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Don t Play
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Contract Bridge
With A
ny Strangers!
Gamblers Turning To Contract As Tiasy Money"
Way Of Shearing Enthusiastic Bridge Lambs
1 XiA
The perfect suit hand in bridge and one
which is very seldom dealt fairly but
quite often is "run in" to dupe unsus
pecting victims.
By Faay Fuller
A FEW weeks ago, while visiting a popular
downtown "social club," I witnessed a game
of contract bridge between two local physicians
and, a team of professional card players. The
two doctors played beautiful bridge, they were
in perfect accord through the medium of the
Culbertson System, they held average hands,
and technically speaking,played superior bridge
to that of their contenders. Yet, when the final
reckoning was made, at a penny a point, they
were indebted to the tune of $175.00 each!
During an ocean voyage I observed a pair of
vacationing Iowa farmers pay off the tidy sum
of $1,100.00, the result of four days of penny
a point jcontract!
Its an old story and one that is enacted a
thousand times nightly in clubrooms, at lodge
meetings, at parties, on trains, and even in the
front parlors of those who eventually pay the
piper! The losers always pay up with a smile,
the idea that they may have been hoodwinked
never enters their minds. In nine cases out of
ten they will adopt a new system, practice a
few weeks, and undergo a second trouncing at
the deft hands of their former victors!
For several years the professional card shark,
gambler, and in .some cases, cheater, took scant
interest in bridge as a means of paying his or
her rent. Dice, poker, and gaming devices spelt
"fast money" and were their principal sources
of revenue. Auction bridge- was mildly popular
and a trifle too slow to expend any effort on.
Came the dawn and Contract Bridge with its
double and triple penalties, its nationwide popu
larity, and a crying demand for contract players
at all manner of social functions. At one cent
a point, contract bridge spells "big money" and
"social halls" soon observed that "customers"
would rather play contract than poker. Over
night the props were shifted and today, in place
of the clinking of chips you will hear the
scraping of pencils on bridge score pads. The
card shark sat up and took notice!
CONTRACT bridge has changed the entire
routine for professional card "hustlers."
Instead of the leather jacket, he has donned the
latest in afternoon, evening, and sportswear. In
place of the smoke filled hotel room or gambling
resort, you will find him lenning on the swank
hotel bars, at the country club, and even attend
ing church socials! He has learned how to
balnnce a tea cup, he maintains an attractive
bachelor apartment and his cocktail parties
(which generally wind up In a bridge game) are
the talk of the town. He travels on ocean liners,
he is a house guest in the best homes, and he
probably is a member of your fraternal order.
He may or may not be married, but if he is,
his wife always manages to play as his partner
in bridge, "for fear of embarrassing anyone with
her poor playing." If single, there's always a
'friend" present who somehow manages to be
his partner. He plays only for the "sport" of
the game but, if somebody doesn't beat him to
it, suggests penny a point stakes, "to liven
things up"!
Bridge clubs have sprung up like mushrooms
and what a fertile field they present for the
sharpshooter! Women equal if not excel men
in the current mania for playing bridge at high
stakes and many a modest housewife has re
turned from her Wednesday afternoon of bridge
minus a month's budget and plus a firm convic
tion that her favorite bridge authority doesn't
know what he's talking" about.
And just in case you believe you can beat
these boys by playing better bridge, let's exam
ine a few of THEIR "systems" Culbertson him
self wouldn't stand a chance!
In a poker game it is preferable for card
sharks to work in pairs, in bridge it ia abso
lutely necessary and if you should ever- be
unfortunate enough to be the only amateur in
a four-handed game you will save time and faith
in your ability to play cards by simply handing
the trio a mortgage on the old homestead before
the score is added up. For your enlightenment
I will re-act in words a little drama witnessed
in a prominent hotel lobby.
SCENE ONE Mr. A and Mr. B, visiting
bankers to a national convention, sit in the
smoking room sipping beer. Mr. C approaches,
bees a match, seats himself, engages in conver
sation, orders a round of drinks. The topic of
conversation mysteriously centers on contract
bridge! Mr. C soon discovers that both Mr. A
and Mr. B play contract Who doesn't!
Scene Two, Beer Two Mr. C laments the fact
that they haven't a fourth to make up a game.
