The wealth of anecdotes that have filtered down through the history of bridge are often too good to be true. Many of them are told and re-told, each time with names, dates and places, and a lot of them — true or not — make good stories.
A case in point is told by Jack Olsen in ‘The Mad World of Bridge.» Sam Fry Jr., it is said, once was dealt a hand from a defective deck and wound up with two aces of hearts. Fry was about to throw the hand in, but the bidding was hot and fast and he soon found himself at six hearts, a contract doubled by the opponent on his left. Fry redoubled. The king of clubs was led and won the first trick, and Fry trumped the ace of clubs, which was led next.
He put down the ace of hearts, drawing a trump from each opponent, than laid down his second ace of hearts, dropping the king on his left.
«Damn,» said the doubler, «I thought I was going to win a trick with that one.»