The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
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113 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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63 Katie Sullivan is not pumping the brakes
14 september 2023 · 1 uur 8 min
TST Episode 63: Katie Sullivan is not pumping the brakes Lees meer
Katie Sullivan, as a second-year student at the University of Virginia, has infused her love of bridge with her college experience, starting an officially recognized student organization and recruiting other college kids into competitive bridge. Hear about her meteoric rise in the game and her plans for UVA world domination.
3:47 "Chalk it up" – how creative marketing got Katie needed contacts to create a bridge club.
10:50 Obtaining CIO status and how the club fair was a game-changer.
12:26 Trumpet players and bridge. Who knew?
17:09 Hoos Playing Bridge on Instagram.
18:50 Trying to teach the fundamentals, struggling with supplies. Creating slide presentations.
28:21 A shout-out to any UVA alumni who might want to help. Many students have branched out to playing sanctioned events at clubs. Katie is proud.
32:51 Katie, in her first year of college at Amherst, meets Michael Xu.
38:41 Recovering from a painful misbid by partner.
49:06 After success at the World Youth Teams Championships, Katie plans to get "seriously serious."
53:40 Loving the postmortem.
1:05 Katie encourages all youth bridge players to plan on attending UVA when it's time for college.
Katie's article on Bridge Winners about starting a bridge club at college.
Hoos Playing Bridge on Instagram.
Katie's first BW post: a love letter.
Katie in the New Orleans NABC Daily Bulletin.
Like cards? Play bridge!
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62 Patty Tucker: Youthful Enthusiast
21 augustus 2023 · 1 uur 8 min
The Setting Trick Lees meer
Episode 62: Patty Tucker, Youthful Enthusiast.
Patty Tucker might be responsible for creating more new bridge players than anyone on the planet. From developing teaching materials and running a non-profit to her new endeavor - getting bridge to be part of the curriculum in schools - Patty channels her love of the game into energy to keep it alive.
How bridge changed Patty's life at age 11, finding her niche.
The origin of Atlanta Junior Bridge, how the camps became the Youth NABC.
The challenges of school systems and connecting with teachers.
A teacher in Lebanon KY inspired Patty's new endeavor, Jump Start Bridge, resulting in 40 kids learning bridge via an afterschool program.
Patty's amazement at the lack of knowledge of what bridge is; finding a way to spread the word via conferences, including the International Society for Technology and Education, which included tech giants like Microsoft and Google, reaching over 12,000 attendees and raising visibility.
Patty keeps learning: What to do differently for future conferences.
On feeling overwhelmed or "out of her element" with the enormity of the tasks of marketing her plan.
Don't tell Patty, "It can't be done."
How bridge can connect people, creating lifelong friendships, even if you only see one another three times a year at NABCs. Kids deserve that too.
Patty's three wishes (OK, only two).
How Patty learned to play bridge, and a story of a defining moment in her bridge life.
Why John will never be Goodwill Member of the Year.
Patty's legacy.
How not everyone is cut out to be a bridge teacher.
Patty's third wish.
Patty's pre-game ritual and advice.
Links:
Atlanta Junior Bridge
https://atlantajuniorbridge.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFmp595UdNs
Jump Start Bridge
https://atlantajuniorbridge.org/jumpstart/
The Power of Bridge in Schools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J8A-za2Wpc
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61 Sartaj Hans Keeps Getting Better at Bridge
15 augustus 2023 · 1 uur 27 min
The Setting Trick Lees meer
Episode 61: Sartaj Hans Keeps Getting Better
This week's guest is many-time Australian national champion Sartaj Hans. Originally from India, Sartaj has several high finishes in NABC events, including making the semifinal of the recent Spingold Knockout Teams in Chicago, where he played four-handed with partner Andy Hung and teammates Nabil Edgtton and Michael Whibley.
John had his first big knockout match win in the 2014 Spingold teaming with Sartaj to beat the then 7th- seeded Cayne team.
Sartaj's book, Battling the Best, won the 2107 IBPA Book of the Year award. He also won the declarer play of the year in 2019. On top of all that, he has a successful career and is married to fellow tournament bridge player Sophie Ashton; they have two young daughters.
Sartaj discusses the psychology of bridge and how belief can make you a better player.
The need for developing a way to categorize bridge mistakes because bridge problems have so much variance.
Why postmortems are "rubbish."
Sartaj hits upon a hot-button issue: playing top-level events on computers.
A couple of book recommendations from Sartaj.
Sartaj's belief that focusing too much on system in a casual partnership is not effective.
In bridge, everyone has a chance to win.
Working on improving and how even experts have coaches and mentors.
Finally, Sartaj philosophizes on enjoying the process.
