Blum on Bridge Goldman was a good husband, dad, friend
	Though on rare occasions I had earlier played against Bobby Goldman, about 12 years ago we became much closer through my good friend Mark Lair. Since that time we have both played together several times and have also been teammates. Before proceeding further, I want you readers to know that on all the teams in which I had the good fortune to serve with him, I was either the fourth best on a four-person team or fifth on teams that added a member. When Mark called last month to tell me Bobby suddenly passed away at 61, a young age in today's society, a fountain of good memories of he and his family flashed before me. My memories are personal and you won't find them in the obituary that will undoubtedly appear in the next ACBL bulletin. However, relating them to you may give you a little insight on one of the most famous bridge experts of our time. In the late '80s, I was partnered with Mark and Bobby with his all-time greatest partner Paul Soloway. Wow, what a team (except me). We were favorites in the event at the Charlotte, N.C., Regional. Well, along the way we came up against a team captained by Jerry Helms, one of the neatest guys in the bridge world. Mark and I played fantastically well, but when the results were tallied we were on the losing end by quite a bit. Paul said to me, "Let me see your convention card." A few minutes later he gave it back and below the scoring he and Bobby had written and autographed the following, "We're both sorry we let you down. We played horribly." Even the greatest aren't afraid to be humble. Maybe that's why they are the greatest. Bobby's wife is Bettye Anne, a beautiful and lovely lady. She had family in The Vineyards, so would visit every so often. She and I have a mutual interest, collecting limited Spanish Lladro figurines. Bruce Thalheimer had an auction one year at the Vineyards where Bettye Anne and I used a "two heads are better than one" analysis before we bid on our respective choices. In our living room Connie and I have pieces that were final selections that we decided upon. He and Bettye Anne have a 15-year-old son to whom I can relate. We both lost our fathers at a similar age. When I would meet Bobby on the bridge circuit, his first thoughts showed how proud and how close he was to Quinn. Quinn is an excellent baseball player taking after Dad, who was a high school single tennis champion and basketball captain at Drexel U. when they were Mid-Atlantic Conference champions in 1958. Quinn was at baseball instructional camp where Bobby was to go, had he not had his seizure the night before. Goldman was an outstanding theorist, the originator of Exclusion Blackwood and Super Gerber. Some years ago I had the privilege to attend a practice session of a team consisting of three partnerships, Paul Soloway and Bobby, Mike Passell and Mark, plus Eddie Wold and Malcolm Brachman (team captain). Though it was during an Amarillo, Texas, Regional the team was not participating, but preparing for a top-rated National Reisinger. We were in two separate hotel rooms and each of these partnerships were doing "bid-em-ups," page upon page of computerized hands that the group hypothetically scored. Bobby programmed each of these hands at home the previous week for the participants. It is no wonder that event after event, teams such as this almost invariably emerge the winners. Not only will Bobby be missed, but it will also be most difficult to duplicate his contribution to our game. A rule that should be abolished is the requirement that, to be elected to the "Bridge Hall of Fame," one must have attained the age of 60. Only by good fortune did Bobby Goldman live barely long enough to find that he was to be inducted. However, he will never be able to enjoy the accolades he so richly deserved as the ceremony takes place in July. Long before he was 60, he had acquired all that was necessary for him to easily have been elected. Born in 1938, by the time he reached the age of 41 he had the following bio: four world titles (Bermuda Bowl 1970, '71, '79) and the Mixed Teams in 1972 plus 10 of his 19 North American Championships. His fame had already been established as a member of the legendary "Texas Aces," a professional team organized by businessman Ira Korn, whose sole purpose was to win world championships. In addition his association with No. 1 masterpoint holder Paul Soloway was well on its way to becoming perhaps bridge's most renowned partnership. Having age as a criterion for election for distinguished service too often cheats the recipient, who may well not be on Earth to appreciate the honor. hall pass on to you. An opportunity for me to go wrong - had I forgotten what had been taught to me by I can't remember who - occurred recently at the Southeastern Regional in Fort Lauderdale. Sitting NS in the Open Pairs with partner Shannon Lipscomb, our EW opponents were two of the finest women players in the country. I will not name them for obvious reasons, but I will say that they have both been my friends for a long time. My lho opened the auction by bidding one diamond. After Shannon passed, righty responded one spade. I passed and lefty now reversed and bid two hearts. With no hesitation my rho jumped to three spades and after my usual pass her partner bid what sounded like a reasonable bid of three no-trump. Shannon again passed. The lady on my right, a world champion by the way, quickly jumped to six spades. Another lesson I have learned is to keep a poker face and to never change expression, even should an earthquake occur during a session of bridge. I will say that this lesson was seriously challenged when I kept staring at my 13 cards consisting of the A987654 of spades plus it doesn't make any difference. Now I do pride myself in being able to count and somehow my seven spades kept adding up to more than my opponent could possibly hold. "My God," I thought, "I hear the bells of Christmas and I can see the lights of Hanukkah before my eyes. What a wondrous and joyous thing." Then lesson one suddenly came upon me. I got up onto the table and.... quietly passed. Well, I didn't get onto the table, but I felt as if I did. My rho went into the tank and after a great deal of thought also passed. Of course Shannon had nothing to say so the final contract became six spades. By the time the air cleared our opponents were down three tricks for a disastrous bottom board. Back to important lesson one. Had I doubled my lho, void in spades, would have run to six no-trump and would have been down only one. With expert play of which she was capable, she actually had a small chance to make the revised contract. It is wrong, dead wrong to double a six contract unless you have two aces and they are in an evenly distributed six no-trump contract. The reasoning is that either they have overbid or that the double alerts them that there may be a superior contract. Only last week while writing this column in my head our opponents at the Tuesday game in Naples bid a heart slam that I felt would go set and again I passed. Sure enough every other pair sitting in their direction was in a no-trump slam making. Why try to get a "super" top by doubling? You may get a big surprise. If renowned duplicate and rubber-bridge champion Grant Baze didn't coin the phrase "The five-level belongs to the opponents," then he is one of its greatest proponents. It is one of bridge's golden rules or cardinal sins, depending upon which side of the fence you sit. This rule applies only to major suits, for game is obtained at the four-level. One must bid five in a minor to reach game, thus the law does not apply. Five of a major suit is the most unfavorable contract in which to be. Thus if one opponent has pushed the other into five hearts or five spades, it is best to pass rather than sacrifice at that level. Logic tells you that if five of a major is successfully made no more points will be gleaned than those stopping at four. As a matter of fact many times the overtrick cannot be made. In these cases those at the five-level will be set for a minus score. Competing at the four-level can also be unwise. It takes 25-26 points to make game in a major suit. It stands to reason that it likewise takes the same amount of points to make four of a minor. If the points are about even both sides should be able to make two of their respective suits, occasionally three. Why take away their minus score at the four-level? Rho 1spade-you pass-lho 2spades-pard double-rho 3 spades-you hold 873-92-J3-KQ10765. Don't compete at the four-level. Lead the club king. This is a beautiful example hand from Ron Klinger's "100 Winning Bridge Tips."