(Umzekeliso nguDale Stephanos.) Indoda enento ezingama-20 idlale ibhulorho kunye namanenekazi amathathu amadala kule mini idlulileyo yeColumbus. Badlala kwiKlabhu yeebhulorho ye-Honours kwi-East 58th Street, apho umdlali we-median ubudala esemantla e-70 kunye nomoya onuka ikofu kunye nokwenza izithambiso. Ukuba ubungazi bhetele, ubungacinga ukuba lo mfana uzonwabisa ngomakhulu wakhe kunye nabahlobo bakhe ngenjikalanga.
Kodwa hayi. Umfana lo yayinguJohn Kranyak, umdlali webhulorho weentshatsheli kathathu ophumeleleyo ngoku oziphilisa njengebhulorho, edibana nabaxhasi abazizityebi. Ngaloo mva kwemini, Umnumzana Kranyak wayesebenza ukutshintshela kuqeshwe kukaMelanie Tucker, inkosikazi yezimali.
Obu budlelwane buqhelekile apha kwii-Honours, enye yeeklabhu zebhulorho ezinkulu ezintathu zaseManhattan kwaye kuthathelwa ingqalelo njengeyona hoity-toity. UMarjorie Wilpon, umfazi kaKen Wilpon (ongumzala wokuqala kumnini weMets uFred Wilpon), udlala apha. Unjalo noJustine Cushing, ongutata wakhe owayengumphuhlisi weScaw Valley.
Kwesi sihlwele, ibhulorho ayisiyonto nje yokuhamba kwexesha yabantu abadala abangenzi nto, kodwa yinto ebalulekileyo yokukhuphisana nabantu abanamava ebomini abaqhele ukubaphumelela. Kwitafile ezili-11 ezinikezelwe kumdlalo okwinqanaba eliphezulu ngala mvakwemini, ezisibhozo ziqulathe intsebenziswano phakathi komthengi kunye nepro. Ubuninzi bezi zibhangqwana buboleka inyani kwi-axiom eyaziwayo yaseMae West ukuba ibhulorho elungileyo ifana nesondo elungileyo: Ukuba awunalo iqabane elilungileyo, kungcono ube nesandla esihle.
Umahluko kukuba kwibhulorho, ayithathwa njengesiqhelo ukuhlawulela ilungelo. Ngosuku lweveki lweyure ezintathu ukhuphiswano kwiklabhu efana ne-Honours, ukulanda kulanda naphi na ukusuka kwi- $ 150 ukuya kwi- $ 225. Njengoko izibonda ziphakama, kunjalo ke namaxabiso. Kwiitumente zommandla, izinto eziluncedo zenziwa kubumelwane be- $ 500 ukuya kwi-1, 000 yeedola ngemini, eneetumente ezimbini zeeyure ezintathu. Kwiitumente ezinkulu zelizwe, iingeniso zenza ukuya kuthi ga kwi-3, 000 yeedola ngemini, ngelixa ezona zinto zilungileyo zibiza abathengi umrhumo wonyaka wokugcina ukuya kuthi ga kwi-200,000 yeedola kwaye bakhuphe ingeniso yamanani asixhenxe.
UJudi Radin, intshatsheli yamaxesha amane, uziphilisile ngebhulorho ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-40, ukusukela oko wayeneminyaka eli-17. Yindlela yokuphila esekwe kwijet: Uqikelela ukuba ukuya kwiitumente kumsusile kwindlu yakhe yaseManhattan Isiqingatha selo xesha. Kodwa wandixelela ukuba, kwiprojekhthi yebhulorho, iNew York yindawo ekufanele ukuba ibe kuyo.
Sinethamsanqa apha. Baninzi abantu apha abafuna ukuqesha abantu kunenye indawo. INew York neFlorida lelona thuba lihle lokuba uxakeke kwaye ube nomsebenzi, u-Ms Radin uthi.
Njengoncedo oluninzi, UNks Radin uzijonga njengabahlobo abasenyongweni nabanye babathengi bakhe, ahamba nabo esiya kwisidlo sangokuhlwa nakwithiyetha. UMelih Ozdil, iprojekhthi abathengi abathathu abaqhelekileyo kubandakanya uNks Cushing, ufumana i-inshurensi yakhe yezempilo komnye wabathengi bakhe, nangona engavumi ukundixelela ukuba yeyiphi. Kubathengi abanobunzima bokuphelisa unikezelo lwemali, ukuhlawula ipro kuthathwa njengemali esetyenziswe kakuhle.
