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> Palmetto, Florida is a smallish tomato packing town located across the
> river from Bradenton about 45 miles south of Tampa. Last week it
> hosted a bridge tournament (no cash prizes) that drew 2500
> participants, the largest in Florida. A chess tournament in this area
> would probably draw about 10.

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>
><RSHaas@aol.com> wrote
>
>
>30 years ago 2500 wasn't huge for a regional bridge tournament (they last a
>whole week). I assume this was a regional. From its location in Outer
>Haaslandia they probably ran a Geritol Pairs, Geriatric Geritol Senior
>Teams, Seniors with Alzheimer's Individual, Oxygen Tent Teams, and a
>Saturday afternoon Deathbed Pairs followed by a Memorial Service Swiss to
>commemorate all those who passed away during the week due to the strain of
>lifting 13 cards.
>
>It's gotten so bad in bridge that the last big NY area regional did not hold
>any evening sessions. The rounds were late morning and mid-afternoon, so
>everyone could get back to the nursing home for warm milk and cookies.
>
>A couple of years ago my partner and I headed upstate for a Regional one
>gorgeous Autumn Friday afternoon. Halfway up one of us began to worry that
>we had mixed up the weekends. Anyway, when we got to the venue we looked
>around and were sure there was a bridge tournament just from the "feel" of
>the place and the people milling around. So we found a place to have lunch,
>went over our convention card, and drove back to the hotel to buy our entry.
>Oops! It turns out they were having an AARP convention there (the tournament
>was the following week).
>
>When I started playing tournament bridge in 1980 I was 26 years old and the
>youngest player at the event. Today, when I attend a rare bridge tournament
>I am still the youngest person in the room.
>
>Back in those days it was not uncommon to yell and scream at one's partner.
>That was one thing I hated about the game. To its credit, ACBL instituted a
>"nice nice" policy, which was a great idea. No cursing, no yelling, no
>screaming, no insinuations. Only problem is it's irrelevant today because
>everyone in the playing hall is deaf or blind or in a wheelchair (they can't
>chase you).
>
>When I was learning I always went for the strongest competition, which back
>then was Flight A. Nervy players like me, who were stronger than their
>masterpoint totals, could lie about their points and usually get a pretty
>decent partner. And the competition was wonderful! If you broke even,
>especially with a new partner, you were doing quite well. Today, there are
>no Flight A events. Everything is "stratified" which means they throw
>everyone together. As a result at pairs you don't encounter anything
>resembling a Flight A field except for at certain national events. All it
>takes to win an overall prize at a regional today is to play like an old
>lady.
>
>Back in the Flight A days everyone who played at that level could recognize
>and execute simple squeezes, endplays, and coups. Everyone could count to
>13. Today, a finesse is the most intricate play you're likely to encounter
>over 26 boards. If you want to play with the field, forget about anything
>more involved than that. And don't *ever* jeopardize your contract for an
>overtrick, no matter what the odds. In the old days you could be sure 12/13
>pairs your way would do so in a normal contract under the right conditions.
>Now you just look stupid.
>
>