(N. B. This statement is made Just as the waiter
is setting the glasses on the table.) The waiter,
an obliging fellow, overhearing this remark
apologetically suggests that several of the
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f y Even during the lunch hour will bridge fiends gamble away their I 1
lunch money in the office buildings of the nation. From such inno- If."- -h I
' cent vw'ons as this comes the hotel lobby hanger-on, hunting for . lfTo. .! I-
' . a lamb to shear, "Big oaks from little acorns grow." '.V Cn
The first six cards in the above hand are slightly ,
raised to inform partner that various honors of cer
tain suits are held. Many sharp practices, such aS this,
makes it difficult for good, honest bridge players to
compete with sharks.
guests piny bridge and that if the gentlemen
wish, he will undertake to spot one for them.
Mr. C agrees and before long the waiter pro--duces
a jolly looking gentleman (probably wear
ing a convention badge) who introduces himself
and s'.atcs his pleasure at serving as a fourth.
Scene Three, Beer Ten, Three O'clock in the
morning, same smoking room, Messrs. A, B, C,
nnd D have just finished the tenth rubber, the
score has been added and A and B Inc., are
busy signing over $300 vrth of travelers checks
to C and D. Messrs. C and D bid A and B good
nite and depart thru separate doors.
Scene Four Fifteen min'i'es later in a cor
ner saloon we find Mr. C, Mr. D, and (of all
people) the waiter! Mr. D is handing the waiter
a twenty dollar bill and commenting, "nice work
Charley".
Finale Mr. C and Mr. D (two perfect strang
ers) retire to their connecting rooms in the ho
tel. Mr. C hands Mr. D ten dollars, his half of
Charley's tip, and both turn in with $2!)0 more
for the advancement of their careers as "pro
fessional" card sharks.
WHAT a system these boys must play! It's
the same story, more or less, after every
game. Instead of "forcing bids" they employ
"raised cards", or a "stripper deck". In place
of overcalls", "pre-emptive shut-outs", "physic
bids", and "squeeze plays", they introduce "cold
decks," "holdouts", "kneespread joints" and
"false cuts" and It's a system that never loses!
It's an older system than Culbertson's and here's
a few of the more common plays.
The deck has been shuffled by Mr. C. Mr. B
on his right has given the deck an honest cut.
As Mr: C is about to start the deal, his partner,
Mr. D, remarks, "could I trouble you for ii
cigar". "Certainly", replies Mr. C and quickly
reaches Inside his coat to grant the request. The
cigar is handed oyer the tabl? for the moment
the deck has been overlooked and during -that
moment, for a hare fraction of a second, Mr.
C's other hand holding the deck already cut nnd
shuffled, has dipped below the edge of the table
to a little gimgack clipped to the under edge.
This gadget is known as a "holdout" and is so
constructed that it can be carried in the pocket
and fastened to a table as the carrier seats
himself, or under the pretense of picking a card
off th floor. It contains two metal clips.
One clip holds a "eolddeck" (a deck that has
been previously "stacked" so that the dealer and
hit partner will hold a slam bid between them)
Even the position of the cigarette tells what aces are held,
if any. Such tricks are hard for the ordinary player to dis
cover, and more difficult to "nail" on the user.
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The arrow points to the shaved portion of an honor. All honors
are shaved and then the deck can be shuffled, stacked and cut
with every fourth card dealt being an honor. Another trick of llie
trickstcrsl
and the other clip is used to slip the honest deck
in. The decks are exchanged in a twinkling of
an eye and the hands dealt. Colddccks are only
introduced by sharks as an emergency measure.
Sometimes a watchful opponent will "catch the
move" and sharks hate to take chances! .
There is no rule in bridge against smoking
during play and while A and B are earnestly
trying to convey their honor atrength to each
other thru bidding a system, Mr. C merely
placet his cigarette on the right side of his
mouth. A glance and Mr. D reads, "ace of
hearts". If Mr. C hat the ace of spades, he will
roll the cigarette to the other side, or by hold
ing it in his right or left hand he imparts "ace
of diamonds" and "ace of clubs" respectively.
IF Mr. D should hold six spades, he will ar
range his hand so that the first six cards are
slightly elevated above the others. If hit strong
suit it hearts, the end cards will be elevated
to a point (mliratfng the mihibor of trumps.
Bridge it a genil?man'a game and It ia cus
tomary to employ two decks during the play.
While C is dealing one deck, D picks up the
discards from the deck used in the previous
hand and "makes" the cards for his opponent,
Mr. A on his right. What a golden opportunity
for a man gifted in running the cards (stacking
the deck)J After arranging the deck to that he
will be dealt a five and one-half honor count
he places it in front of Mr. A who will deal
the next round. Everything it set for the killing
with the exception of the cut. But who cuts
these cards that Mr. D has so carefully fixed?
