
League. This organization formed a
little more than year ago by the
amalgamation of two rival bodies
that undertook to regulate affairs of
bridge met with remarkable success
in standardizing the playing of the
game IN Washington and elsewhere.
particularly in the Eastern half
OF the country. 1t recognizes the
Washington Bridge League as one
OF its strongest units, not only as
to numbers but also to the ability
of its players.
AS evidence of these facts, one
OF the high points of bridge during
the year, especially SO far as Wash
lngton is concerned. was the unani-
nous election at the recent tourna-
ment in Cleveland of James H
Lemon of this city.
The popularity of bridge is more
difficult to attest than is baseball
or the theater, for its followers are
not seen en- maSse. They are to
be found, however. in practically
all clubs and social organizations
even those affiliated with the
church, and in numerous private
homes. Its patrons are not mere on
lockers as are those of baseball and
the theater. but all are actual par
ticipants. Playing bridge affords no
opportunity for an audience and
while kibitzers are tolerated, they
are not welcomed.
1t is in the duplicate games, with
which Washington abounds, that
many Of the problems of the play
have been worked out and new
technique applied during the last
year to the great improvement OF
the players and to the added inter-
est they manifest in the game. Such
was the case with respect to the
so-called BlackWood As no trump
convention, an innovation first pre-
sented by Easley BlackWood of In
dianapolis, which was fully described
in this column. Washington play
ers were quick to see its possible
ties and the more advanced of them
have adopted it. regarding it as su-
perlor to the first tried Culbertson
As no trump convention. This has
proved to be SO much of a step
forward in the science of the game
that Mr.. Culbertson has accepted ii
as a worthwhile elaboration and
perfection of his original method
employed in reaching slam bids.
The last year has also witnessed
the introduction of Auto Bridge, a
mechanical gadget enthusiastically
received by Washington fans, by the
use of which one can play the game