The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players

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1. Ep. 112: Emma Kolesnik on Winning the World Mixed Teams

   26 september 2026 · 1 uur 18 min

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   In this episode of The Setting Trick, I sit down with Emma Kolesnik, who just won the Mixed Teams at the 2026 World Bridge Series in Katowice, Poland. She partnered her husband Adam Grossack, and their teammates were prior Mixed champions Sabine Auken and Roy Welland. Emma takes me through their quarterfinal win, decided by a single imp, including a seven imp time penalty. The final was a marquee matchup against Adam's brother Zach. Lees meer

   We talk about pressure at the table, paying college students to learn bridge, and how the game turned her younger brother Finn Kolesnik into a close friend. We also get into playing with your spouse, family trips built around the European championships and why her family gave up cooperative games.

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   Key Highlights

   ⏱ One IMP, After a Penalty: Seven minutes over cost seven imps, so a win by eight became a win by one.

   🧠 Bridge is Grinding: Adam has helped Emma work hard on every deal.

   🎓 Paid to Learn Bridge: With Mitch Dunitz, she paid college friends to come to four lessons.

   👫 How Finn Came Around: He refused to play until he learned Emma was being paid to go to the youth NABCs.

   🎲 Ticket to Ride: The team name came from a board game, and her family learned cooperative games only start blame games.

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   Resources & Next Steps

   🏆 2026 World Bridge Series results

   📸 The Setting Trick on Instagram

   🎧 Subscribe to The Setting Trick on Apple Podcasts

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   Chapter Timestamps

   00:00 Cold open

   00:52 Welcoming Emma Kolesnik

   01:47 A quarterfinal won by one imp

   03:39 The seven imp time penalty

   05:21 Checking scores on the tablet

   07:18 Facing Klukowski and Zmuda

   09:03 Pressure, and the grind

   10:30 Seven spades doubled

   11:44 The last board, two notrump

   15:11 Bridesmaids who don't play

   15:53 Paying students to learn

   19:25 Did she cry? Finn's Soloway

   21:32 A final against Zach Grossack

   22:45…

2. Ep. 111: Alessandro Calmanovici Built Bridge Tricks to Make Bridge as Popular as Chess

   12 september 2026 · 1 uur 12 min

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   In this episode of The Setting Trick, I sit down with Alessandro Calmanovici, the founder of Bridge Tricks, a site that became a big part of my own bridge learning. His name rang a bell the first time I found it. He appears in Double Dummy, the film I made at the 2012 World Junior Championships, winning imps on each of the last four boards to scrape into the knockout. Lees meer

   We dig into suit combinations and how a solver changes the way you think, the Survivor streaks that have players like Giovanni Donati obsessed, and the Bidding Architect that turns your own system into flashcards. Alessandro built all of it around a full time job and a new baby. We also get into why he thinks the game needs a better public image.

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   Key Highlights

   🎬 Finding Himself in Double Dummy: Alessandro watched the film years later, recognised the event, and realised the player on screen was him.

   🧠 Fifty Suit Combinations in a Row: Giovanni Donati ran a Survivor streak of fifty and spent an hour on the last one.

   📐 Commit to the Plan Before They Play: 54% against 51.7% on a disputed combination, and why the plan you settle on first wins.

   🤖 Built With AI, Starting From Nothing: His wife mentioned a tool at work. Turned down for help, he wrote the solver himself a year later.

   ♣️ As Popular as Chess: Juniors are close to extinct in Italy and the Swiss scene is thinner still. He wants to change the game's image.