Udlala neqabane elingcono kunawe, kwaye uzama ukufunda ukugcina isiphelo sakho, kwaye kuyenza ibenomdla ngakumbi, U-Ms Cushing ucacisile, esithi ubudlelwane bakhe noMnumzana u-Ozdil uliphakamisile inqanaba lakhe ukusuka kumyinge ukuya phezulu- umndilili.
Ngenxa yokuba amaxabiso eetumente zeklabhu evekini aphantsi xa kuthelekiswa, uninzi lwee-elite pros ziyazigcinela umdlalo wengingqi, wesizwe nowamazwe aphesheya. Phantse bonke abadlali abaphezulu badlala nabaxhasi. Ngenxa yoko, amaqela aphezulu kwiitumente zaseMelika, ezibandakanya izibini ezithathu, okanye abadlali abathandathu kwiqela ngalinye, zilandela ubumbeko olwahlukileyo: umxhasi omnye osisityebi kunye neenzuzo ezintlanu kwingqesho yomxhasi. Abaxhasi abaphezulu bahlawula i-1 yezigidi zeedola okanye ngaphezulu ukuhambisa amaqela abo amaphupha.
Khawufane ucinge ukuba ungabhatala uLeBron James, uKobe Bryant, uMichael Jordan kunye noShaquille O'Neal kwaye ungangumfo wesihlanu, u-Aviv Shahaf, umlawuli we-Honours. Kwaye wawukwinqanaba elalilungile kodwa hayi inqanaba leNBA. Yiyo kanye le nto.
Abaxhasi abakhulu eNew York bathanda ukuba ngabadlali abakhulu kwezemali. Abaxhasi ababini abahlawula kakhulu nguFrank T. Nick Nickell, umphathi weKelso & Inkampani, inkampani yabucala yabucala, kunye noJimmy Cayne, owayekade eyihlazo kwi-CEO ye-Bear Stearns. Ngaphambi kokuba afudukele eFlorida, uSylvia Moss, owayesakuba liqabane kwiBlackstone Group, wayengomnye wabaxhasi abakhulu kwiSixeko saseNew York. UMartin Fleisher, umnini weDearborn Capital Partners, yenye ibhulorho ebalaseleyo. 
UGail Greenberg kwiKlabhu ye-Honours Bridge. (Ifoto ngu-Amanda Lea Perez)
(Ukuthambekela kuka Mnu. Cayne nge bhulorho ngoku kuyinxalenye engathandekiyo kwimbali yezemali: Xa iBear Stearns yabona ukuba iingxowa-mali zayo ezinkulu zazingaphantsi ngo-2007, umsitho wawuthathwa njengomanduleli wokuwa kwenkampani kunye nokudodobala kwemali kunyaka olandelayo, Mnu. Cayne Isimanga? Wayekwitumente yebhulorho eNashville, enqunyulwe kwihlabathi.Ngoku akasenakubekelwa bucala ngumsebenzi wosuku, uMnu Cayne uchitha ixesha lakhe edlala kwi-intanethi ku-bridgebase.com phantsi kwegama lomsebenzisi jec. Emva kokuwa kwe-Bear Stearns, abantu bayakwenza iakhawunti ngokukodwa ukumkhathaza uMnu Cayne ngexesha lemidlalo yakhe, kunyanzelwa abalawuli besiza ukuba baqinise ukhuseleko.)
Isiko labaxhasi kwibhulorho lisusela emva kwiminyaka yoo-1960, xa usomashishini osisityebi waseTexas ogama linguIra Corn wadinwa ngamaqela aseMelika aphulukana namaqela ase-Italiya. Kumngxunya wokuthanda izwe, uMnu.Corn wayalela abona badlali babalaseleyo imali abanokuyithenga ukuba badlale naye. Waseka irejimeni yokuziqhelanisa, waqesha abaqeqeshi kwaye wasebenzisa ikhompyuter ukuhlalutya izandla. Kodwa kwakungekho de washiya itafile ngokwakhe kwaye waqengqa iqela leengcali ezintandathu apho iqela, labiza i-Dallas Aces, laqala ukuphumelela izihloko kwaye labuyisa ubungangamsha bebhulorho eMelika.
Isithethe saseMelika sebhulorho exhaswa ngabaxhasi siyayahlula kwamanye amazwe aphezulu njenge-Italiya, iPoland neNetherlands, apho ilizwe ngokwalo lihlawula imali yokungenela ukhuphiswano kwaye, kwezinye iimeko, liqhuba iinkqubo zoqeqesho kuzwelonke. Iitonamenti ziba ngumcimbi wokuzingca kwelizwe, kwaye amaqela aphezulu adlala neengcali ezintandathu zihlala zibetha amaqela aseMelika akhubazekileyo.
Ngelixa abanye betyhola inkqubo yenkxaso yoku, abanye bathi inkqubo yaseMelika ivelisa abadlali abaphezulu abaphambili ngokuphembelela ubuchule bokuqeqesha ngokusisigxina ukugxotha imali enkulu. Kwaye nangona inkqubo yabaxhasi yayililelwa ekuqaleni, yamkelwe kula mashumi eminyaka angenelelayo. Abaxhasi abafana noMnumzana Corn owala ukudlala banqabile kwezi ntsuku: Ukuba umntu othile uyakhwela imali kwaba badlali, bafuna ukwabelana ngozuko.
Aba ngabantu abakhuphisanayo abathe banyuka ngokwamanqanaba eshishini. Bafuna ukuba phaya bedlala, utshilo u-Augie Boehm, iprojekhthi esekwe eManhattan.
Kwangelo xesha, bafuna ukuqiniseka ukuba bayaphumelela, oko kuthetha ukuba kulisiko ukuba abaxhasi badlale kuphela iipesenti ezingama-50 zezandla kwitumente, ubuncinci obuncinci phantsi kwemigaqo. Enye into, kwaye iya kuba luhambo lwe-ego, wongeze uMnu. Boehm.
Ndawubuza lo mbuzo kuMnumzana Shahaf, weeHonours, malunga nokuba ukuqesha abarhwebi kwakuthathwa njengeyona ndlela iphantsi yokuphumelela. Uphendule umbuzo wam ngombuzo:
Ngaba yayikukukhohlisa ukuba uLebron wayefuna ukudlala noDwyane Wade? Hayi. Umntu ufuna ukuphumelela, kwaye wakha iqela elifanelekileyo.
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Ukuba ibhulorho ekumgangatho ophezulu kunye nemali yaseWall Street zinxibelelene kakhulu akufuneki zimangalise; isibheno somdlalo kwiWall Streeters zimiselwe kakuhle. USteve Weinstein, ugqirha odlala kwiqela likaMnumzana uNickell, wayesakuba ngumrhwebi weWall Street owayethathe umhlala-phantsi emva kwe-9/11 ukudlala ibhulorho ngokusisigxina. UJoe Grue, umdlali weNew York Bridge Association umdlali wonyaka ngo-2010, wayengumntu owayekade engumthengisi. UDavid Einhorn, i-hedge fund maven owayebonakala emgceni wokuba neNew York Mets ngo-2011, ibhulorho kunye nomdlali we-poker.
Nditsho nokwakhiwa kwabaphathi abaphezulu kwi-Bear Stearns kuthethe unxibelelwano phakathi kwebhulorho kunye nezemali. Kwakuyibhulorho ezisa uMnu Cayne kwi-Bear Stearns kwindawo yokuqala: Ngexesha lodliwanondlebe lomsebenzi no-Alan Ace Greenberg, owayengumphathi wenkampani kunye nebhulorho eyayizinikele ngokwakhe, umxholo womdlalo weza. Umnumzana Cayne ngenkalipho wabhengeza ukuba wayengumdlali ongcono kuno Mnu.Greenberg kwaye wayeza kuhlala evuzwa ngemoxie yakhe ngokuqeshwa kwindawo eyi- $ 70,000. UWarren Spector, owayesakuba ngumongameli-naye, ungumdlali webhulorho ngokunjalo. U-Alan Schwartz, enye i-CEO yangaphambili, uxelwe ukuba waye phambili kwinkampani xa uMnu Cayne efunda ukuba wayehlala edlala ibhulorho.
Isikali semali sidale inkqubo yokufumana amanqaku yale bhulorho ngokwayo. Ngo-1925, uHarold Stirling Vanderbilt, ngelixa wayekhwele inqanawa esuka eLos Angeles esiya eHaana edlula kwiPanama Canal, waqulunqa into eyaziwa ngokuba yibhulorho yesivumelwano, apho abadlali kufuneka bavavanye ngokuchanekileyo ukuba mangaphi amaqhinga abaza kuwathatha ekuqaleni komdlalo esekwe ezandleni zabo kwaye yenza ikhontrakthi esebenza njengesiseko sokufumana amanqaku.
Izizathu zomdlalo ezitsala iingqondo ezijolise kushishino zicacile: Ibhulorho inokhuphiswano kwaye inzima ngokungenamda, kubandakanya uthotho olungapheliyo lwezibalo ezifutshane kunye nexesha elide. 
Ibhulorho elungileyo ifana nesondo elungileyo: Ukuba awunalo iqabane elilungileyo, kungcono ube nesandla esihle.
