May 2018 - 31

these," an ACBL spokesman told me.
"The individual bidding cards will be
reversible, so they will work for both
left-handed and right-handed players. A major benefit for players with
their own bidding boxes will be that no
one else will have touched the bidding
cards, so they will pick up fewer germs.
The health of our membership is very
important to us; we estimate that our
clubs lose over $100,000 a year because
players miss their weekly duplicate
with flu and colds."
In February, the ACBL held a focus
group of members to discuss the possibilities. ACBL designers did some
work on colors, and they felt that dayglow lime green and orange would be
best, differentiating the boxes from the
standard red and black used by most
clubs.
Some players pointed out that there
might be a problem with two-sided
cards, in that they could be used to
show a reverse. A player from Quebec
said that in his club, the normal way
to show partner you were reversing
(for example, when the auction went
1♣-1♠; 2♥) was to announce "Coeurs
Deux" to accompany a 2♥ bid.
A few players asked about decorations and stickers that could be added
to the box to personalize it further. It
was generally agreed that these should
not be permitted because it would
be too difficult to control those who
wanted to add political statements,
pictures of scantily-clad bodies, or
memory aids. The ACBL said it would
look into producing an occasional

limited edition, with pictures of 6575
Windchase Blvd., the Las Vegas Hilton,
and downtown Gatlinburg.
Others suggested that the 1♣ card
could have "May be a doubleton" or
"16+ points" written on it, for those
playing a five-card major or strong club
system. There was considerable support for this idea, but taking it further
and having, for example, "15 to 17 "
pre-printed on the 1NT card, would
not work because it would preclude the
player from responding 1NT, or bidding 1NT in the protective/balancing
seat. A few commented wistfully that it
would be nice to have two double cards,
one for penalty and one for takeout.
Geoff H. writes: "My partner
keeps bidding ridiculous slams, the
sort that need a 2-2 trump break,
and two finesses. Whenever I complain he says: 'It was a 50-50 contract - either it makes or it doesn't.'
What should I do?"
He sounds like a lost cause. The best
I can recommend is that we introduce
him to one of my regular partners, who
is similarly statistically challenged.
He thinks the Principle of Restricted
Choice applies only towards the end
of the play of a hand, when you have
fewer cards to choose from. And he
read on Bridge Winners that 4NT
contracts are more successful than
3NT contracts, so whenever I sign off
in 3NT, he always bids 4NT.
◾
Simon Cocheme of London UK is a
frequent Bridge Bulletin contributor.

Chuck Henke 1934-2018
Grand Life Master Chuck Henke of Aurora CO died March 15. Chuck started life as a chess player, but got diverted to bridge in his 20s while he was living in San Francisco. The game came naturally to him, and he began playing
professionally in the 1950s, going from tournament to tournament in a travel trailer that he shared with fellow professional John Moran. In 1965, they found themselves at the Fall NABC with no commitments for the days of the Blue
Ribbon Pairs. So they bought an entry and won the event.
Chuck met his wife, Pat, at a sectional tournament in Great Falls MT. She caught his attention by bidding and
making a 6♣ contract that required two finesses, then setting his 3NT. They married in 1964, and settled in Denver
when Pat drew the Denver popsicle stick. (Chuck had prepared three sticks for her to choose from: Denver, Portland and San Francisco.)
Over the next 50 years, Chuck was one of the major players in Colorado. He played both professionally and for the love of the game
in local clubs and tournaments, occasionally traveling to NABCs when his work schedule permitted. He completed the 10,000-point
requirement for Grand Life Master in 2010. Chuck is survived by his wife, Pat, two daughters and two sons.
By Margaret Devere
May 2018 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018