Evening star., 1948-08-08
bridge
BY Morsoret l. Fisher

ship of Mrs. E. p. Cotter and Mrs.
Frederick Eberson, both senior mas
tiers, were victorious in an early
round of the three-session battle
for the national women's pair title.
X Il X
The outcome Of the current in
vestigation of bridge playing here
holds concern for many. As . re-
suit of a tip to District onncials
that certain rubber bridge clubs
were permitting gambling, all
groups, regardless Of whether they
sponsor rubber or duplicate bridge,
have come under the surveillance
of Supt. of Licenses Chatham T.
Nottingham.
Mr.. Nottingham has made it clear
that the investigation Is not aimed
at discouraging bridge playing but
only to prevent gambling. Dupli-
cate clubs are nevertheless fearful
lest a high license feeA be imposed
or that recent unfavorable publicity
will put an end to their existence.
Rubber bridge is usually played for
stakes and public games, where
such gambling is permitted, may
easily run afoul the law, but this
is not true of duplicate. This game
precludes the possibility of gam
bling, by eliminating the element
of luck and tournament play, akin
to chess in its requirement of skill,
appeals to those who seek only
pleasure or fame in their favorite
hobby.
Duplicate bridge consists in the
playing of the same deal or deals
of the cards by all pairs participat-
ing in a contest. The number OF
deals in any session Of play varies
according to the number of players
but usually "a boards or deals are
in contest during a three-hour
period. The cards are dealt in
regulation fashion but the -four
hands are not mixed during the
process of play, as in rubber bridge
but are kept in front of each player
and returned to the board, intact
when the play has ended. The
boards are then moved to a differ
ent table, the players moving in
the opposite direction. Thus the
players and boards rotate until all
deals have been played by all con-
testants. After the game the scores
are match pointed by the director
to determine who obtained the
maximum result or "top" on each
board. The pair with the most
match points wins the game.
Tournament bridge, whether In
the form of a three-table game at
a neighborhood club or the big
summer nationals now in progress
to determine world and national
champions, is under the super
vision of the American Contract
Bridge League, a Nation wide Or
ganization.
Thousands of small clubs have
been formed throughout the coun-
try and these groups have affiliated
with the ACBL in furtherance of
its master point plan or system of
ranking its duplicate-playing men,
rbers. Most games are nonmaster
point games. the winners receiving
Irating point or fractional master
point certificates, based on the num-
ber of tables in play. These certi-
licates are retained by the player
and later converted, in units of 100,
to master points. Certain other
games are conducted as master
point contests, the victors receiv-
ing one or more master points di-
rect from the ACBL, according
to the Importance of the contest.
At ACBL headquarters In New
York, permanent record of each
member is kept, indicating the
number of master points to the
players credit. When he receives
10 points, he is designated as a
master player, 30 entities him to a
national master rating, $50 to
senior mastership and 300 to life
mastership. There are less than
140 life masters in the United
States, Charles H. Goren heading
the list with better than $500 mas
GCl EO1lltS 70 IllS CTEQlt.
The Washington Bridge League
held its monthly master point con-
test for teams-of-four Wednesday
the winning quartet consisting OF
David Murray, 1t. Col. j. T. Willis
DR.. w. S. Benedict and Larry Rey-
nolds. Second place awards went to
Miller S. Roberts, j. D. Boyd, Mrs
Edna Evans and John Moore. In
the concurrent pair game Mrs. Hazel
Ryman and Mrs. Ida M. Terrant
scored high North-South, while Mrs
Grace Eaton and Mrs. Margaret
Rucker topped the East-We field.
X 4 y
August 2 marked the beginning oi
the Federal Bridge Leagues new
Monday night series at $500 Six
teenth street NV. With % tables
in play, the game was held in two
sections. Ralph Grant-Eric Morgan
and j. S. Machlin-D. F. Weaver
captured section A awards. Win
ners in section B were Mrs. D. E.
Stephan-Mrs. Ben Rosson and Mrs
j. D. Boyd-Jack Roster.
X
In the F. Arthur Walker Clut
nationally awarded contest July 80
AL Camire and Paul Kalavski pro.
duced a winning game NORTH South
while Mrs. j. N. Dearing and 1t. Col
Henry A. Walker took the East.
West top. Col Walker. director o1
the Arlington Farms Duplicate
Club, is currently accepting regis
tration for the mems and women 1
individual club playoff, to be held ir
two sessions, August 13 and 20.
X X X
Mrs. Mary Goodstein and Mrs
c. w. thinner were winners of the
La Sale Studios master point
Howell contest July 20, Mrs. John
M. Coffee and James Sourilas plac-
ing Mrs. Dixie T. Wright, director
announces that the studio will re-
open Labor Day.
X Il II
Mr.. and Mrs. Warren Gardner
captured North-South awards al
the Walsh Clubs July master point
contest. while Lynn Carrier-Mrs
Mildred Linderman and Mrs. Anne
Peterson-J. M Day finished in 9
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