Ixabiso lokungena liphezulu. UJeff Bayone, umnini weManhattan Bridge Club, enye yeeklabhu ezinkulu ezintathu zedolophu, ukholelwa ukuba awunakho nokuhlala phantsi udlale ibhulorho ngaphandle kokuba uneeyure ezili-12 zezifundo. Umnumzana Shahaf, wee Honours, undixelele ukuba awunakuxhoma nabadlali abanesidima kude kube ubuncinci unyaka-kwaye ke ukuba unetalente.
Ukucinga kohlalutyo olufunekayo kwibhulorho kukwahlukile kwingqondo yomntu. Iikhompyuter zinokubetha abadlali be-chess behlabathi kodwa hayi kwibhulorho. Isizathu esinye soku kukuba inqanaba lokubhida ekuqaleni komdlalo webhulorho, apho abadlali bamisela ikhontrakthi yokugqibela kwimijikelo, ayinasisombululo sinye, esifanelekileyo kwindawo nganye.
Thelekisa ibhulorho kwi-poker, umzala wayo okrwada. Ngelixa ibhulorho ihlalutya ngokungenasiphelo, i-poker inengqondo ngakumbi: Kwimidlalo ekwinqanaba eliphezulu, wonke umdlali osetafileni unokubala ukungangqinelani kwangoko, kwaye yintoni eyahlula abadlali ababalaseleyo kwipakethi kukukwazi ukuphakamisa ukuxelela, njengokuvulwa kwe i-brow njengomboniso we-bluffing.
Umnumzana Bayone uthe, Abona badlali bebhulorho bangcono, njengeqela, abantu bezemali, iingcali, amagqwetha. Abona badlali babalaseleyo be-poker baneminyaka eli-19 ukuya kweli-22 yabantwana abangazange bayenze enye into.
Omnye umahluko kukuba imali isembindini we-poker, ngelixa ibhulorho idlalelwa kungekho zibonda ngaphandle kwe-masterpoints, inani elibalekayo lamanqaku abeka abadlali ngokulinganayo kumanqaku e-chess. Ke, ibhulorho iyayanelisa inyani kwindalo iphela yokuba abo banemali eninzi abakuthandi ukuthetha ngayo.
Kakhulu, nangona kunjalo, uhlobo lwebhulorho lubonisa umceli mngeni ongapheliyo wengqondo kubantu abaphumeleleyo ebomini kubashiya befuna eminye imiceli mngeni. Inomdla othuthuzelayo, njengoGqirha wezifo zengqondo uMelvyn Schoenfeld, oqhelekileyo kwiKlabhu yaseManhattan Bridge, wayibeka.
Thatha ugqirha wefashoni u-Isaac Mizrahi, owafunda umdlalo ngokuyalelwa ngumama wakhe odlala ibhulorho, owamxelela ukuba, ukuba akafundanga ukudlala eneminyaka engama-30, ngekhe abenabahlobo ngeminyaka engama-40. Mnu Mizrahi ndichaze itumente yebhulorho kum njengeyona ndlela intle yokusebenzisa iiyure ezintathu zobomi bakho. Kwibhulorho, ufumana ukondla kwengqondo kunye nengqondo.
Ndicinga ukuba kubaluleke kakhulu ukugcina loo meko yokuba sesichengeni, utshilo. Kuya kufuneka uyincame qho emva kwexesha. Kuya kufuneka ungene egumbini kwaye ube sisidenge kwaye ungayazi into oyenzayo. Yiyo kuphela indlela onokufikelela ngayo emhlabeni. Kwaye eso sisifundo esikhulu sebhulorho.
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Ifumaneka kumgangatho we-14 wesakhiwo seofisi kwicala elingasempuma, igumbi lezemidlalo le-Honors lilala nobutyebi balo obuqhelekileyo. Abadlali abalikhulu elinamanci mabini anesine bahlala ngohlobo lwe-L kwiitafile ezipakishwe ngokuqinileyo phantsi kweesilingi eziphantsi. Uninzi lweekomityi zekofu zeStyrofoam zineempawu ezinkulu zomlomo. I-shades iyatsalwa, ivala ukukhanya kwelanga emva kwemini, kwaye incoko ayibonakali ngokucacileyo; iziyobisi ziyanelisa ukulungiswa kwazo. 