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   Resources & Next Steps

   🃏 Bridge Tricks, Alessandro's platform

   📝 Bridge Tricks on BridgeWinners

   📘 Peak, on deliberate practice

   🎯 Cuebids, the bidding practice app

   🎧 Subscribe to The Setting Trick on Apple Podcasts

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   Chapter Timestamps

   03:00 Bridge With Ballers and athletes

   04:30 Hooking beginners with BridgeMaster

   06:00 Pisa, a classmate's first ten hands

   07:30 Taicang, the last four boards

   12:00 Suit combinations, the feedbac…

3. Ep. 110: Nabil Edgtton Taught AJ Antonios Bridge in Three Months and They Won the Gold Coast Teams

   25 augustus 2026 · 1 uur

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   In this episode of The Setting Trick, I sit down with Nabil Edgtton, one of the best bridge players in the world, and AJ Antonios, a professional poker player who learned bridge from scratch then won the 2020 Gold Coast Open Teams three months later. Longtime friends from poker, Nabil and AJ were living together, when Nabil finally convinced AJ to learn bridge. What followed was three hours of study every morning, five days a week. AJ describes a teacher with enormous knowledge and no patience. Nabil describes a student he expected to remember everything first time. When they won their first club game, after about a fortnight, opponents refused to believe AJ had just started! Lees meer

   They both love to razz each other, starting from the story of how they first met. Nabil stacked AJ three times in a small poker game, then told him he was too good for these stakes. AJ explains why he rates bridge among the most skill based games he has played, and why its community beats every other he has been part of. Then there is the golf bet, which began with a claim that Nabil could clear the fence at a driving range and ended with a $220,000 wager, an acupuncture session and a punctured lung. AJ closes on Australian Survivor, where he finished third, and on the one minute that undid seven weeks.

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   Key Highlights

   🃏 Three Months to a National Title: AJ learned bridge from zero, won the 2020 Gold Coast Open Teams, then stopped playing.

   🔑 Teaching From the Student's Side: Nabil is blunt about his own coaching. You have to explain a game from the learner's side, not your own.

   🧠 A Flexible Mind Beats One Foundation: AJ credits Magic, poker, Yu Gi Oh and a Lebanese game called Tarneeb for giving each new idea somewhere to sit.

   🎰 Stacked Three Times, Then Recruited: Nabil took AJ's money three times at a poker table, then told him he belonged in bigger games.

   ⛳ The Bet That Went Over the Fence: A claim about clearing a 350 metre fence be…

4. Ep. 109: Tim Verbeek on 28 Years of Bridge, Catching Cheaters, and Learning to Lose

   3 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 38 min

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   In this episode of The Setting Trick, I sit down with Tim Verbeek, professional bridge player and Chairman of the Dutch Athletes Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation about competitive bridge in the Netherlands and beyond. We open by reminiscing about a dinner in Lyon at the 2017 Transnational World Championships, where he helped pull me out of my post-elimination funk. From there we get into the remarkable depth of Dutch bridge talent, and the origin story of Tim's partnership with Danny Molenaar, which started when they were 12 and 13 years old and has now spanned 28 years. Lees meer

   We also dig into one of the most uncomfortable topics in competitive bridge: cheating. Tim walks through real cases, from the Lotan Fisher scandal to an online incident during COVID to a player at the Dutch Bridge Federation who duplicated a key to access hand records. He explains how he developed an eye for suspicious patterns, and why the standard of evidence required to convict in bridge is so much higher than for doping in other sports. We close on the emotional toll of losing, raising a four-year-old daughter while traveling the circuit, and the surprising lack of a definitive beginner's guide to the game.

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   Key Highlights

   🇳🇱 The Golden Era of Dutch Bridge: Why the Netherlands keeps producing world-class pairs every five to ten years, and Tim's bet that the Dutch will be world champions again within the decade.

   🏆 From Fill-ins to Full-Time Teammates: How Tim and Danny Molenaar went from last-minute fill-ins at a US National to permanent members of Patty Cayne's team, thanks to an Israeli pair's bad manners.

   🔍 Catching Cheaters in the Bridge World: From Fisher and Schwartz to an online player who sent strategy messages to the wrong group chat, how Tim developed his instinct for spotting cheating.

