AVENUES TO LEARNING BRIDGE …
There are countless opportunities by which individuals become indoctrinated to bridge. Many of us watched our parents play “kitchen bridge” (hardly the most advantageous learning process) or kibitzed games at college. Most began by reading books and syndicated columns. Unfortunately, I have never had much of a passion for reading, usually directing my energy toward creativity and originality. In fact, reading was at the bottom of my list and I well remember a vivid incident from 1947. I was thirteen years old and was hit by a car, fracturing my left leg and spending a hot summer in a hip cast. The only books I could remember reading voluntarily (and college requirements were not included) were The Lone Wolff (which absorbed five years of my life) and “God’s Little Acre” (a risque paperback by Erskine Caldwell) I stashed into my cast to pass that boring summer. So much for my illiterate past — and back to the bridge scene.
Other than gleaning much information from Silodor Says, The Complete Book of Duplicate Bridge (Silodor, Kay and Karpin), The Law of Total Tricks by Larry Cohen and some of Eddie Kantar’s best sellers, I was blessed by two wonderful Hall of Fame husbands whose incredible brains I picked at every opportunity. Both had enormous patience and I could discuss any subject that troubled me (too cumbersome to enumerate). Granted, I was in a unique and fortunate position — available to few others and I didn’t miss a beat. It has been a forty-five year fortuitous learning process and although their bidding styles were miles apart, I survived to tell the tale. ( Except — I swear — yesterday in a Regional team game, I forgot Wolff Sign-Off in a contested auction, which actually cost nothing, but I think I got charged three demerits anyway).
There are numerous ways to upgrade one’s bridge. Reading is just a starter, but improving to the point where you are invited to play by superior players is the beginning of your climbing the mountain which some days seems insurmountable. On occasions, you reach an impasse where you want to throw the towel in. Never!!! It is worth the frustration till you get back on track. All this gibberish is leading up to the pros and cons of sponsorship/professional relationships.
I have always admired and respected people who believed in taking private lessons and later swallowed their pride by making it known they were paying pros to play. Many years ago, it was a somewhat icky situation but soon everyone came to realize that it was unquestionably the most effective way to move your bridge career along by leaps and bounds, i.e., that is — if you had any talent whatsoever (and the money to back it up).
Do you remember Miriam from Bobby’s book? Absolutely adorable — but a lost cause! His best line was that she never had to worry about getting end played as she always cashed her aces and kings at her first opportunity! (In fact, no doubt illegal today, Bobby had a system to prevent her from becoming Declarer. He would open 1C and she had lots of choices of responses but restricted only to 1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, etc. — each level indicating her range of points. He laughs in shame now, but it was one way of making sure he played the hand — except in the case where she had a strictly preemptive hand). Thank heavens, all that is history — but way back then it prevented DD (declarer-disasters)!
My intention today was to discuss the extremely controversial current sponsor/pro issue but I got sidetracked by my own memories above, so it’ll have to wait for the next blog. Promise!
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Hi Judy:
we were playing against you, when you announced that you forgot Wolff sign-off.
I believe the auction went:
Partner Bobby Me Judy
1D 1H pass 2NT
pass 3C pass 4C
all pass.
I thought Wolff sign-off was after opener made a jump rebid of 2NT. Does it also apply to a jump bid of 2NT by responder? I meant to ask you after the round was over, but forgot.
Darwin
Hi Darwin:
First let me say it was delightful seeing you and Kay last week. We go back a long, long time. You and I were under the same misapprehension until Sir Robert appeared on my scene. Though the current ACBL Encyclopedia has not been updated, Bobby recommends that WOLFF SIGNOFF be used whenever partner’s 2NT call is strong (in and out of competition).
1)
1D
P
1H
P
2)
2S
2N
P
3C*
3)
1H
P
2H
2N
2N
P
3C*
P
3C*
*forces 3D
THIS SEQUENCE (3C OVER PARTNER’S 2N) FORCES PARTNER TO BID 3D AND MUST PASS YOUR NEXT BID. Thus, ANYTHING ELSE ENABLES YOU TO INVESTIGATE FOR THE BEST GAME BY BIDDING YOUR OWN SUIT OVER 2NT — KNOWING PARTNER CANNOT PASS.