Indawo ekwiklabhu ye-Honours Bridge kwi-veki nganye yangasemva kwemini. (Ifoto ngu-Amanda Lea Perez)
Kwezi klabhu zintathu ziphambili zikarhulumente eManhattan, ii-Honours zitsala ezona ziphumo zibalulekileyo, ngelixa iManhattan Bridge Club kwicala lasentshona ithathwa njengeyona ingesosikweni, noluhlu olubanzi lwabadlali. (Kutshanje, bekukho amarhe okuba ii-Honours neManhattan bacinga ngokudibana.) Iqela lesithathu yiCavendish, e-East 88th Street. Izinto eziluncedo oza kuzifumana kwicala lasempuma, kuba kulapho ikhoyo imali, utshilo uMnu.Bayone, waseManhattan, ngaphambi kokulungisa ingxelo yakhe: Abasentshona banokuba nemali efanayo, kodwa sisimo sengqondo esahlukileyo.
Ibhulorho ihlala iyinto ebonakalayo kwiiklabhu ezizodwa zentlalo, njengeRegency Whist Club kwi-East 67th Street (ikhwelo ngumdlalo ophuma kuyo ibhulorho, njengombhoxo ukuya kwibhola ekhatywayo) kunye neColony Club kwi-East 62nd Street. Kodwa iManhattan socialites inokwenzeka, ukuba ayinakufane yenzeke, ukuba ifumaneke kwiiklabhu zikawonke-wonke, ezinesimo se-humdrum esigqithise kubuninzi beetumente kunye nokhuphiswano olomeleleyo.
Ngaba ibhulorho ngumdlalo ofayo eMelika? Umyinge weminyaka yokuba lilungu leAmerican Contract Bridge League, isigqeba somdlalo, uneminyaka engama-67. Ngeminyaka yoo-1940, ibhulorho yayidlalwa kumakhaya angama-44 e-Melika, ngokwe-Association of American Playing Card Manufacturers. Akukho manani ahambelanayo, kodwa akukho mntu unokuphikisa ukuba ipesenti yehle kakhulu.
Okwangoku, amanani aluhlaza abambe ngokuthe chu kangangesiqingatha senkulungwane: Ngo-1970, ubulungu be-ACBL babemi kuma-170,000. Namhlanje, elo nani lizi-167,000, kuquka nabemi baseNew York City abangama-2 420. Okwangoku, umdlalo uqhuma ngokuthandwa kwiindawo ezinjenge China, Russia ne Mpuma Yurophu.
Kumzamo wokuhlakulela izizukulwana ezizayo zabadlali baseMelika, abazinikeleyo kwezemidlalo, uBill Gates noWarren Buffett, babeka iintloko kunye nezipaji zabo ngo-2005 kwilinge lokukhuthaza ibhulorho kwizikolo zaseMelika. Iinkqubo ezifanayo kwi-chess ziye zaphumelela, kwaye iibhulorho ezomelezayo zithi ugxininiso lomdlalo olukhethileyo kubambiswano lwenza izifundo ezingcono kune-chess, umdlalo wabanye oye wanxulunyaniswa neejenali zengqondo ukuya kwi-paranoia. Kodwa le nkqubo yawa ngobuso, abanye betyhola abaphathi abangafanelekanga kwaye abanye betyhola abantu baseMelika abazimeleyo, abafuna ukuzanelisa kwangoko.
Ukanti inani labadlali abaphambili kulo mdlalo liye lancipha kule minyaka idlulileyo. Kwixesha elidlulileyo, kwathatha amashumi eminyaka ukudlala izandla ezaneleyo ukuhlangabezana neemeko ezaneleyo zokuba ngabantu abakhethekileyo. Kodwa ngoku, ngenxa yokuncokola kokudlala kwi-Intanethi, ukuqokelela amava aneleyo kuthatha iqhezu lexesha langaphambili. Umnumzana Shahaf wandixelela ukuba iminyaka yobudala yomdlali webhulorho ibikade ingama-40 kunye nama-50; ngoku, zii-30s.
Kukho umdla owaneleyo kwibhulorho phakathi kwabantu abancinci ukuba iindawo ezinjengeeHonours ziya kujongeka ngokufanayo kwiminyaka engama-30 ukusukela ngoku njengokuba besenza namhlanje, utshilo uMnu Shahaf.
Indawo yebhulorho eNew York ayitshintshanga kakhulu ixesha elide, kwaye ndiyathandabuza ukuba iyakutshintsha kakhulu kwixesha elizayo.
UKULUNGISA: Ingxelo yangaphambili yeli bali yaxela ukuba uJudy Wilpon udlala ibhulorho kwi-Honours. Ngapha koko, umdlali nguMarjorie Wilpon. UMarjorie Wilpon ubize le Umjongi ukusazisa ukuba unamanqaku angama-3500. Inkqubo ye- Umjongi uyazisola ngempazamo.
