Bridge Code

Bridge addicts by thousands devoured eagerly the first recognized code of laws for Contract Bridge issued last week by the Whist Club.

This Whist Club was founded in Manhattan in 1893. It admits only about 100 resident members. The president is Charles M. Schwab, famed steel king; the members are almost all socially and financially impeccable. It is a small, quiet, publicity-shy club; existing only for card games, but nowadays not Whist.

The prototype of the Whist Club is the Portland Club in London. For years the Portland Club made the laws for all of England. Other clubs complained, forced the Portland Club to call their members to a lawmaking committee. So also with the Whist Club; a few years ago other U. S. clubs grumbled at what they considered to be "unwarranted authority." Now the laws are made by a committee of various prominent card clubs. But the laws are still issued by The Whist Club.

Into the Portland Club in London one afternoon in the last decade of the 19th Century, strode Lord Brougham with an idea. He summoned three of his acquaintances around him and called for a pack of cards. He outlined to them a game that later was to become known as Bridge Whist. That afternoon, as far as anyone can accurately tell, was the birthday of a card game which spans the civilized world, which later developed and fastened itself more firmly on the white man's leisure as Auction Bridge; and now promises to take another step and monopolize card tables as Contract Bridge.

Before Bridge there was for many years Whist; and on Whist are the fundamentals of all types of Bridge laid. Whist was played with a pack of 52 cards; dealt one at a time to four players; partners two and two. The last card was turned up and its suit (hearts, spades, clubs, diamonds) determined the trump. One player led a card, face up on the table, and the others played to it in rotation. The players shedding the highest card of the suit (ace high, king next and so on down to two) took the trick. If his hand was lacking in cards of the suit led he was privileged to play a trump, if he had one, and take the trick; the lowest trump outvaluing the ace of any other suit. To win, one side must take a minimum of six tricks (a book); additional tricks counted for points, games.

Bridge Whist soon supplanted

Whist and for about ten years reigned unchallenged. It became known as Bridge. Then one afternoon three Englishmen (according to reliable tradition) could not find a fourth to complete their table. They evolved a game based on exposing one of the four hands and bidding for it. The man who estimated he could make the most tricks with his hand playing in combination with the exposed hand took the bid. There were, of course, heavy penalties, for overestimation. From this crude start grew Auction Bridge, which is still the most widely played of all. In its present form all four of the players, beginning with the dealer, have a chance to bid (though no hand is at first exposed). Bidding laws, convention and shrewdness enable a potent partnership to give each other the maximum of valuable information as to the contents of their hands and the possibilities of winning play in combination. When the hand is finally auctioned to the highest bidder, his partner exposes his hand and the play for tricks proceeds.

Manhattan card players say that the first important U. S. game of Auction Bridge was organized at the Knickerbocker Whist Club in 1908, by Wynne Ferguson, prominent writer of Bridge books.* Other players watched, scoffed. But in a few weeks the game caught hold; soon swept the country; remains supreme. In the last few years reports of a game called Contract Bridge drifted in from Europe. Potent card players, investigating, liked Contract Bridge. It is based on Auction Bridge principles; but requires immensely shrewder bidding skill. The bidding is in most cases higher; the winners' totals fatter; the penalties for bad bidding and bad play far graver. Experts say Contract will supplant Auction.

Even casual players enjoy a money stake on Bridge. It may be scaled from a small fraction of a penny per point (on which one may lose less than a dollar on an unlucky evening) to any number of pennies or dollars per point (at which one may win thousands on a lucky evening).

Bridge at men's clubs is always played for a stake; usually in women's clubs, and at country clubs, and almost invariably on boats and trains. Marine and railroad companies beg passengers to beware of sharpers. In the home there are sometimes sharpers; never at a reputable club.

*Practical Auction Bridge; Auction Bridge (annually); 100 Bridge Lessons.