Ellensburg Daily Record – 1 Ago 1956
South dealer East-West vulnerable
Miss Brash’s gambling three no trump bid should have been defeated. The defenders could have won the first five tricks in the heart suit. But Mr. Muzzy effectively loused up the play at the very first trick. Mr Champion opened his fourth best heart, the six. Trying to show no sign of distress, Miss Brash bravely played low from the board. Mr. .Muzzy obligingly played the king and the chance to heat the hand was gone.
Unpredictable
Mr. Muzzy is completely unpredictable. Often he will refuse to go up with the king, third hand, in a situation where he should make that play. His reason at those times is that he doesn’t want to “sacrifice” his king to declarer’s ace. But for some reason he didn’t have that fear in today’s hand.
“Why not piny your 10 on the first trick, Muzzy?” inquired Mr. Champion savagely.
Mr. Muzzy had an answer ready. “Because Miss Brash might have had the lone Jack,” he replied.
Rule of 11
“She couldn’t have the Jack,” said Mr. Champion. “She couldn’t have any card higher than the one I lead—the six spot. All you had to do was to use the rule of 11. “Subtract six from eleven and that leaves five. So there were five cards outside of my hand higher than the six. You had three hearts higher than the six and dummy had two.
Therefore Miss Brash didn’t have any.”
Mr. Muzzy was confused. Falling back on one of his old alibis, he said, “I always play third hand high—and most of the time it’s the right play.”
Mr. Champion never gives up. “Sometimes it’s the right play,” he yelled. “You’ve got to know when it’s right and when it’s wrong.
“Well, why didn’t you open the Jack of hearts,” said Mr. Muzzy desperately. “Then with the queen on the board right under my king-ten, I couldn’t have gone wrong.”
This sensational suggestion silenced even Mr. Champion.