Monday, 14 September 2009

DR. JOHN'S CASE NOTES.........................One condition that has affected countless bridge players over time can only be described as a suicidal form of madness. Labelled the ANNE BOLEYN SYNDROME, it was first diagnosed in Tudor times, when bridge first surfaced as a game fit for kings and queens. Victims of this syndrome had a bizarre tendency to stick their necks out, despite the obvious risks involved.....such as "getting the chop". They would make such outrageous and ludicrous over-bids, the opponents were left with no other option but to weild the axe. Indeed, these ridiculous bids could only be attributed to madness. The minds of these poor afflicted souls had completely gone. In a nutshell, these lunatic bidders could be described as totally deranged, utterly insane, completely nuts, stark-raving bonkers, out-of-their-tree, off-their trolley, well and truly doo-lally.....living on another planet or gar-gar land. Anne Boleyn's bids bids had cost her partner, King Henry, several thousands in penalty points. Eventually, she had stuck her neck out once too often......and once too far. Tragically for her, the opponents had kept muttering under their breath "she's off her head"......."she's off her head"....... but Henry, who was hard of hearing, registered these words as " off with her head". Welcoming such advice, he rose from his chair to summon the guards to take his demented partner away for the axeman to do his work. Yet despite the well documented account of why poor Anne Boleyn was sentenced to death, bridge players even today continue to behave in the same appalling way. The syndrome it seems completely blinds them to the risks of incurring partners' wrath........replacing logic and reasoning with delusion and absurdity.

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