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Bridge Columns

by Richard Pavlicek

Richard Pavlicek was the Sunday bridge columnist for the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel from 1984 to 1990, and occasional guest columnist for several years before. Over 300 columns are archived here in chronological order. You will find many instructive tips, as well as personal glimpses and historical notes. Columns can be viewed individually in HTML or downloaded by year in PDF.

1981-83 Columns PDF
Spectacular Defense Sets Contract Summer Tourney Offers Curious Deal  Think Twice Before Conceding Proper Trumps Produce Grand Slam Big Risk Justified by Big Reward	Smoke Screen Wins Bridge Hand Twelve-Year-Old Squeeze Life Master at Thirteen Squeezed and Endplayed
1984 Columns PDF
Slam Creates Big Swing Aggressive Bidding Pays Off The Dummy Reversal Sparkling Defense Dallas Team To Represent U.S. A Chance To Go Wrong Slim Chance Better Than None Slam Succeeds — Game Fails Endplay Avoids Losing Finesse A Tribute to Charlie Russell Team Wins Zonal Match Always Set Up Your Long Suit? The Squeeze Is On The Squeeze Is Off Holdups Not Just For Notrump Aces Are Meant To Take Kings A Communication Breakdown Broward Lady Tops in D.C.	Fine Play Wins Thirteen Tricks World’s Smallest Finesse Greedy Double Backfires Cover an Honor with an Honor? Defensive Duck Dupes Declarer Scientific Bidding Reaps Reward Skillful Play Avoids Finesse The Compound Squeeze The Power of the Falsecard A Kingdom For a Finesse Clever Play Wraps Doubled Bid Poland Wins Bridge Olympiad U.S. Women Top Britain Overcoming a Blocked Suit Trump Management Technique Coup Lands Tenuous Game Unusual Finesse Nets Slam
1985 Columns PDF
Free Finesse Ends Up Costing Five-Zero Break Foils Teen Losing an Ace Reaps Reward Overplay Justifies Overbid Three Bids With No Points Defender Guilty on Innocent Deal Local Tournament Begins Friday Holding Up Too Long Can Cost Common Sense Breeds Success Expert Technique Avoids Guess Unlucky Finesse Was Unnecessary The Vanishing Trump Trick Faulty Play Spoils Superb Bidding Tough Defense Is Mark of an Expert Slam Hand Decides Match Sound Deduction Nets Slam Grand Slam Challenge Broward Team Wins Again Trump Coup Nets Crucial Overtrick Holdup Play Backfires Think Before Playing to First Trick “Second Hand Low” Is Good Advice Improve Your Game “The Fun Way” Picture Full Deal To Improve Play	Careful Play Rewards Daring Bid Trump Sacrifice Keeps Control Keep String Attached to Lost Trick Expert Technique Lands Thin Slam Surviving a Bad Trump Break Lousy Trump Suit Gets Bum Rap Overcall Tips Off Winning Play Declarer’s Fate Is Self-Sealed Broward Expert Wins Spingold Scientific Bidding Unveils Grand Trump Coup Lands Doubled Slam Calculated Overbid Pays Dividend Void Suit Is Key to Grand Slam Sophisticated Play Fails Defensive Holdup Tests Declarer Fateful Deal Decides Match Defensive Slip Spoils Good Lead Bidding Is Clue to Winning Play Weak Trumps Cause Undue Alarm “A Christmas Stocking” Delightful Diamond Play Does Not Dazzle Spot Cards Play Key Role Proper Play Depends on Scoring
1986 Columns PDF
Count Your Top Tricks Suit Planning Technique Local Player Invents New Bid Slam Bid Wins Match Beating the Unbeatable Cagey Bidding Nets Reward The Lowly Deuce Fierce Bidding Tournaments Are Fun The Negative Double Bad Breaks A Crucial Guess Brilliant Play Unusual Holdup Missed Opportunity Subterfuge Bold Bidding Throw-In Play Plan Before Playing The Splinter Bid Sound Technique Good Card Reading Greed Pays Off	Restricted Choice Singleton King What’s the Game? Moysian Fit Routine Holdup Throw-In Play Nets Slam Sound Technique Prevails Bold Bidding — Lackluster Play A Slam Made with No Points World Event Under Way in Miami Declarer Elicits Defender’s Help U.S. Wins World Championship Audacious Overcall Steals Our Suit The Disappearing Loser Unblocking Play Foils Throw-In Elopement Play Eliminates Loser Broward Team Wins in Miami Beach Throw-In Play Justifies Bold Bid Are You a Player or a Defender? Keeping a Trump in Dummy Unbeatable Slam with 23 Points Christmas Came Early This Year
1987 Columns PDF
World Champion New ACBL Prez Who Is To Blame on Defense? Diamond Play Is Key to Slam Anxiety To Ruff Can Be Costly Proper Slam Play Defies Analysis The Battle For Trump Control Finessing Technique Is Culprit Singleton Kings Effect Nightmare Good Card Reading Averts Finesse Sound Technique Nets Thin Slam Poker Tactics Useful at Bridge Low-Level Double Reaps Bonanza Crafty Defense Sets Expert Declarer Flair To Declare Wins Tricks on Air Bidding Not Guilty, Play Indicted Replay Shows Self-Inflicted Blow Tricky Lead Beats Cold Contract Grand Slam Poses Complex Play ‘Ham’ Turns Defense into Cheese Penalty Double Clues Winning Play Careful Play Overcomes Bad Break	Expert Defense Breaks Up Squeeze Local Pair Tops Florida Testy Deal Requires Lucky Guess Winning Defense Goes Unnoticed Winning Defense Missed Floridians Second in Spingold One Tiny Slip Lets Bold Bid Make Gambling Three Notrump Is Old Hat Scramble and Crossruff Nets Game Event Marks 50 Years of Bridge Eagerness To Win Tricks Costly Too Many Discards Brings Downfall Fine Defense Tough To Counter Counting the Hand Beats All Odds Small Slam Fails but Grand Makes Nothing Hand Offers Good Lesson Weird Deal Spawns Seesaw Battle Perseverance Is Rewarded Table Presence Is Key to Success Sparks Fly in Five-Level Frenzy Miami Duo Will Represent Florida
