Bridge Blog

Mini-Roman 5/29

Mini-Roman 2♦              ♠♥♦♣ 

            In a two-table team game at Claus Buchthal’s house on 5/29, my partner, Robert Fokos, picked up the following hand:

            ♠ KJ43  ♥ KQ42  ♦ A  ♣9862         

            We were using a special convention to show this kind of hand, “mini Roman 2♦”: 11 to 14 HCP and 4-4-4-1 or 4-4-5-0 distribution. We had agreed that the shortage may not be spades, because that crowds the bidding too much. (The older Roman 2♦ convention had the same distribution with 17 or more HCP - hence the “mini.”) Art Flathers was a proponent of mini-Roman, and many of his students still play it. The advantage is that you describe your distribution and limit your strength in one bid. Because of the shortage, the mini-Romaners take 6 to 10 HCPs out of the deck and can sometimes bid game with as few as 21 or 22 points between the two hands; slam with as few a 30.

            With fewer than 8 HCP, responder just signs off in his cheapest long suit, which the opener will pass unless that happens to be his shortage. In that case, the opener rebids the cheapest suit above the responder’s bid. The responder passes or sets the contract at the cheapest level; and opener must pass. With a strong hand, the responder bids 2NT, which asks the opener to bid his singleton or void. The responder should then have enough information to set the contract (or go into Blackwood).

            I used to play mini-Roman with George Willoughby, but we always seemed to get in the wrong contract with it. Nancy and I tried it briefly and gave it up. This hand did not make me want to take it up again. Here’s the whole deal:

                                           ♠ KJ43
                                           ♥ KQ42
                                           ♦ A
                                           ♣ 9862
                                              N
              ♠ 52                                              ♠ AT98
              ♥ T976                                         ♥ 85
              ♦ QT542       W                  E       ♦  K73
              ♣ T4                                            ♣ QJ75
                                              S
                                         ♠ Q76
                                         ♥ AJ3
                                         ♦  J986
                                         ♣ AK3

            Here’s the bidding: 

North      East      South      West
(Robert)                (me)
2♦*         Pass       2NT**    Pass
3♦***     Pass       4♠?        all pass

* Alert: mini-Roman, at least four spades
** Alert: asks for shortage
*** Alert: singleton or void in diamonds

            My hand (South) has 15 HCP, surely enough for game. But my only four-card suit is a lousy minor. What should I bid? If I bid 3♦, and Robert’s shortage is NOT in diamonds, he will pass and we may miss a game. So I bid 2NT. If Robert were short in clubs or hearts, 3NT should have a good shot. But of course, the shortage is in diamonds (I don’t know he has the ace!). I should perhaps sign off in 3♥ or 3♠, but this is IMPs, so I bid game, choosing spades because I figure that I should protect against quick losers outside of trumps. Hearts would probably have been safer, as it turns out.

            The hand takes two spades, two ruffs in dummy, three hearts (the fourth heart got ruffed by East, but I shed a losing club), a diamond and two clubs: +620.

            Notice that if I play 3NT from the South, the normal opening diamond lead will set the contract. When East gets in with the ♠A, the ♦K and a low diamond will trap my jack, and the defense will take a spade and four diamonds.

            Nancy Cabot and Nancy Neal were playing these cards in the other room. Here is their bidding:

North      East      South      West
(Nancy C.)         (Nancy N.)
1♣         Pass       1♦            Pass
1NT*     Pass       3NT        all pass

* South would have bid a four-card major over any diamond holding, if she’d had one.
            Played from the North, the opening lead against 3NT was a helpful spade, and with a little more help from East, Nancy took three spades, four hearts, a diamond and two clubs - making four (+630). While careful (normal) defense will hold Nancy to nine tricks, no East would make the killing lead of a low diamond from the king. In IMPS +630 is the same as +620, so there was no gain either way, and +600 would have lost only 1 IMP.