Both today’s hand and the poignant quote by George Santayana might have begged the question of whether it is better to be lucky at cards (for our sake, bridge), or life in general.
Methinks since, even though it may be close, life, because it employs at least more time in its application, but, when we are playing our marvelous mind game, it often doesn’t FEEL that way.
Iain ClimieAugust 29th, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Hi Bobby,
What’s the old saying? “Lucky at cards, unlucky in love?” and presumably vice versa. You, I and many correspondents on here have had varying levels of success at the bridge table but (I hope) are happily married too; my 34th wedding anniversary is this Friday which shows I found someone with superhuman levels of tolerance or she just hasn’t managed an escape plan yet. The other side of the coin was quoted by David Spanier in “Total Poker”.
He described the character in Advanced Concepts of Poker (by Frank R. Wallace) who goves his entire life over to winning at the game to the detriment of any sort of social life. Dostoevsky’s The Gambler is a classic case of a compulsive loser but Spanier suggests that a complete obsession with winning can be almost as bad socially although it is more lucrative!
Interesting hand today but would West have been better off keeping a diamond or two more and letting one or two clubs go? South (the way things went) knows that West doesn’t have D winners any more so exiting with a small club is relatively safe.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffAugust 29th, 2022 at 5:44 pm
Hi Iain,
No doubt that David Spanier looks down on others who sacrifice social standing for mere obsession, but at or around the best in almost everything is hard to spot, among those who aren’t. Not to mention all the great inventors and discoverers who have improved our time on earth, thus thanks for deserting your private life for the common good!
And to those who teach English, is being safe from relatives similar to being relatively safe?
bobbywolffAugust 29th, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Hi again Iain,
Forgive me for not commenting on you and your gorgeous wife of 34 years getting ready to celebrate. Inform her gently that in spite of her chagrin it could always get worse, starting with thinking 35 and higher. “As time goes by” (reminds me of a great song), Judy often cautions me, of that blessing.
Iain ClimieAugust 29th, 2022 at 6:18 pm
Hi Bobby,
I love that bit in Casablanca too. Mind you, I have a VERY unexpected reputation as a romantic hero with one lady (not my wife who has no illusions).
About 6 years ago, a friend of mine who’d been divorced met a fellow divorcee and things went really well for a while, then he started to grumble about the logistics of travelling and backwards and tried to split up. She was very upset but we’d (the guy and myself) had arranged to meet that evening for a few beers and I said various stiff / rude words about ruining an unexpected (and probably undeserved) second chance with someone who seemed ideal but lived somewhere inconvenient. They got back together and are still going strong now.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffAugust 30th, 2022 at 4:37 am
Hi Iain,
Somehow Lauren Bacall got involved with, I believe, the Omar Sharif American bridge tour, and had a big dinner for the group with our next to last bridge stop around the mid 1970’s. She seemed likeable and very sexy so I issued her an invitation “if you want me, all you have to do is whistle”, but sadly there was no noise, making the quiet a thundering silence.
All of a sudden Humphrey Bogart showed up, and away they went.
You certainly did that undeserving bloke a huge favor, but ever since then, you probably should have used your special talent to instead, put together winning bridge partnerships.
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Hi Everyone,
Both today’s hand and the poignant quote by George Santayana might have begged the question of whether it is better to be lucky at cards (for our sake, bridge), or life in general.
Methinks since, even though it may be close, life, because it employs at least more time in its application, but, when we are playing our marvelous mind game, it often doesn’t FEEL that way.
Hi Bobby,
What’s the old saying? “Lucky at cards, unlucky in love?” and presumably vice versa. You, I and many correspondents on here have had varying levels of success at the bridge table but (I hope) are happily married too; my 34th wedding anniversary is this Friday which shows I found someone with superhuman levels of tolerance or she just hasn’t managed an escape plan yet. The other side of the coin was quoted by David Spanier in “Total Poker”.
He described the character in Advanced Concepts of Poker (by Frank R. Wallace) who goves his entire life over to winning at the game to the detriment of any sort of social life. Dostoevsky’s The Gambler is a classic case of a compulsive loser but Spanier suggests that a complete obsession with winning can be almost as bad socially although it is more lucrative!
Interesting hand today but would West have been better off keeping a diamond or two more and letting one or two clubs go? South (the way things went) knows that West doesn’t have D winners any more so exiting with a small club is relatively safe.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
No doubt that David Spanier looks down on others who sacrifice social standing for mere obsession, but at or around the best in almost everything is hard to spot, among those who aren’t. Not to mention all the great inventors and discoverers who have improved our time on earth, thus thanks for deserting your private life for the common good!
And to those who teach English, is being safe from relatives similar to being relatively safe?
Hi again Iain,
Forgive me for not commenting on you and your gorgeous wife of 34 years getting ready to celebrate. Inform her gently that in spite of her chagrin it could always get worse, starting with thinking 35 and higher. “As time goes by” (reminds me of a great song), Judy often cautions me, of that blessing.
Hi Bobby,
I love that bit in Casablanca too. Mind you, I have a VERY unexpected reputation as a romantic hero with one lady (not my wife who has no illusions).
About 6 years ago, a friend of mine who’d been divorced met a fellow divorcee and things went really well for a while, then he started to grumble about the logistics of travelling and backwards and tried to split up. She was very upset but we’d (the guy and myself) had arranged to meet that evening for a few beers and I said various stiff / rude words about ruining an unexpected (and probably undeserved) second chance with someone who seemed ideal but lived somewhere inconvenient. They got back together and are still going strong now.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
Somehow Lauren Bacall got involved with, I believe, the Omar Sharif American bridge tour, and had a big dinner for the group with our next to last bridge stop around the mid 1970’s. She seemed likeable and very sexy so I issued her an invitation “if you want me, all you have to do is whistle”, but sadly there was no noise, making the quiet a thundering silence.
All of a sudden Humphrey Bogart showed up, and away they went.
You certainly did that undeserving bloke a huge favor, but ever since then, you probably should have used your special talent to instead, put together winning bridge partnerships.