If you think luck doesn’t play a big role in your results, you haven’t played long enough. The following two hands illustrate what can go right even though everything you did should have resulted in disastrous results.

I am playing with John Bush at the VFW building on County Line Road.  We are N-S and are having a pretty good game. My favorite “love-hate” pair sit E-W. Charlotte Kartsonis is on my left and Marion Ellingsen on my right. I love them because they are so good at bridge, and I hate them because, well, they are so good at bridge. In addition, they are two lovely ladies whose demeanor at the table match their talent.

They are red, we’re white, and Marion deals and opens one NT. Yours truly reaches for the bidding box before engaging the brain and I bid 2 Hearts. I have six lovely hearts and 12 HCP. John dutifully alerts my DONT bid and Charlotte nods knowingly. John announces that Jim has hearts and spades. Well, I do have hearts but only two crummy spades. Charlotte studies her hand for a bit and then passes. John passes quickly and Marion ponders her hand briefly before passing. I’m ready to crawl under the table.

Charlotte leads a minor suit and I struggle to go down two for -100.  During the course of play, it becomes evident that Jim had only two spades. Charlotte and Marion each had four spades and John had three. What a deck - 15 spades. E-W are cold for 4 Spades and the postmortem begins. Charlotte wants to rip out my throat and says, “Oh, Jim. Learn how to bid DONT.” Marion looks like she swallowed sour milk and she rolls her eyes. John simply smiles.

That smile lasts about two rounds. We’re both red, and after three passes, I open 1NT with the following: Jx, AKxxx, KQx, KQx. I know I’m a little heavy for 1NT but I’ll take my chances. After LHO passes, John bids 4 Hearts. RHO passes and I think. WOW, John just bid my best suit, so I pass.  The LHO’s eyes pop wide open and John grumbles something under his breath which doesn’t sound too complimentary. Something like “That stupid SOB.”

Bev, for the sake of good bridge, you really don’t want to know.

Thankfully, a hospitality break follows and Bev Tillberry picks up the scoring slips. I rush off to grab a cup of coffee and a tasty tidbit. I need it after that hand. As I return to my seat, I pass the scorer’s table. Bev eyes me with an incredulous look on her face. “How in the world did you guys get to 4 Hearts.” I sip my coffee and say, “Bev, for the sake of good bridge, you really don’t want to know.” Guess who came in first!

Sincerely, Jim Somma

{easycommants}