   ⚖️ Bridge vs. Doping: Athletes get banned for trace substances, while bridge players suspected of cheating often walk free because fede…

5. Ep: 108: Luc Bellicaud on Building Lia, the Bridge Robot Beating Humans at Their Own Game

   12 maart 2026 · 1 uur 18 min

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   In this episode, I sit down with Luc Bellicaud - a three-time Junior World Champion from France and the developer of Lia, the AI bridge robot at IntoBridge. Lees meer

   Why is Luc the first French bridge player I’ve interviewed? Because last month, IntoBridge, launched a powerful new AI coaching tool, named after him. Coach Luc is designed to help beginner and intermediate players spot their bidding mistakes(!) in real time. And I wanted the scoop!

   Luc started building Lia as an intern, describing himself as "quite clueless." Through time he has created an excellent partner and opponent. We discuss how he built her from the ground up and how he fixes her mistakes.

   Having the coach named after you comes with pressure! Luc shares the controversy over Lia's full-deal access and why LLMs are still no match for hand-coded bridge logic.

   Luc dates a bridge player who represents France internationally - and amusingly, she works for rival company Funbridge! Together they run a free weekly beginners club in Lille, fuelled by…FREE PIZZA!

   Away from the table, Luc runs France's biggest YouTube bridge channel. He also refuses to fly unless he must in order to represent his country.

   10:20 PM

   Key Highlights:

   🤖 Building Lia from Scratch: Starting with zero experience, Luc built Lia into a top bridge robot opponent and partner.

   🎓 Coach Luc Goes Live: A brand-new AI feature giving real-time bidding feedback, now in beta.

   🃏 Full Deal Access: Lia sees the full deal during card play - not to cheat, but for speed and better user experience.

   🎥 YouTube & Bidding Systems: Luc runs France's biggest bridge YouTube channel and invented his own bidding system as a joke.

   Resources and Next Steps:

   🤖 Try Coach Luc on IntoBridge - Play a game and see if Coach Luc has any notes on your bidding.

   ▶️ Watch Luc's French Bridge YouTube Channel for weekly bridge content and lessons.

   🎬 Watch the documentary Double Dummy featuring the USA junior team - with some familiar faces from Luc's opponents.

   🎧 Mo…

6. Ep: 107: Adam Parrish on Leveling Up, Writing Bridge Books and What It Takes to Win at the Nationals

   26 februari 2026 · 1 uur 27 min

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   In this episode, I sit down with Adam Parrish, a two-time winner of the American Bridge Teachers Book of the Year Award, host of the Leveling Up podcast, and author of six bridge books. Adam spent all of 2025 on a self-improvement project, dedicating an entire year to getting better at bridge while documenting every step publicly. We dive into what that year actually looked like, from tracking hours of study instead of chasing results, to working with top coaches like Joyjit Sensarma and learning key lessons from players like Steve Weinstein, Bobby Levin, and Gavin Wolpert. Did he actually level up? Lees meer

   We also dig into some boards from the team trials, the art of listening as a podcaster, and why Adam believes you cannot improve in isolation. He shares stories about his longtime partner Greg Humphreys, how their NABC Fast Pairs win unfolded in Reno, and his experience playing the USA Team Trials on LoveBridge. Plus, we explore his journey from learning bridge from his maternal grandmother to writing a bridge novel, and what it takes to truly level up at this humbling, wonderful game.

   Key Highlights:

   📋 The Leveling Up Project: Adam spent all of 2025 publicly documenting his year-long mission to improve at bridge, tracking hours of study and process rather than just chasing results.

   🏆 NABC Fast Pairs Victory: The story behind winning the national Fast Pairs with partner Greg Humphreys in Reno, including the celebration dinner, the trophy photo scandal, and the near-repeat the following year derailed by COVID.

