Bridge - the Greatest Game - often provides us with exalted moments that make life worthwhile! Vickbridge (Vickie Sebastian) & I were verily gratified on the last board of Friday's ACBL pair game on September 9.

Some would open her hand ♣ - some wouldn't - but once you "know" you should tear up your ♠K, nobody would venture that free 3♣ rebid, when prudence surely screams "PASS" with that putative putrid 9-count. So now we were screwed - but I plowed on toward the aspirational 3NT with my dreaded 3♠ "WESTERN Q-BID" (asking).

Vickie could only pray that her KINGLETON SING was a stopper, but that's 1 trick - where the heck were our other 8 immediate winners? With her hopeless club garbage, I would need to provide an overwhelming red horde-o'-trix. Prudence may dictate a retreat to 4♣ on her hand, now worth ~ 11 Vickie Points. But NOOO! I heard a strange death-cry of "BANZAI" from the other side of the screen - just like the WWII kamikaze fighters - as "3NT" appeared.

North led the ♠5 and South played the 9, won by Vickie's K! HAH! Vickie ran 5 hearts, then a ♣ to her Queen, covered by the Ace. North cashed the ♠Ace - but now the mirage descended - South played the Death Deuce! - so North, duly discouraged, sighed ... and exited with ♦Q?!

So Vickie took 11 tricks for +460!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! 🙂 It was a bridge miracle. We won 5 IMPs and salvaged a top-20 overall finish. I was so happy for Vickie - after all those decades of cold zorrinis came her just reward for leading such a beautiful CHARMED LIFE! 🙂