September 8, 2014

Grandpa was a Cardshark

John Stanley Golden - Whist Tournament 1936

Thanks to Newspapers.com, I’ve discovered a nice hidden secret about Grandpa Stan… possible cardshark? ♣

According to an article I found from 1936, the one and only Stanley Golden came in 2nd place in a game of Whist, earning him $20.00.

Let’s discuss two things here…

a. What’s Whist?

b. How much would $20 be in 1936, by today’s standards?

According to Encyclopedia Britannica:
whist, a trick-taking card game developed in England. The English national card game has passed through many phases of development, being first recorded as trump (1529), then ruff, ruff and honours, whisk and swabbers, whisk, and finally whist in the 18th century. Whist remains popular in Britain in the form of social and fund-raising events called whist drives.

Winnipeg Tribune 1936 Newspaper Article - Whist winners, Stanley Golden 115 points, 2nd place $20.00 — PIN IT

“Right behind her was Stanley Golden with 155 points , which earned him $20.00.”

Whist was a very popular card game in the early 18th and 19th centuries. Its popularity is comparable to that of Bridge by today’s criteria.

Whist is a four person game, with two fixed partnerships. Partners would sit facing each other while the game was played clockwise. The object of the game was to win a majority of the 13 tricks in a hand to score the most points.

Based on this article from the Winnipeg Tribune, Grandpa’s 115 points earned him the equivalent of $340.00 today.

NOT TOO SHABBY.

Unfortunately, I have not dug up anymore accounts of Grandpa’s sharking skills (har, har)… and clearly I have not inherited any of these abilities.

Go Fish.