BRIDGE WIZARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22961, 12 February 1938, Page 10 (Supplement)

BRIDGE WIZARD

Jfas BuiM A Business House, of Cards "COSTS ME A FORTUNE TO BE POLITE"

MR. ELY CULBERTSON dealt the cards and picked up his hand, writes Andrew Kidd\ ill* the Sunday Chronicle, London. . " Yes,'l have built up a £1,000,000 business on a pack of cards, he said, and then . . . "One spade." I glanced nervously at my hand and then at the grim "playing" expression of Mr. Culbertson. We were playing in Mr. Culbertson's room in a London hotel. "Two hearts," I said. "Hm," murmured the man who has made millions bridge-conscious, and I went cold. Startling Income ■ "The Culbertsons, Limited," he continued evenly, while X made frantic attempts to reassess my hand, "have a' gross annual income averaging £150,000. One year it was as high as £200,000. < "I am president and managing director of' the corporation; my wife is vice-president. We are employees of the corporation, and are both paid an annual salary of £BOOO plus expenses . Two spades." I took a look at the maestro.

controlling a number of limited liability companies—is thus consolidated," =. said Mr. Culbertson finessing my only honour. "Ho cleaned up tho remainder of the hand while he told me of tho corporation's revenuo resources. They include: Elalo of patented chemical-com-position playing cards ... £50.000 Books on bridge (America and England) £25,000 Foreign translation of btidge books £3.000 Daily articles of Mr. Culbertson syndicated in 170 American newspapers .. . • • • £JO,ooo Two bridge magazines .. .. £B,OOO Advertising endorsements . .. £4,000 Radio broadcasts .. .. • • »5-OUU Moving picture shorts .. .. £SOOO Culbertson Studio of Teachers .. £5,000

There is also considerable revenue from bridge clubs up and down the United States. He totted up the score which had nearly brought him in the same revenue, and then picked up the hand I had dealt. "We employ'® largo staff at the Culbertsoi&;' .InnUted* building . ,in New wktortxph:

• 4 'There is •: an elahorite ; . .- complete even to a research department.' Three> no- trumps. "Sis exports are employed continuously in the research • 'department, working out modifications' of the Culbertson system and testing 'unusual probabilities in the fall of the cards. • , "Incidentally, tha.t king of yours fell because you under-rated the intelligence of your opponent. That is the second thing to remember in bridge." He smiled and paused for breath. "It costs me approximately £BOOO a year to be polite," he continued after he had stacked up another two tricks. I glanced*" apprehensively. - toward Mr. Culbertson's partner, but the bridge wizard was not thinking of the table. He explained "We have-air average , of .1000 letters Esr day from bridge enthusiasts. Every tter must be answered;-That means a big bill in postage, stationery and stenographers' salaries." Selling " Ghost" Before Mr. Culbertson startled tho world with.bis bridge system he .was a struggUfffJtjteacher of nsychology. Then be met and married Mrs. Culbertson. "My wife, believing .that there were too many psychology - professors and too few good bridge masters, persuaded me to take up bridge as a career. I did. "I have accomplished the seemingly impossible—selling to the public an. abstraction, a ghost, an idea." He .swept -up. .the last trick and pulled the scoring block toward him. "Game and rubber," said Mr. Culbertson. "All right, don't be alarmed..; I for money ... although I have made thousand? of pounds .out o£ cards. 1 a golden rule: play for money, don't *no|fc to lcfWfc Take and •will' lopfc ! ''Wi4r^themselves." He afiledfi.again. Automatically; his hands strayed toward the pack and he shuffled the curds, flipping over the little pieces of pasteboard that had made for him £i,000,000. : . . I

"No bid," I said, and asked a question abdut the future of the Culbertson corporation. (Mrs. Culbertson has gone to Reno to seek a divorce.)

"Your lead," said Mr. Culbertson to my partner. "We shall continue in our positions with the corporation after the divorce. -* •> > ,• 1 s * .< ■ *

$ * Equal Partner "I a statement out of court*.-:, voluntarily transferring onehalf of my interests and holdings to Mrs. Culbertson and for our two children. Mrs. Culbertson will remain an equal partner in the business." Mr. Culbertson took the trick, saying kindly:' "Must I tell you that the first thing to learn in bridge is observation? And, uimultaneously, the ability to draw inferences. Please watch every card that is played." He led a card.

-"It has been arranged that by an irrevocable will I must leavethe second half of my holdings to Mrs. Culbertoon upon .condition that the children, when they 'resdi their majority,- 1 shall receive not more than £BO a month. J 'vend Jor Research * said - Mr. Culbertson to Sur death the balance of our shares will revert to special scientific foundation for > in physics." . ■ v

He stacked tip another trick.' ' "The future of the . Culbertsons, Limited —and it is now a corporation