Blum on Bridge The Sky's the Limit
	I've been perusing a small hardcover in my library called "Men, Women, & Bridge." Published over 20 years ago, it was written by an above-average player from England, Richard Crawford. The book's sub- title, "Startling Tales at the Bridge Table", suggests many of the stories have a fictional quality about them. However, fictional or not, each provides the reader a reason to evaluate the other three people who sit at his table. What follows is one of those tales. As they say on the video, "It will be formatted to the size of my column." The strange affair began as J.B. and Manny strolled toward the 16th green. Both, presidents of large corporations, were on a Caribbean vacation. "Playing much bridge these days J.B.?" asked Manny. "Not much. Duplicate bores me and I don't like to play rubber bridge for small stakes and it's hard to find a game where the stakes are high enough to interest me." "What's high, J.B?" "The sky's the limit. What's high for you?" Manny shrugged and the conversation ended. Back in the states the phone rang in J.B's plush office. It was Manny. "J.B., this is about bridge. There are three of us who want to take you up on your high stakes bit. The other two are sharp neat players who won't waste your time. How high are you prepared to go?" "Like I told you; the sky's the limit." "Well J.B., come on over. We've got something going with sky written all over it, and don't forget your checkbook." As J.B. took the elevator to Manny's penthouse he began to think, "Did he really mean that the sky was the limit?" Well, it was too late to worry about that now. Manny greeted him at the door and the two sharp boys turned out to be the same age as he and Manny. After meeting them, Manny put forth his proposition. "We'll make this real spicy. We'll play four hands, like Chicago, except it will be game all each deal. Scoring the same as duplicate, but honors to count. The stakes will be $100 a point..." A long pause. Then J.B. said: "Did I hear right?" "You did, $100 a point." "So 3NT bid and made would rate $60,000." "Right." And a Grand Slam bid and made pulls in around $200,000." "Thereabouts." "Manny, this is the damnedest idea." "What do you say, J.B.? "Don't rush me, Manny." J.B. was torn between greed and panic. This was high-stake bridge and big money to be made in a short time. Four losing hands...With all eyes on him he snapped, "Make it one hand instead of four and you're on." It was agreed and they cut for partners. They also checked their bidding systems, defensive leads, etc. "What a farce it would be if the hand were thrown in," thought J.B. Then another thought. What if a grand slam was bid against him? How could he explain to his family that he was selling the house, farm, and most of his stocks on a bridge hand. His mouth became dry and afterwards he couldn't remember dealing, but he must have as he vividly remembered picking up 3-AKQJ752-42-AKQ. His heart leapt. With heart still pounding he opened 2 clubs (their strong bid). His lho without a flicker bid 4 spades. J.B.'s partner passed and rho bid 5 spades. "God why doesn't the phone ring and demand I leave immediately?" But the phone remained silent. J.B. did some mental arithmetic. "Five spades will cost me $65,000. I can't make any heart tricks and probably only two club tricks. If I bid 6 hearts down two doubled at worst will cost me $50,000. Seems I have no choice." In a gravedigger voice, he said, "6 hearts." To his great relief nobody doubled, and there was no more bidding. The king of spades was led. (Now you may uncover the hand.) The ace overtook the king and in almost the same movement East's ace of diamonds was played for the setting trick. "One down and 100 for honors," panted J.B. "All square." From someone came a gentle chuckle. Then all laughed heartily until Manny bid J.B. goodnight. Halfway home, trembling and still sweating profusely, J.B. was suddenly hit by a thought. Pulling over to the side of the road he said: "Hell, they had 6 spades cold. None of those sharpies mentioned it and nobody doubled my 6 hearts. That doesn't add up. I didn't notice, but I was in no state to notice anything. My god, I think they had the whole thing rigged. Now why would they do that?" He worried about it for days but no one enlightened him. The only noticeable change was the spectacle of J.B. playing rubber bridge quite contentedly for 2 cents a point.