July 2018 - 7

➺ InBox
Hardcore players

I have been teaching advanced beginner bridge at the Manhasset Library
every Friday afternoon for the past 14
years. Several weeks ago, we experienced a power failure. We play in the
community room, which is downstairs
and has no windows. That room went
totally dark. I went upstairs to find out
what was going on and was told we
needed to evacuate the building immediately.
When I went down to tell my class
the news, all eight tables were filled
with my students using their cell
phones for light, and they were still
playing the hand I had prepared.
When I told them we had to leave, they
all asked if they could stay just long
enough for me to explain how to bid the
hand.
Do we love our game? Yes!
SUSAN WEISS
Jericho NY

Cutting the deck

Many clubs now use dealing machines to create hands as part of the
Common Game. While playing Board
6 at my local club a few weeks ago, I
removed my cards from the East slot
and counted 12½ cards! I had half of
the ♥3, and my North opponent had
13½ cards. You would think he had the
other half of the guillotined 3, but no,
he had half of the ♣7. Go figure. We
weren't sure how to bid that one ...
CARL GUELI
Great Neck NY

Making gold points in REACH

In response to the "REACH" letter
in the April issue, why should bridge
be a game for the "rich"? I am currently 69 years old and have been a
member since 1993. In this time, I have
amassed only 800 masterpoints be-

Letters to the Editor

cause I play only once or twice a week.
I have no desire to spend all kinds of
money going to Nashville, Miami, San
Francisco or Vancouver (hotels are
expensive). Even if I traveled to those
places, I would have to spend time doing things with my wife, who does not
play bridge. I would consider going to
Montreal or Ottawa to play, because
they are a short distance away, but the
expense is still there. So why not have
occasional Regional Event at Club
House (REACH) games where gold
points could be earned at local clubs?
Let's not cater to only the rich, but to
all bridge players, regardless of their
wealth.
PHIL J. DUMONTIER
Kingston ON

Overworked Rabbi

Playing in the open pairs of the Claymont (Wilmington) Regional in May, I
wonder if I set some sort of record with
the "Rabbi's Rule." During the two sessions, I dropped three singleton kings
as declarer.
One was obvious when my left-hand
opponent did not overruff a side suit
that I had ruffed with the trump jack,
telling me that the trump king was offside of dummy's A-Q-x-x-x. So when
I tackled trumps, I played the ace, felling the singleton king.
The second was in a 3♥ contract
on a 4-3 fit, with a club side suit of
A-Q-x-x-x opposite my void. I
pitched a loser on the ♣A and the king
dropped.
The third was when I was in 3NT
after my LHO had preempted in hearts.
I was down to the ♠A Q opposite two
low ones. If I played the ace, I had nine
tricks, which I thought would be a good
result, but when I did so, LHO dropped
his stiff king. Making four.

It seems that the Rabbi was working
overtime to give me three good results!
ED ALCOFF
Plymouth Meeting PA

Southern hospitality

While attending a medical seminar
in late April in Charlotte NC, I discovered that my schedule would be light
on a Saturday afternoon, so I searched
online for a local club and found the
Charlotte Bridge Club. I placed a call
and spoke to Dave Sutherland, who
said I was welcome for a game that day.
He even said that he would try to find
me a partner.
Between seminar sessions on Saturday morning, Dave left a message at the
hotel desk that indicated that he had
found a partner for me.
So I took a cab to the club - an attractive building in a very nice neighborhood - and teamed up with Susan
Wade, who turned out to be an excellent partner. The folks at the bridge
club were gracious and friendly without fail. And after a pleasant afternoon
of bridge, my partner was kind enough
to give me a ride back to the seminar
for a late afternoon session.
This excursion was a very pleasant
break in a week of seminar meetings.
Thank you Dave, Susan and the folks at
the Charlotte Bridge Club.
WARREN NICKERSON
Cotuit MA

Handicap fix

Handicap games are a great way
to level the playing field. Recently,
however, the Gainesville Bridge Club
Letters to the editor are welcome by regular mail and email.
Brevity is considered a virtue, as is subject matter with relevance
to a majority of ACBL members. Unsigned letters are not
considered for publication, so please include your name and
hometown. Letters may be edited. All letters will receive a
response. Send emails to editor@acbl.org.

July 2018 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018