Story 3

BRIDGE MAXIMS DONT WORK AT THE PONDEROSA

By Rob Weidenfeld There was a time when you would have to say to a younger person that a certain TV program was before your time.  No longer.  With a thousand channels at everyone’s disposal and all the recycled TV shows, everyone will know that the Ponderosa was the locale of Bonanza, the  most popular TV show of its time. It featured the wise father Ben, the elder intellectual son Adam, the gargantuan Hoss, and the somewhat wild youngest son Little Joe.  

 Adam had spent much time trying to acculturate his seemingly hopeless brethren.  He tried reading them poetry, playing ballads on his guitar, and as a last resort, bridge.  He was lecturing them one evening on why bridge maxims were so important.  “In order to achieve a degree of competence in this game,” he said with the wisdom of the eldest, “you must apply knowledge that has a time-proven value.  Such notions as “eight ever, nine never”, “when in doubt, draw trump”, and “second hand low” are there for a reason.  They have been learned after years of practice and should never be ignored,” he continued sounding a bit this side of pompous.  

 Little Joe, who preferred a game with a little more action, agreed to play but could not abide with this concept.  “There are too many rules is this game,” he blurted out.  “ When everybody plays by the rules, it takes all the fun out of it,” he said.  “The fun is in winning, Little Joe, but let’s try a few hands and see if I can make the point,” Adam countered.  There was no need to wait. The very first hand proved instructional.  

Adam picked up this hand:  

♠ AKQJ107  ♥ KJ    ♦ AK2  ♣ K8

 Playing a system remarkably similar to what might be popular today, here was the auction:

Where:

1= Positive

2= Solid Suit AKQ10xx/AKQxxxx

3= Control bid

4= Adam could count 13 tricks. 

If Ben had any queen 7 was laydown. If he had length in any side suit, 7 had to have a good play. Little Joe led the ♦Q and this is what Adam saw: