Dubious Logic

A Different Game

I played rubber bridge last week. I've often noted that despite its place in bridge history, very few people now actually play this form of the game. True, there are many social bridge players: typically a circle of friends who play for no stake (or a negligible amount) but real club rubber, for money that means something to those involved, that is rare – certainly outside the London clubs. Duplicate pairs is surely the most common form of bridge played.

However, there's a curious cross-over between rubber and teams of four bridge as we duplicate players know it; duplicated rubber. Now, I'd only heard of this format in connection with the annual houses of parliament match, Lords versus Commons. Duplicated boards are played, in the same order at two tables, with rubber bridge scoring. If rubber is scored at either table, the score is tallied at the other, using the unfinished bonuses, and play begins again at love all, no score at both. This is also the format for the Duke of Devonshire Cup, run by the Royal Automobile Club.

I was pleased to be invited to play for the Stock Exchange against the Royal Thames Yacht club at the RAC. Well, it was a curious business. We played 32 deals and the rubber bridge players were slow. I thought they would be like quicksilver, keen to get in as many paying deals as possible but they played the cards especially in a very thoughtful manner. There were a number of quaint customs too. Of course we didn't have any of that stop or alerting nonsense (and no announcing either) but I was always surprised when an opponent reached across to turn over a card from a quitted trick.

The actual management of the game went very smoothly; it was surprising that the presence of part-scores made only an occasional difference and, if you glanced down the scorecard, you would think it was just a regular IMP match. The format makes it necessary to have a director monitoring the tables but in practice there was little or no waiting around for potential rubber at the other table.

A deal that exposes all my ignorance of rubber bridge. I was South and with a part-score I knew that three hearts would be taken as a slam try so I hoped to convey I had a little more by taking two goes at it. When partner doubled I reflected that at rubber, it doesn't pay to sacrifice when the opponents have game (unlike duplicate) because they'll still have game and a score beneath the line next deal. So I passed and took the plus.

However, not at this game of course. They scored up rubber in the other room and got 700 plus 150 (eleven tricks) plus 100 (honours). If I calculated this at all, then I had forgotten about the honours. We got 300 (for our game) and 300 for defeating three spades by two tricks. Unfortunately we didn't get anything for our part-score because we forgot.

Dates for your diary:

Bury Swiss Teams Congress; Sunday, 4th Feb. at New Green, Thurston, 2pm. £36 per team incl. tea. Entries/enquiries to Anne Nunn 01638 750100

Results

Published Saturday 27.Jan.2007