Fool!

Fool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hrwJvdPtwI

 

Humour, like art or music is a subjective thing. Some love Boccelli,

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekRb84wsSmk)

others prefer U2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98W9QuMq-2k)

or something in between. I dare say in bridge humor is subjective too. I love reading Eddie Kantar, Phillip and Robert King and Victor Mollo because they make me laugh. These morsels did too.

Would you open with: ♠ AQ93 ♥10873 ♦AJ86 ♣4?

Would Al Roth?

The answers are of course yes and no. 

According to Roy Hughes again (soon I will be asking for royalties for pumping his great book) “A greatly agitated Al Roth gave his views on the Canadian bidding methods to Edgar Kaplan.

“You may admire their contracts and results, admonished Edgar, but never, never under any circumstances inquire how they got there!”

Charles Goren reported the following conversation…….

”This one gave me a problem,” said Eric. “I pick up: ♠ AQ93 ♥10873 ♦AJ86 ♣4. What do you open?”  he asked Roth.

“You can’t open,” said Roth.

“Well,” said Murray “I opened one heart.”

Roth winced. “Then Sami said two diamonds,” continued Murray.

“Don’t tell me you bid two spades on that rubbish,” said Roth.

“No, I didn’t think my hand was that good” said Murray. “I said three diamonds. Sami tried four clubs, and I almost cue bid my spade ace, but instead I said four diamonds and Sami carried on to five.”

Roth looked even more unsettled. Here are the hands, rotated for convenience.         

                                               AQ93

                                               10873                                      

                                               AJ86                                      

                                               4

Rapėe                                                                          Lazard

KJ85                                                                               1072

J954                                                                                 A62

7                                                                                      Q42

Qj52                                                                                 K983                                           

                                                 64                                         

                                                 KQ                                      

                                                 K10953                                       

                                                 A1076  

 

Sami played the hand well…..and Murray had hardly finished explaining when Roth said “I know that hand. We played it, and what I don’t understand is that anyone who can play bridge with somebody who bid that hand the way you did.”

“Oh” said Murray. “Well what did you play the hand in?”

“Two diamonds, making seven,” said Roth, as he stalked away.”

The author notes Murray and Kehela were the only ones to reach five diamonds.

Edgar was right; don’t ask how they got there.

 

_______________________________________________________________

Sami Kehela reported that he was chatting with Garozzo and Forquet when the latter “abruptly” interrupted to ask:

“Who, in your opinion is the best bridge player in the world?”

I thought I had an answer to that one.

“MURRAY” said I.

“Fool,” said he. It is Forquet. And the second best? ”

“Murray?” I ventured less confidently.

“No. It is Forquet. And the third best is Forquet also.”

 

Fool indeed…. 

 _____________________________________________________________________

 

Kehela had tongue firmly in cheek when he wrote up this hand and the ensuing dialogue.                  

                                           AKQXX     

                                           8X                

                                           96XX             

                                           AX  

 XX                                                                            J9X

KJX                                                                            A97XX

AQ8                                                                          J19XX

J97XX                                                                        X                       

                                          10XX                        

                                          Q10X                        

                                           KX                         

                                           KQ1084  

South         West       North        East

The Man    Rubin     Kehela     Feldesman  

Pass             Pass         1♠             Pass

2♣                dble         2♠             Pass

3NT           All Pass

 

There are some who might consider South’s second bid a little forward, but it was a clear cut call for “neck or nothing Murray”. West led a low club and it was only a matter of minutes before Murray realized that it would not gain to let this lead come around to his hand. In a flash it came to him that his best chance for ninth trick – providing the spades behaved – lay in the king of diamonds. Assuming a nonchalant air he called for a low diamond from dummy, losing the king to the ace. West unsportingly switched to hearts and the defence quickly took nine tricks in the red suits.

“One down?” offered Mr. Rubin facetiously.

 “No, we made it,” said Mr Feldesman.

_________________________________________________________________

 

As Reader’s Digest says, laughter is the best medicine.  

 

C