Read Sartaj's post on Bridge Winners about playing on tablets:
https://bridgewinners.com/article/view/the-case-for-tablets/
Sartaj Hans' book, Battling the Best:
https://www.baronbarclay.com/battling-the-best/
Sartaj Hans wins Declarer Play of the Year:
https://www.abf.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2020_IBPA_Declarer_Play_of_the_Year.pdf
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60 The-Setting-Trick---Tom-Hanlon---Irish-Swordsman---MIXED
26 juni 2023 · 1 uur 2 min
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59 Tracey Bauer - In Support of Junior Bridge
26 juni 2023 · 55 min
Play in the SPARK Pro-Am with and against your favorite Setting Trick guests.
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Episode 58: Olivia Schireson - Next Gen
24 juni 2023 · 1 uur 41 min
The Setting Trick Lees meer
Episode 58
Olivia Schireson - Next Gen
Olivia and John talk about how they met and the opportunity to play on a last-minute team together at the Providence NABC.
Olivia's mantra, "the two C's," confidence (and competence) – "never play bridge scared."
The Cinderella Mixed Team at the US Team Trials.
Bay Area Junior Bridge, the Rosenbergs, Will Watson, rooting for friends.
Getting the best out of oneself.
John and Olivia discuss having their plays written up on Bridge Winners.
Playing "What Are The Odds" at the World Championships in Poland.
Can you guess Olivia's favorite dance move?
Plans for the future. Starbucks?
More US Trials.
The best dad ever.
Olivia's brother and the case of the mistaken identity.
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57. Selena Pepić is addicted - Part 2
11 mei 2023 · 1 uur 13 min
Today, my guest is Selena Pepić. She is a computer science graduate from ETH Zurich, a rates trader at JP Morgan in Paris, and a member of the Serbian national mixed, women's, and junior teams. She won the gold medal at the World Youth Open Championship in Opatija 2015 (girls U26), the bronze medal at the World University Championship in Lodz in 2016, and also won an event at the Junior World Championship in 2016. Join us as we talk about Selena's background, playing bridge in Paris, her thoughts on the American bridge community, winning women's events, and more. Lees meer
[04.11] Missing bridge – Selena shares the reason behind quitting bridge for 2 years at university.
[21.03] Problems – Selena shares why she loves talking about bidding problems in bridge playing.
[25.10] First partner – We talk about the relationship between Selena and her first partner Giovanni.
[47.19] Playing blackjack – Selena dives into the story of playing blackjack for the first time.
[1:01.19] Novi Sad Bridge Festival – We talk about the Novi Sad Bridge festival happening between April 28th to May 2nd of 2023.
Resources
Connect with Selena
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/selena-pepic/
bridgewinners.com/profile/selena-pepic/
bridgescanner.com/event/novi-sad-bridge-festival-2023
web.facebook.com/novisadbridge/
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56. Selena Pepić is addicted - Part 1
11 mei 2023 · 59 min
Today, my guest is Selena Pepić. She is a computer science graduate from ETH Zurich, a rates trader at JP Morgan in Paris, and a member of the Serbian national mixed, women's, and junior teams. She won the gold medal at the World Youth Open Championship in Opatija 2015 (girls U26), the bronze medal at the World University Championship in Lodz in 2016, and also won an event at the Junior World Championship in 2016. Join us as we talk about Selena's background, playing bridge in Paris, her thoughts on the American bridge community, winning women's events, and more. Lees meer
[04.08] Selena's background – We start the conversation with a brief bio about Selena and her first junior world bridge championship in 2016.
[10.27] Bridge in Paris – Selena talks about playing bridge in Paris and how the division system works.
[20.51] American Sponsor – Selena shares the story of how she met Steve, her American sponsor.
[23.37] Expectations – Selena's thoughts on the American bridge community as national champions
[31.55] Women's Event – We talk about Selena's thoughts on winning a women's event in New Orleans.
[35.20] Professional Events – Selena talks about the professional bridge events & culture in Europe before the USA
[41.13] Playing with Family & Friends – Selena talks about how she played card games with her grandparents and later with high school friends.
[50.09] Catan – A multiplayer board game
Resources
Connect with Selena
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/selena-pepic/
bridgewinners.com/profile/selena-pepic/
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55. Greg Humphreys - Charlottesville's Best - Part 2
20 april 2023 · 1 uur 8 min
Greg Humphreys, a talented software engineer and accomplished bridge player features in this episode of The Setting Trick. He is the winner of the Mott-Smith Trophy at the recent spring North American Bridge championships, a three-time North American champion, and the best bridge player in Charlottesville, Virginia. He got hooked on Bridge in 1998 and quickly joined a local club, where he found success playing with Walter Miller's 49er club. Greg studied computer science at Princeton and Stanford before moving to Charlottesville, VA, to teach at the University of Virginia. Also, Greg has since left academia and worked for several startups and major tech companies like Nvidia, Google, and Twitch. Lees meer
[07:00] Improving Your Bridge Game - Greg emphasizes the importance of immersing oneself in Bridge and discussing hands with better players.
