July 2007 - 8

Letters to the Editor

Keeping score

Visual aid

To the Editor:
The tracking tool described by
Jerry Scott (April, page 8) is similar
to one I have been using for 50 years,
but I believe mine is simpler and
quicker.
I use a scale of minus 3 (bottom)
thru 0 (average) to plus 3 (top), with
minus 2, minus 1, plus 1 and plus 2
having the obvious values.
This scale allows me to quickly obtain a current running total estimate
at any stage of the game. If the total
is positive, we are above average,
etc. The total may then easily be
converted to an estimate of our percentage game as follows. Each board
represents approximately 4% of our
total game (assuming 24 or 26 boards
per game). One board has a range of
6 points (minus 3 to plus 3). Thus
every 6 points above average converts
to 4% above average. For example,
suppose halfway through the game
we find our current total is plus 9.
This converts to 1.5 boards above
average, or a 56% game.
Incidentally, you could simplify
the procedure still further by using
the shorter scale: minus 2 to plus 2,
in which case each board has a range
of 4 points, and a score of, say, plus
8 would convert immediately to plus
8% above average, or 58%. On the
other hand, if you believe you can
estimate each result more accurately
than such a scale allows, you could
add a + or - to an estimate.
SAM MATLIN
Blue Bell PA

To the Editor:
Regarding the letter requesting
different markings for duplicate
boards to aid those who are color
blind (March, page 8), it is worth
noting that besides having a vulnerable side's compass directions in
red and a non-vulnerable side's
compass directions in green, those
same words (North, South, East and
West) are underlined when a side is
vulnerable and not underlined when
non-vulnerable.
BRAD BART
Burnaby BC

Daily Bulletin fan
To the Editor:
I want to express my appreciation
for the long hours the editors must
have spent to get the Daily Bulletin
ready every day at the St. Louis
NABC. They were very professionally done. It was my first time to
go to an NABC, and I enjoyed the
atmosphere and the facility. I am a
newspaper columnist for my city, so I
can imagine how quickly you had to
put things together. Thanks again.
ELLA REFF
Muncie IN
8

Sharing space
To the Editor:
I did not begin to play duplicate
until I was in my middle 60s (and I
soon realized what I had been missing). I was thoroughly impressed with
the ability and professionalism of the
players.
Along the way, I learned the names
of the various "pros" and developed a
few skills from observation.
I was awestruck by Paul Soloway.
I did not know him personally then,
but I followed his career. I never realized what a truly genuine person he
is until last October, when my team
played his in a Sunday Swiss teams in
Columbia SC.
We finished before our teammates,
and while we were waiting, Paul said
to me, "I like your hat." He asked if
I had been to church that morning.
I told him no, that I always wear my
hat. We had a moment, so I told Paul
my favorite story about him.
A few years ago, my partner, Betty
Wilcox, and I were playing in Gatlinburg and were doing well.
We had won two knockouts and
placed in another, with some small
scratches. On the sixth day of the
tournament, we ran into some friends
from Macon GA, where my partner
lives, and they told us they knew we
were doing well because our names
were on the list of the top masterpoint
winners. It was posted in the hall
at the convention center. We scurried through the crowd to see. Sure
enough, there we were at 95. None

other than Paul Soloway was No. 1.
That evening I went to look at that
list again just to make sure it was
right. While I was standing there reviewing the list, a small, elderly man
came up to me, taking his shoulder
to bump me and said, "Where is your
name?" I put my finger on my name
and said, "Right there! It may be No.
95, but I made it!"
Paul roared with laughter and asked
me, "Why didn't you ask him where
his name was?" I told Paul I was too
excited to be on a list with him to be
bothered.
MADGE H. MATTHEWS
Pine Knoll Shores NC

Thanks, Larry
To the Editor:
At a friend's urging, I read Larry
Cohen's great book, "To Bid or Not
to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks," and
really enjoyed it. I decided, however,
to keep my newfound knowledge to
myself - my first partner at our
weekly team of four game was a
notorious overbidder.
On the first deal, we got into a
competitive auction, and I pushed my
left-hand opponent to 4. The next
thing I knew, my partner reached for
the 5 card from his bidding box.
The disaster was complete when
RHO doubled and we went for minus
800. I was putting my cards back in
the board as the following conversation took place:
Partner: "Well, what do you know?
It works!"
Me: "What works?"
Partner: "Well, I just finished
reading this book by Larry Cohen.
According to him, I shouldn't have
made that bid."
Me (after our opponents' laughter
died down): "So why did you bid
5?"
Partner: "Oh, I just wanted to see if
the book was accurate."
Me: "I'm sure Larry Cohen will be
grateful for the evidence."
It was a long night.
MITCH KARLICK
Herndon VA

Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2007