   🎯 Learning from the Best: How working with coaches like Joyjit Sensarma, and picking the brains of Gavin Wolpert, Bobby Levin, and Steve Weinstein, transformed Adam's approach to system and decision-making at the table.

   🖥️ LoveBridge Team Trials Deep Dive: Why Adam loves the USA Team Trials format on LoveBridge, how he uses VuGraph sessions for study, and who is more fun to share a room with Marty Fleisher or Kevin Bathurst at the event.

   📚 Six Books and Coun…

7. Ep. 106: Avery Silverstein on Junior World Championships, Family Bridge Mentorship, and Chasing Gold

   13 februari 2026 · 1 uur 12 min

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   In this episode, I sit down with Avery Silverstein, a 17-year-old bridge prodigy who has fallen hard for the game. Despite her young age, Avery has already earned two medals at the Junior World Championships and reached the round of 16 in the Vanderbilt as my partner. We discuss her journey from family bridge club kid to international competitor, including having her father, professional player Aaron Silverstein, as her primary mentor. Avery talks candidly about balancing her senior year of high school with competitive bridge, her training regimen, and how she manages the pressure of representing her country on the world stage. Lees meer

   From our dramatic 62-IMP comeback victory against the seventh seed to her heartbreaking silver medal finish at the U16 World Championships, Avery shares the emotional highs and lows of being deeply invested in the game. We explore her multifaceted life, which includes being close to a black belt in mixed martial arts and playing on her school's rugby team. Avery also discusses the college admissions process, her 26 college applications, and the possibility of taking a gap year to focus on professional bridge. With warmth and maturity beyond her years, she reflects on mentorship, the importance of being a great teammate, and her mission to help grow the next generation of junior players.

   Key Highlights:

   🏆 Silver Medal Journey: Avery recounts her team's incredible comeback from being the bottom three or four teams after two days to reaching the final and earning silver at the U16 World Championships.

   🎯 Epic Vanderbilt Comeback: The story of our partnership defeating the seventh seed in the Vanderbilt after being down 62 IMPs at halftime, including the dramatic final quarter where our opponents took a 10-minute break and we closed with three consecutive double-digit wins.

   👨‍👧 Father-Daughter Mentorship: Avery discusses the unique dynamics of having Aaron Silverstein as both her dad and primary bridge mentor, including managing nepotism con…

8. Ep. 105: Teaching Bridge to a New Generation with Maya Jonas-Silver

   29 januari 2026 · 1 uur 38 min

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   I was inspired to interview Maya Jonas-Silver, because of this post she made on Bridge Winners bemoaning the lack of playing opportunities for her recent bridge initiates. After winning the 2023 20-50 Mini McKenney award Maya hasn't stopped. She has become a passionate advocate for bringing young adults into the game. Lees meer

   Here she shares her journey from learning bridge at summer camp to becoming a bridge teacher and director at Honors Bridge Club in New York City. Her teaching philosophy, that bridge doesn't need to be intimidating or require years of study before you can actually play and enjoy the game, has helped me be more willing to introduce friends to the game using her framework. Maya believes in getting beginners to the table quickly, and no feedback!

   We discuss the barriers facing young bridge players, from finding affordable games to navigating the tournament scene without mentors. Maya reflects on the critical moments in her own bridge career, when someone like Yoko Sobel stepped in to encourage her and her husband Jack. She also shares her vision for growing the game, including making beginner classes more accessible, creating online teaching modules, and building a network of bridge mentors to help newcomers transition from lessons to competitive play.

   Plus, we touch on the joys and challenges of playing bridge with your spouse and balancing bridge with parenthood.

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   Key Highlights:

   🎓 Teaching Bridge Fast: Maya's approach to teaching beginners focuses on getting people playing right away. She believes bridge is simple enough to learn in an hour and emphasizes playing over endless study.

   🏆 From Beginner to National Competitor: Maya shares how she went from playing kitchen table bridge to qualifying for Nationals in GNT, finishing second and sending teams to represent New York, including students who had only been playing for 6-18 months.