[12:48] Recursive Diamond - Advantages of playing a solid diamond system and the benefits of opening with one club instead of one diamond.
[18:50] Streaming Bridge on Twitch – Greg mentions his experience of streaming himself playing Bridge on Twitch.
[28:16] Partner Support in Bridge - Importance of supporting your partner in Bridge and dealing with bad results.
[32:54] Competitive Bridge Strategies and Performance – Greg outlines his experience playing Bridge in a competitive event, including strategies, gameplay, and the desire to perform well and achieve a high ranking.
[57:04] Teaching beginners in Bridge - Frustrations and challenges
Resources:
Connect with Greg:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/greghumphreys/
Twitter: twitter.com/humper
Mentioned in the episode:
Physically Based Rendering: From Theory to Implementation: amazon.com/Physically-Based-Rendering-Theory-Implementation/dp/0128006455?redirectFromSmile=1
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54. Greg Humphreys - Charlottesville's Best - Part 1
13 april 2023 · 52 min
Greg Humphreys, a talented software engineer and accomplished bridge player is featured in this episode of The Setting Trick. He is the winner of the Mott-Smith Trophy at the recent spring North American Bridge Championships, a three-time North American champion, and the best bridge player in Charlottesville, Virginia. He got hooked on bridge in 1998 and quickly joined a local club, where he found success playing with Walter Miller's 49er club. Greg studied computer science at Princeton and Stanford before moving to Charlottesville, VA, to teach at the University of Virginia. Also, Greg has since left academia and worked for several startups and major tech companies like Nvidia, Google, and Twitch. Lees meer
In addition to his impressive career in computer science, Greg has also made a name for himself in the world of bridge. He has succeeded in various tournaments, including the Mixed Pairs, Platinum Pairs, Mixed BAM, and Fast Pairs. Greg and Jenni Carmichael typically play together once a year in the Mixed Pairs, which they won in 2016 and have also finished second, third, fourth, and fifth. In 2018 they made it to the finals of the World Open Pairs. This spring in Reno, they finished second in the Mixed Pairs. Greg also finished 11th in the Silodor Pairs and won the Fast Pairs, playing with Adam Parrish.
On the other hand, when not playing bridge, Greg enjoys spending time in his woodshop, playing video games, and traveling. He also enjoys watching RuPaul's Drag Race. Also, Greg streams his bridge games on Twitch, where he plays against friends and robots on BBO.
In this conversation, Greg shares a wealth of insights and experiences about his journey in the world of Bridge. He discusses his best-ever result in a tournament, the pressure of leading, and the impact of small mistakes. He recalls an unusual game where the opposing team doubled their bid and made a strange opening lead. Greg explains how miscommunication about a bridge bidding system leads to confusion and …
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53. Olin Hubert - Not Just a Director!
9 maart 2023 · 1 uur 17 min
In this episode of The Setting Trick, you are in for a treat as you get to hear from Olin Hubert, an exceptional American bridge player who has made a mark in the world of bridge. He has achieved the coveted title of American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master owing to his impressive achievements in the game. Olin's exceptional skills as a North American champion bridge player have earned him accolades and recognition from the bridge community worldwide. Lees meer
His extensive experience in the game has led to some remarkable accomplishments, including winning the Grand National Teams in 2022 and the North American Bridge Championships. Additionally, Olin has been a runner-up in the Nail Life Master Open Pairs competition in 2021, proving his mettle as a consistent and formidable player.
Apart from his impressive career in the bridge, Olin has also served as a retired tournament director for the American Contract Bridge League. He currently resides in the vibrant city of Atlanta, where he continues to inspire and influence the bridge community through his expertise and passion for the game.
As Olin shares his story, you will learn about his journey to becoming a professional bridge player. Although he faced financial challenges along the way, his dedication and passion ultimately paid off, and he is now a highly sought-after pro. Olin shares his experience, learnings, thinking, and tips throughout the discussion. Also, Olin recalls his triumph at the North American Bridge Championship, hosted by the American Contract Bridge League last summer, and his achievement of Grand Life Master ranking by winning the GNT Championship Flight. In a nutshell, you will be inspired by Olin's story and impressed by his accomplishments and experience in the world of bridge. Hence, he will surely be a memorable guest on this episode of The Setting Trick.
[08:39] Olin's Story – Olin shares how he started learning to play bridge.
