HISTORIA DE SLAM

 Independientemente de lo serios que puedan ser los expertos jugando al bridge les ocurren historias graciosas.

 Aquí les acerco algunas de ellas. Aunque en USA hay millones de jugadores de  bridge, muchos de ellos son malos jugadores. Pero entre esos millones... entre los pocos de mas alto nivel, un chicle puede ser toda la diferencia.

 Y un chicle fue lo que decidió el Campeonato Nacional de Parejas Hombres del año 1934.

 La mayoría de las parejas ya había terminado de jugar, y solo quedaban unas 6 mesas en el inmenso salón de juego: El Gran Salón de Baile del Hotel Commodore de New York.

 Yo me contaba entre los kibitzers que se apretaban alrededor de la mesa en la que Ted Lightner y Ely Culbertson jugaban una mano crucial contra David Burnstine y Oswald Jacoby. Lightner había ganado la subasta y jugaba 6.

 Como yo ya había jugado la mano unos minutos antes, sabía que el éxito del contrato dependía de la salida. Y el score del torneo era tal que el resultado de la mano determinaba al ganador del campeonato

 Cuando los expertos juegan bridge, las cartas solo representan el 50% del valor de la mano. El otro 50% es pura psicología. Y en ese momento Burnstine hizo un uso extensivo del conocimiento de las debilidades de sus opps.

 El sabia que Lightner y Culbertson estaban entre el grupo de jugadores mas nerviosos del bridge. Ely, especialmente, odia esperar. Cuando, como en este caso, tiene que tender el muerto, se mueve y se preocupa hasta que ve la carta de salida, después tiende las cartas sin preocuparse de separarlas por palo y se aleja corriendo de la mesa. No soporta el  suspenso de ver jugar la mano.

 Dándose cuenta que el Campeonato podía depender del resultado de esta mano y por lo tanto de su salida, Burnstine decidió tomarse su tiempo. Muy deliberadamente sacó de su bolsillo un paquete de chicles y saco uno de ellos. Cuidadosamente lo desenvolvió, y lo colocó lentamente en su boca.

 A esa altura Ted Lightner estaba retorciéndose en la silla y Ely esperaba impacientemente. Pero Burnstine no se decidía de que salir. Y como por reglas del evento no podía salir sin antes tirar el papel del chicle...lo tiró arriba de la mesa.

 Como en un rayo...Culbertson tiro las cartas sobre la mesa. Un instante mas tarde se dio cuenta del error y las levantó.

 Pero ya era demasiado tarde. Capitalizando su inesperada visión del muerto, Burnstine salió a la carta que derrotaba el contrato. 

GRAND SLAM GAGS

No matter how serious they may be about bridge, even the experts see some funny things happen. Here a tournament champion passes on some of his livelier stories.

 There are millions of bridge players in America, Many of  these are duffers. But even among the top-ranking few, an ordinary stick of chewing gum may make a world of difference.

A stick of gum actually did win one national tournament It all came about during the final round of the Men's Pairs Championships in 1934

Most of the players were finished and were standing around tibe half-dozen games still in play in the center of the huge, smoke-filled Grand Ballroom of New York's Hotel Commodore.

I was in a crowd of perhaps fifty kibitzers who were squeezing around the table at which Ted Lightner and Ely Culbertson ware playing the crucial hand against David Burnstine and Oswald Jacoby. Lightner had won the bidding at six spades.

Having played this same hand myself a few minutes before, I knew that success or failure for Jacoby and Burnstine depended entirely on the latter's opening lead. And the tournament score was such that the outcome of this hand would determine the championship.

When the experts play bridge, the cards themselves represent only  about fifty percent of any hand's value. The other fifty percent Is psy- chology. In this tight spot, Burnstine made full use of his knowledge of his opponents" weaknesses.

He knew that  Lightner and Culbertson are among the most nervous players in bridge. Ely, especially, hates to have to wait. When, as in this case, he is going to be dummy, he fidgets and frets until the opening lead is made. Then he flings down his hand, without even bothering to separate the suits, and races away from the table. He can't stand the suspense of watching the hand played,

Realizing that the championship might well depend on his opening lead, Burnstine decided to take his time. Very deliberately he
reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of chewing gum. He carefully unwrapped it, put it slowly into his mouth and gave a tentative chew.

By this time Ted Lightner was actually squirming in his seat. Ely was beside himself with impatience. But still Burnstine couldn't decide what to lead. And, in any event, he couldn't lead until he had disposed of the chewing-gum wrapper. So he threw it down on the table.

Like a flash Culbertson threw down his dummy hand. An instant later he realized his error and hastily scooped up the cards. It was too late.

Capitalizing on his unexpected look at the dummy, Burnstine made the lead which set the hand.

Una Finesse o un rezo?

Muy seguido pequeñas cosas influencian los resultados de un Campeonato... una botella de Coca Cola fue el factor decisivo  en  el Campeonato Nacional de Atlantic City, New Jersey...

 Ocurrió en una mano crucial en la que Yo tenia que acertar la finesse al rey de triunfos o jugar a la caída del K singleton. Solo había 3 triunfos afuera y no tenia forma de saber como estaban distribuidos. El porcentaje favorecía a la finesse, pero los porcentajes no son infalibles.

 Jugué chico del muerto, y el jugador a mi derecha jugó chico sin darme ninguna pista....yo frene por un momento para ver si recordaba alguna señal en la forma de juego que me diera una pista.

 El adversario de mi izquierda, esperando mi jugada llamo al mozo que pasaba justo por ahí...

"Me puede traer una Coca por favor?" le dijo.

 Y entonces supe...que el tenia el K que me faltaba. Ningún hombre pide una Coca Cola en el medio de una mano crucial a no ser que este tratando de mostrarse demasiado en paz. Jugué el as de arriba y cayo el rey. Mi equipo gano por 1/4 de MP.

A Finesse or a Prayer?

Small things often Influence the outcome of major tournaments. A bottle of Coke was a big factor in the winning of the National Match-Point Team-of-Four Championship at Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It happened in a cxocial hand on which I had to guess whether to finesse for the king of trumps or to play my ace and hope for the king to fall. There were only three trumps out and I had no way to guess how they were split .The percentage favors a finesse, but percentages are not infallible.

I fed a low trump from the dummy, and the player on rny right played low with just the proper air of noodhalance. I patised for a moment to see whether I had overfooked any sign which migjit give me a key to this move. The opponent of my left, waiting to play, hailed a passing waiter.

"Will you get me a Coke, please?" he asked.

Then and there I knew that he had the missing king. No man orders a drink in the middle of a crucial hand unless he is trying to be too chalant. I played my ace and the king dropped. Our team won the tournament by one-quarter of a match point.

 Peeking  II

Etica

 Ella había subastado 4  sobre los 4 de sus opps. El director le explicó sus opciones incluyendo que si ella decía diamante a un nivel correcto no sufría ninguna penalidad.

 Después de la mano la señora volvió a llamar al director y se quejó. "UD me dijo que podía decir 5 sin penalidad.

 Lo dije, me fui abajo y ahora me quieren cobrar 1.700 puntos. Que significaba sin penalidad?"

Ethics

Actually the Committee on Ethics has little work to do. Not so the committees on interpretation of the rules. I remember one incident in which an old lady asked the tournament chairman to rule on a point.

She had bid four diamonds over an opponent's four-spade bid. The director explained the rutine ruling including the option of making the diamond bid sufficient  with no penalty.

After the hand was over the little old lady sought out the director and complained. "You said I could bid five diamonds 'with no penalty.*

Well, I bid it and went down 1,700 points. What do you mean no penalty?"