Sarasota Journal – 22 Mar 1974 By Dan Howe
One friend did put in writing for us a play in bridge new to his experience.
An opponent of his, declarer at a doubled contract, led a side-suit queen after winning the first round of the suit with her king. Our friend, who had started with a singleton in that side suit, promptly ruffed the queen only to have his partner, who could spare a lower card, play her ace on the trick and start to lead to the next trick.
«l won that trick.» remonstrated our friend. Then he went on to christen his partner’s newly discovered strategem:
«I have heard many times of how a player trumped his partner’s ace, but you are the first partner who ever aced my trump!»
In a recent bridge conversation ‘What other kinds of conversations are there?) we used the term «rack.» and one of the group asked us what it meant. Well a «rack» (for short, or «card rack» for long) is somebody blessed with more than his share of good cards.
For instance, Bill Bulkeley, who had told us about many 25 or 26 point holdings over the last few months could be called a rack. Just the other dlay, in a regular rubber-bridge game which he graces, he held:
A K J x x x x A 10 x x x
That’s right 13 black cards. Why, we never held a hand like that in our life?
Bill opened four spades we can’t remember whether he was first, second, third, or fourth hand; maybe he never told us. An opponent, after some hesitation, overcalled five diamonds. And Bill went on to five spades. The opponent doubled and the double was passed around.
The opening lead, of course, was a high red card, and guess what dummy came down with the queen -small of spades and the king-queen-small of clubs. Seven was a lay-down. The rack racked. Q.E.D.