Bridge Players’ Coloring Book
See the table!
It is a bridge table – ready for a bridge game.
Color everything nice and bright.
Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Coles will be over to play a game with the Wilsons.
They play every Tuesday night, and sometimes on Saturdays.
That’s how bridge is.
For a game of bridge there are two decks of cards.
Color them different colors – like maybe lavender and cerise.
It would never do to have both bridge decks the same color.
Why are there two decks?
That is a good question.
and someday we must ask Mr. Goren.
This is Mrs. Coles.
She is dealing the cards, because she is the Visiting Lady.
Color her dress light blue. Color her hair brown.
Isn't it nice that bridge players divide the cards evenly,
and there is no quarreling about who gets the most?
Now Mr. Wilson is dealing with the other cards.
Nobody wanted to play with those Mrs. Coles dealt.
Everyone passed.
No, they are no angry with Mrs. Coles.
They will let her deal some more after a while.
That’s how bridge is.
This is Mrs. Wilson.
She and Mrs. Coles are partners. They play against their husbands.
Color Mrs. Wilson’s dress to go nicely with her red hair.
Yes, it was blonde last week; but this week it is red.
No, that is not part of the bridge game.
Here is Mr. Coles.
Color his hair black.
Color his suit gray with nice, snappy pink stripes.
Mr. Coles is the sporty type.
He is ready to make an opening bid of four no-trump.
These are the cards Mr. Wilson is holding when Mr. Coles bids four no-trump.
Color some of the little spots black.
Color the other red.
It doesn’t matter much about the colors;
Mr. Wilson and Mr. Coles are not going to have too much use for these card.
Mr. Wilson is putting down the score.
See the frown marks on his forehead!
Color them black.
Mr. Wilson is frowning because he can’t remember
How much is down three, doubled?
Mrs. Wilson is helping her husband keep score.
She says: “Don’t forget you were vulnerable, too!”
This does not fill Mr. Wilson with joy.
But his wife looks pleased, doesn’t she?
Color her pleased.
Mrs. Coles is not playing this hand; she is the dummy.
Color a little dark brown on her lips; also on her finger tips.
She is eating chocolate candy.
The dummy lady always eat chocolate candy … or else salted peanuts.
That’s how bridge is.
This time, Mr. Coles is playing the hand.
Mr. Wilson is the dummy.
There is not much of Mr. Wilson to color.
That’s because he is out in the kitchen fixing a little something to drink.
That’s how bridge is, too.
This is a four card suit.
Color all four card the same color – red.
Color them as much as you want.
You won’t get into as much trouble coloring them
as Mr. Coles and Mr. Wilson do when they keep bidding them.
See all the tricks Mr. Coles has taken.
Twelve tricks – all except one.
This is little slam; it is usually very good.
But not if you partner raised you to a grand slam – which is what Mr. Wilson did.
He is out in the kitchen again, and Mr. Coles is down one!
Mrs. Coles is telling Mrs. Wilson what a nice wedding
the Turners' daughter had the other day.
Next, they will talk about what a fine boy she married.
Color both the ladies lively to match their conversation.
Color the men somewhat duller.
Look at Mr. Coles.
He is so happy you might think he is making a grand slam.
But it is even better than that.
His wife bid three no-trump without having the hearts stopped.
Mr. Coles has take five heart tricks, and now is playing is ace of clubs.
No wonder he is so happy. That’s how bridge is.
Mrs. Coles has a good hand.
But every time she bids, Mr. Coles bids higher.
Mrs. Coles wants to see what is in his hand;
She bets he doesn’t have anything at all.
Mr. Coles doesn’t particularly want her to see.
Color this situation a little stormy.
Here are four cards to color.
The Ace of Clubs belongs to Mr. Wilson; color it black.
The two other clubs should be black, too.
The other card is a diamond. Color it red.
Diamonds are trump; Mr. Coles didn’t have any clubs
so he put the trump on Mr. Wilson’s ace.
Mr. Coles is walking around his chair.
Why? Because he hopes it will change his luck.
Maybe it will; but not very much if he keeps on trumping his partner’s ace.
Better color this whole picture black.
Mrs. Coles has a funny look on her face.
No, she is not ill.
She forgot to count trump.
Now she doesn’t know whether there is any trump out against her, or not.
Color her face red.
See the clock!
Paint the clock mahogany.
Mrs. Coles has been looking at the clock, too.
And it looks like this bridge game is about over.
While Mr. Wilson puts down the score, Mr. Coles wants to deal another hand.
He says: “C’mon, it’s still early.”
But the ladies seem to think the game is over.
Better color this picture quickly.
Here is the score.
“They” means Mrs. Coles and Mrs. Wilson.
“We” means the men.
After five rubbers, all the score look about like this.
Which is why the men want to keep on playing.
Color this bridge table like the first one.
It’s read for the game next Tuesday at the Coleses’ house.
Surely the men will win next week, because, after all,
they are the better players?
But isn’t it remarkable how much luck the wives always have?
That’s how bridge is.