   💡 The Mentorship Gap: Maya discusses how critical i…

9. Ep. 104: From Water Polo to World Championships with Ethan Derman

   15 januari 2026 · 1 uur 27 min

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   In this episode, I sit down with Ethan Derman, a remarkable young talent who just got accepted early decision to the University of Virginia. Ethan shares his journey from playing baseball and water polo to becoming a junior world championship medalist in bridge. We dive into our dramatic Vanderbilt comeback against the heavily favored Rubenstein team featuring Zach Grossack, Michael Rosenberg, Joe Grue and Brad Moss. Where we were down 62 IMPs at the half. Then pulled of one of the most satisfying wins I've ever experienced. Ethan goes into his difficult decision to quit competitive baseball to focus on bridge, and how that choice has shaped his path forward. Lees meer

   We explore how water polo taught him teamwork and mental toughness that translates directly to the bridge table. Ethan discusses his partnership with Avery Silverstein, training with legendary player Chip Martel, and invaluable coaching from Aaron Silverstein, Avery's dad. From winning silver and bronze medals at junior world championships to balancing college applications with tournament play, Ethan has a big future ahead in the game. His summer plans include playing multiple European tournaments as well as the nationals and world championships.

   Key Highlights:

   • 🎓 UVA Early Decision: Ethan shares the emotional moment of getting accepted to UVA early decision, his top choice. Though he's not sure how much he'll be involved with Hoos Playing Bridge, the UVA club.

   • 🏆 The Epic Vanderbilt Comeback: How our team, Silversetin and the Destroyers, rallied from down 62 IMPs at halftime to defeat the 8th overall-seed.

   • 🥈 World Championship Medals: Ethan recounts winning silver in the Under-16 and bronze in the Under-21 world championships, including dramatic qualification battles and playing against the best junior teams in the world.

   • ⚾ Choosing Bridge Over Baseball: The difficult decision to quit competitive baseball despite being on track for college recruitment, and how falling in love with bridge made tha…

10. Ep. 103: Antonio Palma Finally Breaks Through After Seven Straight Finals Losses

    30 december 2025 · 1 uur 11 min

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    I'm thrilled to welcome Antonio Palma from Portugal to the show today. Antonio has had an incredible run of second-place finishes in recent years, including the Rosenblum, European Mixed Championships, Soloway Knockouts, and Spingold. Last year, he broke through by winning the pairs in Madeira, leading Sjoert Brink to call him the best matchpoint player in the world, and then claiming the Club de Compiastre trophy at the South American Championships. But the real celebration came recently when he finally won the Reisinger at the Fall NABC, ending that streak of seven consecutive finals losses. It was a relief, Antonio says. Lees meer

    In our conversation, Antonio opens up about what those years of finishing second felt like, the moment he realized he'd won the Reisinger (he wasn't even playing the final set!), and his journey from professional poker player to bridge champion. We discuss how poker shaped his approach to pressure moments and reading cards, why defense is his favorite part of the game, his challenges with tilting at the table, and the soon to be legendary hand where he took 23 minutes to defend two hearts and made Bobby Levin want to quit bridge. This was a particularly enjoyable conversation with one of bridge's rising stars.

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    Key Highlights:

    🏆 Breaking the Curse: After seven consecutive finals losses, Antonio finally won the Reisinger and describes the overwhelming relief of no longer wondering if he was good enough to win the big one.

    🍺 Watching from the Bar: Antonio didn't play the final set. Instead, he watched from the bar with Johan Upmark, drinking beer, watching football and hoping!

    🃏 From Poker Pro to Bridge Champion: Antonio was previously a professional. He explains how those skills help him read cards, handle pressure, and control emotions during critical moments in bridge.

    🛡️ Defense is Everything: Antonio reveals that defense is his favorite part of bridge, and miscommunicat…

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