Spades

At Rochester, N. Y., one Ernest L. Brown joined friends in a bridge game, was seen to tremble, heard to bid "Seven spades." No one bid "Seven no -trump.* None doubled. Player Brown spread out all 13 members of the fat black suit; collected, without further ado, 378 points-125 for game. 100 for grand slam, 90 for 5 honor in one hand, 63 trick points. Friends applauded Player Brown's coolness. Many a bridge-player upon receiving the rare full-suit hand, nervously dissimulates, bids but one trick in his suit, loses control of the situation through conventional bidding (for where there is one freak hand there are likely to be others).

* "Seven no-trump" is the only bid commonly thought of as surpassing "Seven spades." Not long ago, however, a Long Island, N. Y., player demonstrated the fact that the rule book does not prohibit a bidder from bidding eight, nine or more of a suit which he cannot possibly make owing to the limitations of a 52-card pack, but which he can voluntarily lose if it seems better to take a loss than let his opponents score rubber.