Honor without victory

Adam mentioned in passing tonight that he always thought declarer gets the honors bonus whether or not the contract is made. That's not how I learned the rules of rubber bridge, but upon returning home, it seems sources like Wikipedia say I'm wrong: bonuses "are awarded in rubber bridge for particular holdings in one hand, regardless of the outcome of the deal."

That sort of sheer windfall seems quite counter to the skill-based spirit of the game. If you've already got A-K-Q-J-10 of trump in your hand, you should be able to make some use of it. Do you really need 150 points too?

I don't think I'll be claiming my honors bonuses from now on.