1988 Columns PDF
Declarer Avoids Trap in Slam Old Deal Deserves a Second Look Moysian Fit Is Only Hope for Game “Wizard of Ozzie” Remembered Tips on Planning and Control Doubled Game Is Play Battlefield Defensive Holdup Foils Declarer Declarer Lured by Defensive Trap Par Contest Challenges Collegians Is Your Game Up To Par? Give Opponents a Chance To Err Well-Reasoned Gamble Wins Finding a Queen Decides Match Small Slam Down with Grand Cold The Disappearing Loser Timing Is Key to Winning Defense Forcing Pass Finds Best Trump Fit Lucky Lead Revives Hopeless Slam Clever Play Nets Elusive Overtrick Ruffing Attempt Destined To Fail Trump Coup Delivers Grand Slam How To Avoid Carding Mishaps Extreme Distribution Foils Declarer	Fourth Suit Solves Bidding Woe Premature Ruff Brings Demise Barbecue at the Bridge Table Overbid Has Happy Ending Who Was More at Fault? Perilous Distribution Causes Swing Bold Bids Collect Daily Double Trump Suit Needs Special Handling When To Win the Ace of Trumps Flexible Play Allows Changing Plan Sharp Defense Redeems Bad Lead Trump Stack Ground to Mincemeat Fox Is Outfoxed as Ace Is Lost Be Aggressive with Extreme Shape Trump Quality Key to Better Slam Misunderstanding Incredibly Lucky Urge To Grab King Gives Contract Failure To Combine Chances Costs West Is Caught Napping Fierce Bidding Steals Contract Mistiming the Play Costs Game Unusual Notrump Leads to Slam Slam Well Played but Beatable
1989 Columns PDF
Dummy-Locked at Trick One The Delicate Art of Timing Running Trumps Can Work Miracles Elopement Play Lands Sacrifice Optimitis — A Bridge Disease Duplicate Bridge Is For Everyone Careful Play Solves Entry Problem Grand Slam Made by Throw-in Play Two Chances Missed To Avert Ruff There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills Is the Principle of Symmetry Valid? Make a Game To Beat the Experts Unusual Squeeze Eludes Declarer Declarer Squeezes Both Defenders Look at the Forest, Not Just a Tree Preserve Dummy’s Ruffing Power Key Defense Enables Two Chances Shrewd Defender Finds Uppercut Backdoor Attack Beats Contract Bidding Reveals Winning Finesse Play or Defend? A Real Squeezaroo! Local Player Outshines Omar Sharif Reprieve Granted After Killing Lead Communication Crucial in Notrump	Six Spades — Make It then Break It Splinter Bid Is Key To Reach Slam Fireball Bidder Burns Out in Play Both Sides Wary in Thrust and Parry To Fight Forcing Defense, Join It Eliminate Exit To Nullify Ruff Logic Would Reveal Proper Defense Indiscretion Bears a Steep Price Shrewd Play Steals a Trick Old Puzzle Gets New Lease on Life Proper Timing Averts Finesse Elusive Slam Challenges Entrants O Can-a-da, You Did Us In Again Logic Defies Mathematical Odds Reaching an Unreachable Dummy Friendly Lead Keeps Contract Alive Clever Play Would Fool Anyone The Vanishing Trump Trick Winning Defense Takes Foresight “Precision” Reaches 26-Point Slam Deceptive Play Keeps Hopes Alive Chance Missed To Ruin Squeeze Forcing Defense Sets “Cold” Game
1990 Columns PDF
Scoring Method Affects Play Early Concession Establishes Suit Avoiding the Anxiety Syndrome Lloyd’s Leap — A Novel Approach Scheming For a Top Board Make It and Break It — Times Two The Case of the Paradoxical Lead Coping with a Bad Trump Break Declarer’s Trump Suit Is Riddled Most Valuable Slam-Bidding Tool Expert Plays Little Cards First Elopement Technique Gains a Trick Don’t Accept a Gift Horse! Clever Play Overcomes Blocked Suit From the Ridiculous to the Sublime Subtle Logic Helps Find a Queen Greed For Overtricks Costs Game Gadgetry Reveals Missing Queen Aspire For Luck but Not Miracles	Delicate Bidding and Delicate Play The “Do It Yourself” Rule of Defense Great New Book on Declarer Play Funeral For the Strong Cue-Bid Local Pair Tops in North America My Lead Was Worse Than My Hand Declarer Wins Prize For Endplay Stepping Across the River The Power of the Dual Threat Do Your Own Thinking Opportunity Missed To Ruin Slam Strong Trumps or Weak Trumps? What Is a Reverse Bid? Not This! Drawing Trumps the Hard Way The One That Got Away South Bids Game in Enemy Suit Careless Trump Play Triples Loss Making a Slam Off Two Aces Grand Slam Eludes All Players

In October 1990 Richard was fired — a surprise to the South Florida community considering the popularity of the column. A syndicated daily column had pressured the newspaper for exclusivity, no doubt to avoid comparison, and the spineless newspaper agreed.

Some columns have been edited since publication to remove obsolete items such as phone numbers. Columns with a predominantly humorous theme have been relocated to the Bridge Humor page.

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