From time to time, one hears stories about card-sharps in the world of bridge. They are not common because the stakes in bridge games are usually are not high enough to attract them.
The story goes that a card-sharp was considering whether to turn his talents to bridge. He asked how the game was played and the rules were explained to him.
'You mean,' he said, 'that I get to shuffle the cards and my partner gets to cut the deck, and no one else gets to change the deal?'
'Yes, that's correct.'
'All right, let's play. Bridge is my kind of game!'
During the 1975 World Championships, two Italian bridge players were found guilty of cheating by tapping each other on the foot (not exactly subtle). They became known as the foot-soldiers and the joke making the rounds was that when Italy won yet again, the band at the Victory Banquet would strike up Cole Porter's famous 'I Get A Kick Out Of You'.
Eric Murray, the Canadian super-star and bridge comic, sent a telegram to the beleaguered USA captain, Alfred Sheinwold, offering his services. 'I play a reasonable game,' wired Murray, 'and take a size 14 shoe.'
Declarer may curtail the play and claim the rest of the tricks, or some of the remaining tricks, conceding the others. 'Claiming' is hedged with regulations, such as declarer having to state a line of play, not being permitted to draw an outstanding trump unless this was stated, and so on. It is often quicker and safer to play the hand through rather than become involved in all these details.
Strong players often claim against other strong players to speed up the game as another strong player will see the accuracy of the claim and will not resort to a technicality to try to defeat an otherwise legitimate claim. You have to know your opponents and some players, out to win at all costs, will nail you for the slightest inaccuracy in your claim. Against such players you should simply play out the hand.
On one occasion, declarer thought she could safely claim but was not sure of the opponents' sportsmanship, so she said :
'I'll claim, provided you don't get me on a technicality.'
'Get you on a technicality?' replied an opponent. 'In this contract? Show us your cards and if any one of the four of us can work out how you could possibly make this hand, we'll give it to you.'
In a duplicate game, South was declarer and East won the previous trick. West then led out of turn. The Director explained the various options to the declarer, South. One of these options was to accept the lead out of turn, whereupon East announced that she would accept the lead out of turn!
Groucho Marx was a keen bridge player but played only rubber bridge. Because of his fame, he was able to get away with statements like : 'Don't bother signalling. If you like my lead, just smile. I'll understand.'
North, frowning: May I have a review of the auction, please?
RonKlingerBridge.com 2009
