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Jan 9, 2004

This week's theme
Earls who became words (or places that became words)

This week's words
orrery
cadogan
Oxfordian
derby
yarborough

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Yarborough or yarborough

yarborough (YAHR-bur-oh/uh) noun

In a card game, a weak hand, especially one in which no card is above a nine.

[After Charles Anderson Worsley, 2nd Earl of Yarborough (1809-1897), who is said to have bet 1000 to 1 against the occurrence of such a hand. The actual odds are 1827 to 1.]

"Many players know the odds against holding a Yarborough -- a hand with no card above a nine -- are 1827 to 1. But though today's deal arose in Reno at the ACBL's Spring Championships, I doubt anyone could have quoted the odds against it: South and East both had Yarboroughs!"
Frank Stewart; On Bridge; Buffalo News (New York); Sep 30, 1998.

"You pass in sleep still wondering what the real odds for a Yarborough are and West raises to four spades."
Peter Gibbs; Chess; Birmingham Post (UK); Aug 25, 2001.

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