Memories ~
From Falls Church to Kilmarnock
© 2007 Abilini's Computer Services
Bridging the
Gap
(1969 – 1979)
I grew up in a card playing family. We played canasta, tripoley, poker, hearts,
spades and of course, bridge. Bridge was my favorite card game, primarily
because both of my parents, my sister Mary and her husband Gerry, and my uncle
Chas, all played. Both of my parents said I was a natural card player because I
could remember which cards, of any suit, had already been played - a definite
plus, in bridge. Bridge is played in one of two styles: Party bridge is the
normal ‘family style’ game and duplicate is more of a ‘professional style.’
Party Bridge:
As I was learning the game, mom and dad would invite our neighbors over for a
night of cards. We would play Party Bridge and I would be taught the dos and
don’ts of the game, no one seemed to mind, since, I was learning. No one, that
is, until one weekend when my Uncle Chas came down, from Delaware; to go fishing
with dad and to play cards. Mom and I played against dad and Chas. Chas was a
very good Bridge player but he was also known to be a ‘psych bidder.’ A psych
bidder would make a bid that he knew he couldn’t make. But the bid would be made
to scare the competition out of bidding. That type of bidding only works when
your partner ‘knows that is what you are doing!’ One night and during one
particular hand, Chas decided to make a psych bid. However, dad actually had a
good hand and he didn’t read it as a psych bid. The bidding went as follows: Mom
opened with 1 diamond, Chas then bid 1 no trump, I passed and dad said 3 clubs
(that is a jump, stating a very good hand and please continue to a game bid).
Mom passed and instead of being smart and just passing, since he had nothing,
Chas said 3 no trump. I immediately doubled, and both mom and dad explained to
me, that my double meant that you think you can set the hand, if the bid stays
in the currently stated contract. I said I understood and I left in the double.
Now Dad didn't either trust Chas’ bid or he didn’t think I knew what I was
doing, and he bid 4 clubs (4 clubs is asking for Aces). Chas’ reply was 4 no
trump, stating either all or no aces. As it turned out, dad had 3 kings, 3
queens and 2 jacks and a void in spades (that’s 17 high card points, plus 5
points for a void). I doubled again. Dad didn’t want to play in no trump,
because of his void, but it seemed impossible, since mom had opened that Chas
could have all 4 Aces. Still dad bid 5 clubs, either asking for Kings or telling
his partner to shut up. Chas being Chas (dumb) bid 6 no trump. I immediately
doubled and dad looked frustrated and passed. Now it was my lead. Mom looked at
me and said, in no trump you lead the 4th from your longest and strongest suit
and remember, we only need two tricks to beat the hand.” I said “I know” and I
led the Jack of Spades. Mom looked at me strangely and dad looked shocked. I
took that trick and then proceeded to take the next 7 tricks: I had the A, K, Q,
J, 10, 9, 8 and 3 of Spades. After I played the 3rd round of Spades, mom
discarded the 10 of diamonds. That told me that when I was done, she wanted a
diamond lead. After I won the 8th trick with the 3 of Spades, I lead the Jack of
Diamonds, which sent both mom and dad into a tailspin. Dad had the Queen, mom
had the Ace and King and a little one. Chas did not cover the Jack, so I
returned another diamond. Mom then proceeded to take the rest of the tricks; for
a score for mom and me of 2100. Dad got up, stated simply “You may be my
brother, but I can’t play with you” and he and I changed seats. Mom wrote down
the score and put ‘Rob’s best’ next to the score and we started a new game.
Chas and I then played the rest of the night and we won.
Duplicate Bridge:
The first Friday of every month, was Duplicate Bridge night at the Women’s Club
of Whitestone. It cost $2 per person to play and usually husband and wife would
be partners. Mom and dad preferred to play North and South because once seated,
they would never have to move. The partners who played East and West were
called the ‘roaming pairs,’ because, after each set they would move to the next
table.
We would have to leave Falls Church by 4 pm, on Bridge Friday. We would stop in
Tappahannock, and pick up chicken at KFC and then drive the rest of the way to
Kilmarnock. We would get to the cottage, usually by 6:30, take our clothes and
things in, set up the chicken on the dining room table and eat dinner. At 6:50,
mom and dad would leave to go play Bridge in Whitestone. They would get home
around 11 pm, and I got to stay up late, so I could hear how they did, at their
night of cards. Dad always kept a running total, so he was usually very close
in his tracking of standings (if he thought they had won, they usually had).
When I was old enough, 1973/4, they would take turns to let me join one of them,
for a night of Bridge in Whitestone. Until then, I was allowed to play Party
Bridge with them or our neighbors, or who ever came down with them for the
weekend.
The first time I went to play Bridge in Whitestone, I went with my father. Some
old man, in the back of the room saw my father and bluntly stated, “Damn the
Adamses are here.” His wife quickly noticed, and said but not Eloise, maybe we
have a chance. After that night, I never saw that couple again. Dad introduced
me to the usual couples and we sat down at table number 1. Dad showed me the
scoring card and told me that he would do the scoring, which was fine with me.
The first couple sat down, we introduced ourselves, told them our playing style
(a Bridge thing) and we started playing Duplicate Bridge. We would play 4 sets
of hands, the scores for those sets would be tallied, and then the East/West
couple would move to the next table. That was the way the game continued, the
rest of the night. Everything that night went our way; actually it went my
way, but ‘our’ sounds nicer. I could do no wrong and we won for North/South
that night.
So, for many years we took turns, going to the Women’s Club of Whitestone to
play bridge, until, in 1979 when they moved Bridge Night to Wednesday. (I
always wondered, if they wanted to make sure that the Adamses didn’t play,
anymore.)