CONTRACT BRIDGE Playing for pay is a growing business

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33434, 16 January 1974, Page 15

CONTRACT BRIDGE Playing for pay is a growing business

(Contributed by J.R.W.)

There has always been a; certain amount of professionalism in the upper levels of the bridge world. Even before the days of Ely Culbertson players wrote books, taught or lectured, and of course playing for stakes goes back even further. Until recently the life of the professional was lean and hard but the bridge explosion of the last few years has brought better and juicier pickings. Though there is money in the game in Europe, it is in America that the pastures are greenest. There are probably hundreds of players making a living from newspaper columns, magazine articles, radio and television series,. proprietary clubs, bridge cruises, teaching, lectures, tournament organisation, books and bridge magazines. While none can object to activities of this nature, some of which may indeed be regarded as a public service, there is room for misgivings on a slightly different aspect of professionalism. This is the practice of; “playing for pay.” It is a long-established custom for the organisers of a congress or tournament in Europe or

America to invite a couple of name players along, pay their expenses and hotel bill and in some cases a fee. In return the event acquires a certain glamour and can be assured of a good attendance from those players who want to cross aces with the experts. In addition the stars will publicise it in their press articles. There is nothing reprehensible in this custom. But when an enthusiastic but average player hires an expert for a fee as a partner iin an event he or she wishes to win it raises questions of a different sort. Particularly when payment is by results, suspicions can arise that the partnership may sail a little close to the wind when observing the rules, and that the whole object of the exercise is to win rather than to take part. NOT FORBIDDEN The American Contract Bridge League has adopted what appears a somewhat

t hypocritical attitude to the • practice of payola. It dis--5 approves but does not forbid i it, but it has ruled that play- - ers are not permitted to ad- , vertise their availability and f price. Not surprisingly this > ruling has had little effect, 1 and now comes the news - that several wealthy ama--1 teurs have hired themselves f whole teams of four experts. > Obviously the sponsor r hopes his team will win through at least to the final ’ I stages of one of the more 1 prestigious national events 3 bringing him kudos, publicity ; and master points. Of course 3 it does not always work out ■ this way. One such team was 3 so far behind in one of its \ matches that nothing short ■ of desperate measures could ’i bring salvation. Unflinch■|ingly'they took them — the ' captain was brought in to Jj play. The story has a happy ’ ending, for he played with ' rare luck and considerable ’ skill bringing his team _ through to a narrow victory. J In the final stages of the " Spingold Trophy, the most P famous and longest established teams contest in the . United States, a majority of ; the survivors were profes- - sional teams.

CHANGE IN ATTITUDE? Again the official outlook of the A.C.B.L. seems hypocritical. On the one hand it has ruled that in the key final matches the captain must play at least half the i boards, but on the other i shows great reluctance to ■discourage sponsorship. The I truth of the matter seems to ibe that many of the officers iand members of the league Themselves derive financial I benefit from the game, so it ■is hard for them to rule that i no-one else should do like- ■ wise. i There may come a time soon when this attitude will I have to be reviewed. The i current method of selecting the American representative team is to take the winners of the four major national teams contests who play off against each other. It seems only a matter of time, and money, before a sponsored team wins through and it may be that at least one member owes his place in the American team more to his money than to his bridge ability. What is the difference between an amateur and a professional? It is much the same as in golf. The talented amateur can put together a couple of sub-par rounds, but the professional expects to do it three times almost as a matter of course. The top bridge player concentrates !on the elimination of error 'and the creation of extra I chances:

South arrived at a final contract of six hearts, against which West cashed the ace of clubs before switching to a trump. The declarer, a slap dash player, won in hand with the ace, crossed to dummy’s heart king then surveyed the scene. It all depended on which way he took the diamond finesse, he decided, so shrugging his shoulders he cashed the king then led a low diamond to the ten in his hand. West made the queen putting the contract one down.

About the only thing to be said for this line of play was that it got the agony over quickly. An expert ‘would

have given himself an extra chance. After drawing trumps he cashes the ace and king of diamonds, just in case someone has a doubleton queen. If nothing happens, he plays the king of spades, then a low spade to the jack in hand. If this wins he can discard dummy’s losing diamond on the spade ace and crossruff his way home. The chances of either the diamond or the spade finesse succeeding are equal, but cashing the ace and king of the former suit first gives an additional edge.