What is a rubber?!?

[undecagon]

No...not that.....
I'm reading Sherlock Holmes: The Red-Headed League, and Merryweather (The Bank owner) was complaining before they went to the bank that ""Still, I confess that I miss my rubber. It is the first Saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that I have not had my rubber." "
At first I thought it might be a pipe. But later, in the bank cellar, Holmes explains: "I am afraid so. I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket, and I thought that, as we were a partie carry,you might have your rubber after all. But I see that the enemy's preparations have gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light."
So, clearly the rubber is something that provides light. Seems like it could be a pipe (although I think it'd be rather hard to play cards via pipe light....) and then I thought if Holmes had ANTICIPATED the rubber, and they left from Baker Street, why didn't he grab one of his own from his house? It must not be a pipe as he had his fair share of those in the apartment.
So....I'm left guessing, What is a rubber?

 

[wallbright]

I believe he might be referring to rubber bridge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_bridge
"Rubber bridge is a form of contract bridge and is played with four players. It is most often played for fun but is also played seriously for money. Rubber Bridge involves a high degree of skill but there is also a fair amount of luck involved in who gets the best cards."
And a light would be required to see the card game on the ground or wherever.

 

[philip]

rub·ber2  

noun

1.

(in certain card games, as bridge and whist)

2.

a series or round played until one sidereaches a specific score or wins a specific number of hands.

3.

a series consisting of an odd number of games won by the side winning the majority, usually two out of three.

4.

the deciding game in such a series.

adjective

5.

Also called rubber match. Sports . noting a deciding contest between two opponents who have previously won the same number of contests from each other.

from dictionary.reference.com

 

[pstlpkr]

Our British cousins could probably confirm that a rubber is that thing you use to remove pencil marks from paper. :D

 

[tobakenist]

Also in the Uk it is a term for Condom. :wink:

 

[philip]

Practice safe writing.

 

[judcole]

It refers to cards. Holmes says "I had brought a pack of cards in my pocket, and I thought that, as we were a partie carry,you might have your rubber after all."

"Rubber", in this context, refers to the cards. Then he says, "But I see that the enemy's preparations have gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light." This refers to the activity going on in the first sentence, the card game.

 

[withnail]

Mr Holmes was missing his game of cards - a hand of Bridge or Whist can also be called a rubber.

 

[hobie1dog]

just when I thought I knew what a rubber was :crazy:

 

[nsfisher]

rubber can also be referred to as a tie breaker ie: thats one apiece now for the rubber