Famous Bridge Players

The Good  

Alvin Roth, a very ethical player was once defending 7NT in a money game. The hand featured this heart suit in a three card ending: 

                         North

                         H. K43

        West                        East (Roth)

        H. 862                      H. Q95

                         South

                         H. AJ10

South had started with four hearts originally and had to guess who had the HQ. He started by leading the HJ from his hand. West went into an Oscar winning performance trying to make South think he had the queen and finally played low. South, taken in by all of this, also played low as did Roth! When Roth's partner saw that Alvin had the queen and could have defeated 7NT by taking the trick, he asked Roth why he hadn't taken the trick with the queen. "Because I thought you had it", said Roth.  

The Crafty  

John Crawford achieved considerable notoriety as a shrewd card player. According to legend, he was once in a hopeless four-spade contract. About midway through the play this exchange takes place:

Crawford: The rest are mine. Making five.

Opponent: What do you mean! I still have a trump trick.

Crawford: Oh, you’re absolutely right. Great defense, too, to hold me to four.

Opponent: Thank you. 

and The Cheeky  

Helen Sobel, one of the greatest woman player of all time, was a chorus girl before taking up bridge. Not forgetting her roots she used this little ploy when she was missing an important queen in a slam or grand slam contract playing against two men: she raised her skirt a little above her knees before playing. It never failed that the fellow without the queen would look and the one with the queen was so intent on taking a trick with that card that he didn't. Helen always found the queen .

With Thanks from the Eddie Kantar website