Helen Sobel Smith

Helen Sobel Smith [The ACBL Official Encyclopedia of Bridge lists her as "Helen Martin Smith" (Mrs Stanley), but the ACBL Hall of Fame lists her as "Helen Sobel-Smith"; in practice she was universally known as "Helen Sobel". The title here could be redirected from Smith to Sobel, especially as there is another, lesser, Helen Smith.] (1910 – September 11, 1969) was an American bridge player, arguably the best female player of all time.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Helen was a chorus girl in her youth. She appeared in several stage shows, the best known being "Animal Crackers" with the Marx Brothers. Another chorus girl taught her bridge: she took to the game like a duck to water. From that moment on, there was no doubt about her future. She won 31 North American Bridge Championships, and was the first woman to play in the Bermuda Bowl. She was a long-time partner of Charles Goren. In a tribute Edgar Kaplan said::"Helen's style was frisky and aggressive – so aggressive that some of her male partners were intimidated. These guys felt they were playing in the Mixed Pairs and... they were the girl!"

Helen Sobel Smith died in a Detroit hospital at the age of 59 after a long battle with cancer.

Awards

*"McKenney Trophy" 1941, 1942, 1944
*"Fishbein Trophy" 1958

Tournament record

Wins

* North American Bridge Championships (31)
** Mixed Pairs (2) 1955, 1956
** Women's Pairs (3) 1934, 1938, 1939
** Life Master Pairs (2) 1942, 1958
** Master Mixed Teams (6) 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1954, 1968
** Women's Board-a-Match Teams (7) 1935, 1936, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
** Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (2) 1944, 1945
** Spingold Knockout Teams (5) 1944, 1947, 1951, 1956, 1960
** Chicago (now Reisinger) (4) 1941, 1943, 1950, 1957
* Other notable wins:
** Goldman Pairs (1) 1941

Runner-ups

* IBL World Championship (1) 1937
* Bermuda Bowl (1) 1957
* North American Bridge Championships (28)
** Women's Pairs (2) 1947, 1965
** Life Master Pairs (1) 1953
** Master Mixed Teams (4) 1946, 1949, 1950, 1951
** Women's Board-a-Match Teams (10) 1937, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958
** Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (7) 1942, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1962
** Spingold Knockout Teams (2) 1943, 1950
** Chicago (now Reisinger) (2) 1944, 1951

References

External links

* [http://www.acbl.org/about/hall-of-fame/biography.php?id=73 ACBL Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.worldbridge.org/bios/sobel.asp World Bridge Federation biography]