By Alfred Sheinwold
The difference in the style of the two cities is shown by their management of this hand:
| ♠ K 9 7 6 5 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ K 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ J 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 10 8 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ J 3 | ♠ 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♥ Q J 6 | ♥ A 7 4 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♦ A Q 9 7 6 2 | ♦ K 5 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 9 6 | ♣ A K J 7 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| ♠ A Q 10 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ 10 9 8 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ 10 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ Q 5 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
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This reporter played the hand at five diamonds and made six, thanks to the fact that the ♥K was in a favorable position and that the clubs obligingly broke three-three.
Credit must be given to Lew Mathe for his obstructive opening bid of 2♠ and to Meyer Schleifer for his raise to 3♠. The Los Angeles stars were bent on making life difficult for us New Yorkers. And they did keep us out of a slam that we might have bid if left to our own devices.
At the other table, Ira Rubin of Los Angeles opened the west hand with a weak two-bid in diamonds. His partner, Ivan Erdos, jumped to 4NT to check on aces. Rubin showed one by bidding 5♦ and Erdos went on to six.
That bold slam bid gave L.A. 7 IMPs.