January 2025 - 8

advice for all players, especially
newer ones: Don't give the show
away by frowning, shaking your
head or looking dejected. Keep a stiff
upper lip; look like you don't have a
care in the world. Projecting such an
attitude is not unethical; it's the best
way to play. Confident players are
lucky players, and if the opponents
draw an incorrect inference from
your equanimity, that's entirely on
them.
NAP time
I would like to share a story with
you about my recent experience playing
in the District 9 Flight B North
American Pairs at the Daytona Beach
Regional in October.
My partner and I had a 62.5% game
in the opening session and led the
field going into the afternoon. In the
second session, things weren't going
well. We knew we needed at least
an average session to have a chance
of getting into the first four overall
places which would entitle us to go to
the finals at the NABC in Memphis
in March. After struggling though
the first seven rounds, things started
to pick up with some lucky hands in
round seven and eight.
In the last round, the first board
was average and the second a little
better, as we got to a shaky 3NT that
made.
Then came the final board of the
event, and in third seat I picked up
this hand:
s- h- dK Q J 10 x x cA K Q x x x x.
In all my years of playing, I had
never seen a hand that had the
potential of taking 12 tricks. It was a
one-loser hand.
My partner opened the bidding
with 2h, and my right-hand opponent
bid 2NT to show a full notrump
opener. Then it was my turn. After
considering all the possibilities, I
decided to take the bull by the horns
and bid 6c. After two passes, this
was doubled by my RHO (holding
8 | Bridge Bulletin | January 2025
the remaining three aces) and passed
out. After a heart lead, the dummy
came down with three clubs and a
singleton diamond. After ruffing
the opening spade lead and pulling
trump in two rounds, I gave up the
the dA, and the contract came rolling
home.
What made it so exciting was that
we finished with only a 49% game
but it was just enough to make the
fourth spot in the overall for the trip
to Memphis. And when I say " just
make, " I meant it, because the only
separation between fourth place and
fifth was a mere 0.15 matchpoints. If
we didn't get that exciting last board
in the very last round, we might not
have had a story to tell.
I will honestly say that under the
circumstances, this was the most
memorable hand I have ever held in
all my years of bridge and will probably
remain so.
ALAN LEFCORT
Stuart FL
Par defense
August Boehm's par deal (page 58
of the November issue) is perhaps an
even better challenge for the defense
than for declarer:
North (Dummy)
s Q 9 3
h A 4
d 6 5 4 3
c 8 7 6 2
South (Declarer)
s A J 10 4
h K 5
d A K J
c A 5 4 3
Playing 3NT after a heart lead,
Boehm suggests winning in dummy,
then running the s9 followed by the
queen: a good line for declarer.
But consider West's situation: If
West does not have the dQ and has
the sK x x (or sK x!), West should
duck the s9 and then win when
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declarer finesses again. A second
heart leaves declarer with no dummy
entry to take the needed diamond
finesse and little chance to make the
contract.
GARY JACKOWAY
Loudon TN
Romanticizing Roman
two-bids
In Frank Stewart's excellent column
in the November issue, he rightly
laments the near-impossibility
of finding a good opening bid with
a strong three-suited hand, and he
decries the usual alternatives.
Thankfully, the late Giorgio
Belladonna and Walter Avarelli
solved the problem for us 70 years
ago as part of their successful Roman
Club system. An opening bid of 2d
shows 17-20 HCP and a three-suiter.
(An opening 2c shows a three-suiter
in the 12-16 range.)
Yes, one must play a strong club
system and eschew normal weak
two-bids (or Flannery or the new
two-suited gadgets) if one plays
Roman 2d, but its pristine beauty
and simplicity speak for themselves.
ALLAN P. HILLMAN
New Haven CT
Ed. Note: Yes, for the low, low price
of discarding your entire system, you
can cater to a rare hand type. 2
January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2025
