February 2012 - 8

Letters to the Editor

4 Hours, which I found at the library,
was very helpful as a beginner's book.
Ilse encouraged me and asked me
how my bridge play was coming
along. I could and still do count on
Ilse to answer my bridge questions.
Bridge is the best card game I have
ever played. Anyone who wants a
brain-stimulating game should take up
bridge.
JIM SCHMIEDER
Saginaw MI

Influential people
To the Editor:
I am responding to your November
Viewpoint article. In my humble opinion, the most influential bridge person
who ever lived is the person who got
each of us interested in this great
game. Without them, you, I and the
rest of the players who love this game
so much would not be involved.
I realize that it would be impossible
to name each person who got each of
us started in this great game and I'm
not asking you to do this. What I am
suggesting is that the No. 1 name on
the list be a reference to all of these
people. I'm not sure what you would
use as the reference name but I'm
sure you can come up with something
fitting, such as mentor, teacher or role
model.
ALLEN REW
Independence MO

Easy grand
To the Editor:
I really enjoyed "The Two of Clubs
and a holiday wish," by Mike Lawrence (December, page 20). Of course,
that was some unusual, if not to say
"fantastic," bidding to set up the
deuce for the big lead.
I couldn't help wondering what
might have happened with those
hands under different circumstances
and with more realistic bidding. For
example, if the hands for West and
South were exchanged (page 23),
South might open with a very natural
7. Then West would chime in with
7.
8 Bridge Bulletin February 2012

North had been admiring his hand
until this point, but how could he
possibly bid over 7? Not wanting
to give up too soon, he looks again
at his hand and reviews the bidding.
If South and West could confidently
bid grand slams, they must have
solid suits. If that were the case, East
would be as void of the black suits as
he, North, was.
So North lays down the final bidding card in the box: 7NT. East must
lead a red card and North claims.
JOHN GALEY
Dallas TX

Talk or walk?
To the Editor:
Your December column (page 6)
about appropriate behavior was on
target. I have been playing since 1977
and have about 5000 masterpoints.
In all the tournaments I have played,
I have never seen a director at the
tournament level give a Zero Tolerance penalty.
I have heard things said to players
that, in my opinion, would be grounds
for being removed from one of my
club games (forget about ZT).
I see Zero Tolerance on flyers all the
time. It doesn't do much good to talk
the talk and not walk the walk.
TIM HAYS
Kansas City MO
Rest assured, Zero Tolerance penalties are assessed. ZT may not be used
as much as some would like, but
the effort to improve behavior at the
table is ongoing.

Pleasing photo
To the Editor:
I was pleased to see the photo of
the USA team at the Bermuda Bowl
(December, page 14). Too often, the
photos of ACBL teams in the Bridge
Bulletin feature scruffy-looking men.
When winners get their photos in the
magazine, they should be required to
dress up. For men, that means jacket
and tie. The ladies will automatically dress accordingly. The image
of duplicate bridge is not enhanced

by the photos we have seen over the
past few years. If we want the game
to grow, we should try to make our
representatives attractive.
WAYNE ETTINGER
Dunnville ON

Bad experience
To the Editor:
In your December column you talk
about rudeness and about why people
don't play duplicate.
Decades ago, I learned to play
bridge. I knew the rules and not much
else, and I knew that I didn't know. I
wanted to play, but none of my friends
played and there were no online
games, so I went to a local club and
played in a "newplicate" game. I was
paired up with someone better than
me. It did not go well.
I don't remember the details, but I
picked up a colossal hand. Unfortunately, the bidding went wrong and
we played in game, perhaps even a
partscore, when 7NT was laydown.
My "partner" berated me for the rest
of the evening. I don't remember the
hand, the bidding or the play. I just
remember the rudeness.
As a result, I didn't play duplicate
for 20 years or so. Not everyone can
play bridge well, but everyone should
play bridge pleasantly.
PETER FLOM
New York NY
Many who have similar experiences never return to the best game
there is, which is why we stress the
importance of friendly behavior.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2012
