How did you get started in Bridge? At what age? Who did you learn from?
I must have been about 19, in the mid-60’s, studying at Ohio State University in the USA. My mother was a keen player all her life, and tried to teach me, but I wasn’t interested. Then there came a bridge-playing boyfriend and of course, I had to learn.. I married him and thus began a life-long obsession. (bridge – not the husband).
There were four graduate students from Notre Dame playing bridge in my living room every night. When they needed a 4th it was me. I had no idea what I was doing and I was terrified. They’d just stick me in a seat and say incomprehensible things like, “how many points do you have?” (points???), “bid your longest suit,” and “lead something.” (lead??) Then I’d play a card and 3 people would scream “Not that!” It was probably the Queen of trumps!
What do (did) you do professionally?
I’ve been a bridge professional for nearly 60 years. In my spare time I’ve owned several small businesses (crime fiction editing and publishing, financial public relations, financial newsletters and jewelry making).
Who is your partner and for how long? Longest Partnership?
My partner now is my husband, Axel Johannsson. We’ve been playing for about 6 years.
My longest partnership has been with Kit Woolsey – we’ve been playing for upwards of 50 years, but we are not a regular partnership. I’ve never had one long-term regular partner until now because I played almost exclusively professionally. Other, irregular long-term partners include Kerri Sanborn (Shuman) and Lynn Baker, both from the USA.
If you had a choice who would you like to play with? Australia and Internationally – living or dead.
Well I have to say Axel, don’t I? Second choice, Geir Helgemo. Just to watch the magic.
In your playing career, what is the bridge success that has the most meaning for you?
There have been many wonderful successes and some great partners and teams in my 60-year career. Too many to count. My first world title was in Australia (Perth in 1989) so, of course, that one is special to me.
But, I think I’m most pleased now that I am able to sit back and watch the world gradually embracing the hyper-aggressive style of bridge (5-cd weak 2’s and very light opening bids) that I created and advocated in the early 70’s, when everyone was playing super-sound bridge. I was ridiculed mercilessly, but I didn’t mind looking foolish – because it worked – and it still works. It’s gratifying (and vindicating) to see that it’s very nearly world-standard now.
And your worst moment in bridge?
Unforgettable. 1990. London Sunday Times Pairs. The best of the best.
I played with Sally Horton (now Brock) as the only women’s pair in a star-studded field of 16 pairs. We played well and lucky and could barely believe that we had beaten them all… Zia and Rosenberg, Hamman and Wolfe, Meckstroth and Rodwell… we just kept winning. When we came to the last match (#15) we were lying second.
As it happens, we were still in 2nd place when the penultimate board arrived. We were playing that fatal last match against Boris Shapiro and Irving Gordon (aka Haggis). I opened up with a new toy I’d learned from Sally… 2C showing a 5-cd minor and a 4-cd major, 4-10 hcp’s. Among my treasures was the singleton CK. There was much consternation and struggling and muttering – they’d never seen this before and they had no idea what their bids meant and they made their displeasure clear. Boris harumphed and overcalled 2NT with 6/5 in the minors; Irving, naturally, thought it was natural and bid 3C, Boris bid 5NT intending it as pick-a-slam, but Irving interpreted it as Grand Slam Force. He had an Ace so he bid 7C, assuming Boris would name a suit. Boris’s hand was — AK AKQxxx AQJxx. We had no chance to defeat it if I had led anything else, but my spade lead allowed Haggis to get to his hand for the one and only time, to play T32 opposite AQJ85, (Sally held 9xxx) After an agonizing 2-3 minutes, Haggis led a low club and had 13 tricks. .
We lost a Grand Slam Swing to the entire field, 279 IMPs! And dropped from 2nd to 10th. It’s a moment I will never forget.
What do you do between sessions to put you in the best frame of mind for the following sessions?
Nothing special. Often I read. But, I’m quite fortunate to have good focus and can shut out life, so I don’t feel much need to prepare. But I do have a few little mantras that I recite to myself when I occasionally find myself not in my best place at the table. One is visualizing myself as a turtle and repeating, “I’m in my shell, I’m in my shell, I’m in my shell…” Another: I imagine myself in a library (my happy place) sitting by a fire with a good book, my little lost cat Maggie Mae, and a glass of fine wine… My stability is quickly restored.
