THE
DUKE OF CUMBERL
THE
DUKE OF CUMBERL
BATH,
1800s
'The
following remarkable hand of cards was dealt to the Duke of
Cumberland
as he was playing at whist at the rooms at Bath, by
which
he lost a wager of £20,000, not winning one trick,' says Richard
Proctor in his hook
How
to Play Whist (1885).
The deal has
passed
from whist history into bridge folklore, and a similar coup
appeared
in Ian Fleming's fiction (see page 114). The Duke of Cumberland
in question was probably the son of King George III.
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10
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
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§ |
A
Q 10 9 |
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N |
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A
K Q
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J
10 9 8 7 6 |
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K Q J |
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10
9 8 7 6 |
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K |
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J |
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K
J 9 7 |
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S |
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5
4 3 2 |
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5
4 3 2 |
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6
5 4 3 2 |
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Clubs
were trumps and the Duke of Cumberland (West) led a
small
trump. `Ninety-nine players out of a hundred would lead
trumps,'
says Proctor. `And in my opinion the hundredth would lead
wrongly.'
The
lead of §7
was covered by §8,
which won the trick. A diamond was ruffed, a second club finessed and another
diamond ruffed to return to the hand. A third club was finessed and then. North's
§A
could drop the Duke's last club. The last seven diamonds were good, making
thirteen tricks.
The hand is worthy of a place
in the archives of gambling coups. The Duke of Cumberland probably knew that the
hand was staged but still thought he could win a trick.
(for
those who are not sure. A major Suit lead would of course reduce dummy’s trump
holding and then the contract would go off !!)