Darwin, you are not alone. MOST PEOPLE THINK IT ONLY APPLIES IN AN UNCONTESTED
AUCTION. Try it you’ll like it!
Regards,
Judy
Judy,
I learned bridge playing with a middle-school buddy and his parents. Kitchen Bridge to the extreme, throwing in one-level bids and dummy always exposed trumps before the opening lead. The Penny’s then moved to Montreal and I had to fend for myself, learning the REAL basics of the game by plowing through Alfred Sheinwold’s Five Weeks to Winning Bridge (picked as much for a reasonable time limit as anything else. Would that the title had SOME reality to it, says the still-learning player 40 YEARS later).
At any rate, I think I’ve told the tale before but I’ll repeat it here in case somebody’s new to this blog.
I was in the PR office for the Toronto Nationals when they were held there back in the 80’s. I was still new to the job, just having come on for the preceding Spring Nats in Portland. I was talking on the phone to a friend, my back to the office. During the conversation. I happened to mention something all-encompassing, “The WHOLE Magilla,” I said. Growing up, Magilla the Gorilla was local slang for big, for everything. I ended the conversation and turned to find a dapper gentleman patiently waiting to talk to me. He launched into an explanation of Megillah, most of which I forgot because I instantly recognized him.
At the very end, he extended his hand and announced, “Oh by the way, I’m Freddy Sheinwold. Please forgive my manners.” As IF I didn’t know already!!!!
I’ve always been impressed with people who everybody in a community knows, but doesn’t presume they know. I think it’s a first-rate personality trait. And Freddy had it in spades. We never became bosom buddies, but he was always supportive during my brief dalliances with the ACBL PR position (especially in the Bal Harbour fiasco) and I counted on him as a friend and a mentor, possibly in ways he never knew.
You know, it might not be a bad time to go searching for that dog-eared (second) copy of the book. Wouldn’t surprise me a whit if I learned something from it. Or somethings.
Keep up the reminiscing. GM
Gary:
Your mention of Alfie brought to mind my harrowing honeymoon experiences with Norman’s fast paced friends in the Golden Gate State. We started in Vegas where Stoney had us comped at the Flamingo and then flew into California–but let it be noted I loved LV so much (back in 1963 even when it was a prairie) that a year and a half after Bobby and I married, we found ourselves residents. Absolute Utopia .. if you don’t check your brains.
Stoney (alias Tobias Stone) offered to show us around the movie studios when we arrived in LA.. He knew many of the cinema bigwigs (stars, producers, directors, writers, etc.). We got to shake hands with Phil Silvers (Sgt. Bilko) at a star packed restaurant one lunchtime. We also got to watch the making of two movies: “What a Way to Go” (with Gene Kelly and Shirley MacLaine) and “The Mark” with Stuart Whitman. Then we got to see Grauman’s Chinese. A great afternoon.
Later that evening Stoney offered to show us an unforgettable view of of the Hollywood Hills (and indeed it was). Half-way up the circular mountain road at 45 mph (with eyes covered, I begged Stoney to shift gears and return to terra firma). He obediently accommodated me, making a quick u-turn on a mountainous curve with no posslble vision of anyone coming in the opposite direction. It was quite a memorable experience.
We enjoyed our time with Stoney (at least most of it); then accepted an invitatiton for cocktails and dinner from Alfie. It sounded like a far cry from the night before and accepted the date with the soft spoken, easy-going Mr. Sheinwold.. After a drink of two, we were escorted into his magnificent new set of wheels and before we knew it were weaving in and out of the Los Angeles Freeway lanes at 60-70 miles per hour. When we arrived at the restaurant in no time flat, Alfie beamed …. asking …. “Well how did I do?” Norman looked puzzled. He questioned,
“Do what?” “I haven’t been behind a wheel in twenty years and just passed my driving test this afternoon. ” proclaimed Alfie.
Phew!