Do you have a favourite and least favourite convention?
Favorite: 10-12 notrump. The results are extraordinary, and taking that hand out of 1-level openings makes bidding judgment a lot better.
Least favorite:: Bergen Raises. They waste useful bids and give the opponents too many chances to double (or not double) to direct a lead or to get into the bidding.
Would you prefer to have more system or less?
Mixed Feelings. I love system – it’s fun to solve problems and come up with toys that will do the job. And I love relay, but it’s hard work. Playing with little or no system allows you to focus only on the bridge problems, not on the system problems. I play better, and I play more relaxed.
What do you to do to improve your game?
Hard work.
- I read …there’s always a new bridge book to enjoy and learn from. Sometimes I go back and read old favorites (the Terence Reese books never fail to raise my level). I’m Currently reading “Helgemo’s World” by Geo Tislevoll. It’s bridge in a new dimension and I see new things lurking in the most ordinary hands after reading a Helgemo deal or two.
- Discuss bad results with my partner to see what we should have done to get a better score and how we can improve they system, or improve our partnership.
- Track conventions and treatments to see how well they actually work out. Currently, I’m looking at our 3NT opening (4m preempt with the Ace) and 10-15 notrump in 3rd and 4th seats. If it doesn’t average better than .57 IMPs per board over a couple of hundred deals, I throw it out.
- Practice often with my regular partner so that new things come up that we can discuss. 3 or 4 sessions a week, mostly on BBO playing vugraph matches against the best.
- Drill on our relays so that we will make fewer mistakes.
- Study World Championship matches to see what they greats do differently than I do
- Discuss difficult hands with some of the world’s best to hear their thinking..
Favourite bridge book
Bridge: A Love Story by Zia Mahmood.
What interests or hobbies do you have besides bridge?
Reading, Cooking, Gardening, Jewelry Making.
What is the number one thing that bridge has done for you as a person and for your life?
Opportunities I would never have had. Bridge has taken me all over the world to meet new people and learn about different cultures. I wouldn’t be living in Australia now if not for bridge.
Bridge results and awards
I’m sure I don’t remember everything in the past 60 years, but this is close.
World Championships:
Perth 1989 (Gold)
Geneva 1990 (Gold), 5-8 in Rosenblum
Santiago 1993 (Gold)
Beijing 1995 (Silver)
Paris 2001 (5-8)
Montreal 2002 (Gold)
Verona 2006 (Gold)
Sao Paolo 2009 (Silver)
Sanya 2014 (Gold)
Orlando 2018 (Gold)
Wuhan 2020 (5-8, Gold in BAM)
Salsamagiorri 2023 (5-8)
Marrakesh 2023 (5-8)
International:
Canadian National Mixed Pairs (around 1975)
Europeans Montecasini 2017 (SIlver)
Europeans Tromso 2014 (Bronze)
Tromso (Gold)
NEC 2017 (2nd)
Nationals – USA:
About 20 National wins – I don’t remember them all
Regionals and Sectionals and Local Events:
Many USA and Australia wins that I can’t recall now. I’d guess 100+, but don’t really know…
National Titles
In Australia:
Women’s National Championship in 2023 and one earlier (I think around 2010).
Gold Coast Teams in 2009 (I think).
A number of 2nd place finishes
In the USA:
20+ National Titles – I don’t remember them all now.
State Representation
This category doesn’t exist in the USA.
I have only one appearance, representing South Australia in the 2024 ANC (Seniors Division). I will be representing South Australia again in 2025, this time in the Open Division.
National / International Representation
Have represented the USA at World Championships multiple times since my first in 1989. Last was Marrakesh in 2023. I’d guess 15 times, but that’s just a guess. I can’t remember now. Also a number of invitational events (including London Sunday Times twice, Beijing Elite Women’s Tournament 3 times, Turkish Elite Invitational once, Yeh Brothers, NEC)
I’ve never represented Australia – but there’s still time…