Why, Mr. C, his partner and you can bet your
last dollar that he will "falKC cut" so that ;hcy
will remain in perfect order!
If you are using a standard deck, supplied
hy most clubs and hotels, it Is a simple matter
for "the boys" to run in muiked cuius, oi better
' yet, a "stripper deck". The things a card hustler
ran do with a stripper deck would amar.e you.
To prepare a ttripper deck for bridge, the
twenty honort, or ten, jack, queen, king, and
act of each suit are laid aside and the remaining
cards are "stripped" or shaved a fraction of an
inch narrower in width on one end. The cards are
A very simple "guarantee" used by some bridge sharps
to insure their being dealt hands like the one pictured
on the opposite side of the page. This gadget is seldom
' used through fear of being "caught in the act."
then shuffled together, replaced in the original
carton, a new stamp glued on, and re-wrapped
to give the appearance of a new deck.
When the game hat progressed to the point
where a new deck is desirable, a waiter is sum
moned and our old friend "Charley" comet trot
ting in with the stripper deck! By giving this
deck an end shuffle, Mr. C or D can immediately
pull all the wide cards, or honors, to the top.
- A second careful shuffle and a low card ia
Inserted between each of the top twenty carda.
A third shuffle and two cards are interspersed
between each honor. The fourth and last shuffle
and the deck is "stacked", every fourth card ia
an honor. Mr. C then carefully placet the deck
before his opponent for the next deal and for
his partner' to cutl Simple isn't it and what a
tytem! ' '
I could continue for many paragraphs dissect
ing the "shark system", but these few pointers
should convince you, it can't be beaten! But to
return to the subject, "Don't Play Contract
Bridge with Strangers". You may ask, "How can
1 tell who is a professional card shark and
who isn't?" The answer, "You can't!"
With the exception of your own personal
friends, who like yourself enjoy the game and
maintain an amateur standing, watch out! There
are Mr. C's and D's in every community and you
will find them playing bridge under all kinds
of circumstances. They may be respectable mar
ried people on the surface, members of your
lodge, ,or casual acquaintances. Mf'iiy amateurs,
who have been badly singed thru penny a point
stakes, spend their evenings at home brushing
up on their own versions of the Vshark system"
and are out' to even up the score. '
ONE of the greatest surprises and disnp.
pointments of my card career came bj
way of an elderly married couple who were in
the habit of playing bridge with my parents
and friends in rfhr set. Every week for nevcrnl
months, a group would meet at the various
homes, and play contract for small stokes, Dur
ing the course of these games and over a period
of weeks, I noticed a consistent repetition of re
marks passed between this couple during the
bidding of hands. A few I recall were, "Did you
turn off the heater", "Did you lock the door",
"You folks will have to play at our house next
week", etc. Perfectly innocent remarks, but it
soon became apparent that each of these stock
phrases had a definite meaning in the valuation
of their respective hands. Crude, yet, but we
Inter discovered that they had been averaging
$50 weekly through nightly sessions at one-quarter
of a cent a point! So, in a few remote cases,
you don't have to ploy with total strangers to
be subject to the "shark system".
The best solution to a growing evil which
tends to turn an enjoyable, fascinating and in
tellectual pastime and hobby Into a racket, la
to eliminate the "stakes" and play the gome as
it was intended, for relaxation and mentnl stimu
lation. There are few things which money can
not touch and contract bridge Isn't one of them.
Play for ten cents a corner if you will, or 25
cents a rubber, but let it stop there
If you must ploy for lorge amounts play en
the corner, keep individual scores, and change
partners after each rubber. There's nothing a
shark can do once separated from his team
mate and when it comes to goo l bridge, 1hp
thark It lost.- For the most part, they har
never studied a legitimate system thoroughly
enough to play with one who hns, and In nn
honest game there is little they ran do to gain
an advantage. A good amateur con outplay a
shark nine timet out of ten under legitimate
conditions.
By "professional sharks", I don't mean bridge
instructors. There are many bridge authorities
who live by the game and they would be the .
last persons to use sharp practices during ploy.
Bridge is a battle of wits, and the best team
will win over a period of time. There is no
game of cords, which can excell In thrilla and
satisfaction at that of bidding slam vulnerable
doubled and re-doubled and making the con
tract. It pays nice dividends, ton, at a penny
a point, BUT DONT TRY IT IN STRANGE
COMPANY!
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