Let me introduce myself;

I'm a bridge teacher and I've been playing bridge since early 1952. While in the U.S. Air Force; my captains' wife needed a partner and asked me if I played; being a card player naturally I said yes. Locking myself in my room, over a weekend, I memorized a Culbertson Bridge Book. At that point, I thought I knew everything about the game (how wrong can you be). I didnt go to work after that for the next six months, all I did was play kitchen bridge with the bosss wife. I won my first Bridge Tournament with a pick-up partner when I was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in late 1952. My teaching career began in 1953 when a group of Air Force friends asked me to teach them more about the game.

After leaving the Air Force in 1954 and moving back to California, my Uncle Barney and I formed a partnership and were very fortunate to be playing at the same club as Bob Hamman and many other fine players. The club was run by Helen Cale, one of the best bridge teachers around and a past president of the American Bridge Teachers Association. She and I played together often when my Uncle was not available. I then took a 20-year hiatus from bridge, playing very infrequently, and earned a living. After retiring in 1982 from my business, bridge was rediscovered.

In 1993 I took a Certified Bridge Teachers Class in Atlantic City, and became a Certified Bridge Teacher. Since then, I've taught many classes in Encino, Beverly Hills, Covina, Glendora, San Dimas and Lakewood.

For about a year, Percy Bean a past president of the Charity Foundation of the ACBL was my partner. I've had many partners, but none that compared to my Uncle Barney who passed away many years ago.

After Percy died, I formed a partnership with Alfred Sheinwold. We tried to play as often as possible for the three years preceding his death (it seems my partners would rather die, then play with me). Freddie was one of the most knowledgeable, well-read and entertaining men I have ever know. He also had a little bit of bridge knowledge. When Freddie gave me his book, Five Weeks To Winning Bridge, I

really got a kick out of his inscription, he said, ''If you have Roger as a partner you dont need opponents.''

 

Bridge was and is my passion.

 

"I've played bridge half my life.  The other half I wasted." - Author Unknown