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From: shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro)
Newsgroups: net.rec.bridge
Subject: Re: U.S. Wins Bermuda Bowl; Great Britain Wins Venice Cup
Message-ID: <2447@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 13:06:20 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.2447
Posted: Thu Nov  7 13:06:20 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 05:26:55 EST
References: <10894@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <605@bonnie.UUCP>
Reply-To: shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 30

In article <605@bonnie.UUCP> wjh@bonnie.UUCP (Bill Hery) writes:
>I don't follow tounament bridge, so excuse my ignorance about
>this question.
>
>From reading the names of the team members in the Bermuda Bowl and
>Venice cup matches, it seems that the Bermuda Bowl is for men and the
>Venice cup is for women.  Is that true?  If so, why?  I thought some
>of the best bridge players in the world were women, and see no reason
>why there should be separate tournaments for men and women.

   My understanding is that the Bermuda Bowl is an open tournament. It is
available to both men and women (and I believe some women have played in it
in past years) but the Venice Cup is only open to women.  Thus, while the
concept is sexist, it is biased towards women.

   The reason this probably came about is that most (but not all) of the
better players in the world are men. (For reasons that can be discussed at
a later time)  Therefore, most players representing their country in a
tournament like the Bermuda Bowl are also male. The same concept which
applies to the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup also applies in US championships.
e.g. The Vanderbilt and Spingold championships are open and opposite them
are run women's championships.  Each woman must decide for herself whether
she wishes to play in the open or women's championship. Most pick the
women's championship.

   Helen Sobel played many times on the US team and I believe that Dorothy
Truscutt also did. Sobel played with Charles Goren and Truscutt with B. J.
Becker.  Australia has a pair who are marrried (I think their name is
Bolin) who have represented their country many times.  Their have been others
but I can't remember.