Judge — July 25, 1931 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE Let’s Get Standardized I’ the bridge wars between various contract experts keep on there will only be one result—a super-war which will end not only bridge but civiliza- tion as well. The bri world will have to come to a standardized set of signals, and I am accordingly anxious to do my bit toward saving it from destruction. These signals, which combine the best features of all the 146,874 systems now in existence, fol- low: “Who dealt?"”—This signal, which I modestly christen the Cummings convention, means: “For the love of mud, Clara, I didn’t come here to hear you and Mrs. Harper jaw about $5.64 chintzes all night. It’s quarter of eleven, we're 1800 points down, and I've got a tough day at the office to morrow. Pick up your cards and bid “L ought to be damn lucky at love.” —This is the forei system, and means: usual, partne I've got a bust as Don't ope unless you've got everything in’ the deck in your own hand. Remember, we're vulnerable.” “Did anybody shuffle these is now the s' dicate a freak holding such as_ five honors of seven or more cards of the same suit. It is much more satisfac- tory than the old three-bid, as. the holder's partner is immediately in formed of something unusual, “What did we say we were playing for?" —This should be delivered when you have made a rash bid, and your partner is obviously deliberating about jumping te Intelligently ap- plied, it can save an average of 1000 in penalties during the course of an evening. “That's counting them, partne This is known technically as the Es- tablished Suit Reminder. It means: ou sap, those three low diamonds in the dummy are all good! Don't lead that spade or we'll be down 500.” This remark, of course, is never de livered by anyone but the dummy, and greatly towards his tak ing a helpful interest. in the even when he isn’t playing the : Using. the entions, I'm willing to stack up against any team in the game. a sl five ce —Parke Cummincs “What she gonna be, Hank, a weddin’ or a funeral?” comicbooks.com