[16:26] Tournament Director – We discuss how Olin beca…
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52. Interview with TST Host John McAllister
2 maart 2023 · 48 min
This week's episode of the Setting Trick: Conversations with World-Class Bridge Players turns the tables and features professional player Greg Hinze interviewing host John McAllister. In this conversation, we cover John's background, his favorite bridge books, his experiences at the national and world championships, his documentary movie about bridge, the reasons why he started the podcast, and more. Lees meer
[01.29] John's background – Starting the conversation, John discusses his Virginia roots, where he lives, where he went to college, and why he wants to stay there.
[08.40] Books – John and Greg talk about some of the best books about bridge.
[20.43] The summer nationals – We talk about John's experience with mixed board-a-match teams in Providence at the summer nationals and the open BAM at the fall NABC.
[23.31] The movie – We talk about the movie called 'Double Dummy' produced by John, about bridge.
[32.10] The podcast – John shares the reasons behind starting his podcast and continuing until now.
[33:48] Meeting Migry – John remembers meeting partner Migry Zur Campanile and playing mixed teams at the world championships.
[43.50] Bridge conventions – John chooses his desert island bridge convention.
Transcript
[00:00:00] Greg Hinze: Hello everybody. Welcome to the Setting Trick. Uh, I'm your guest host, uh, Greg Hinsey. Uh, our normal host with the most will not be available today as a host. So without further ado, let me introduce our special guest star today. Creator of the Setting Trick Podcast, producer of the new movie, double Dummy and newly crowned N A B C Champion, my friend, John McAllister.
[00:00:36] Hi John. Hey
[00:00:36] John McAllister: Greg . Thanks for having me. , should I think I cut you off there at the end, .
[00:00:43] Greg Hinze: So how you feel being on the other side of
[00:00:45] John McAllister: you? Nervous? I am, I'm definitely nervous. I didn't know what to expect and I, I definitely like, probably 20 minutes before I got ho…
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50. Kevin Rosenberg - Dream Partner
9 februari 2023 · 1 uur 7 min
This week's episode of the Setting Trick podcast features Kevin Rosenberg, a professional bridge player, and a full-time software engineer. Kevin comes from a family of professional bridge players, with Debbie and Michael Rosenberg as his mother and father. Kevin won the Soloway Knockout Teams in Phoenix and he also earned second place in the Reisinger at the Fall 2022 Phoenix NABC. He is a multi-time winner of the Youth World Open Championships (2022 Salsomagiorre, 2019 Opatija, 2017 Lyon). In this episode, we discussed getting stars from BBO, teaching bridge for beginners, Kevin's thoughts on having parents who are world-class bridge players, impressive partnerships that Kevin came across, and more. Lees meer
[02:12] BBO Star – Starting the conversation, Kevin shares how he got a star on Bridge Base Online (BBO).
[13:42] Teaching Bridge – Kevin explains what he mostly focuses on when he teaches bridge. Further, he shares why engagement among beginners is not a huge issue in bridge playing.
[33:35] Junior Trials – Kevin started junior trials in 2014. He shares some of his junior trial experiences with us.
[45:46] Experiences in Australia – Kevin shares why he likes Australia and how he met a lot of bridge players while he was there.
[57:11] Impressive Partnerships – We discuss Kevin's most impressive partnership that he played against in the recent bridge tournament.Connect with Kevin
bridgewinners.com/profile/kevin-rosenberg
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49. John Kranyak - Better Late than Never
2 februari 2023 · 1 uur 24 min
This episode of The Setting Trick: Conversations with World-Class Bridge Players features John Kranyak. John is a professional Bridge and Poker player from the United States of America. He is a highly accomplished and respected member of the Spectre team, widely considered one of the bridge community's most successful and competitive teams. John's skill and expertise in the bridge are matched only by his exceptional character and integrity. In this episode, we shared several experiences that we had gained from competing in tournaments, playing with a number of other players, and accumulating the most memorable memories, along with the wonderful learnings and experiences that we had gained. Lees meer
[00:40] Background – John fills us in on what's new in his life, including details about his family and what it's like for him to be in a new city.
[05:00] Regionals - Will the current trend in regionals is going to continue, or are people starting to return?
[11:32] Memories – John reflects on playing against the Swiss team and some of the interesting memories.
[22:06] Changes in Bridge - John discusses the changes in the world of bridge. He elaborates on the most underappreciated aspect of the game.
[47:31] Levels of Players - What is the most critical factor separating top-level players from those who are not top-level?
Resources:
Connect with John:
bridgewinners.com/profile/john-kranyak/
bridgeinstructors.com/profile/30/info -
48. Kitty Cooper - Loves a Good Hand
26 januari 2023 · 1 uur 11 min
"The secret to winning a world championship is great teammates, a good partnership, and good team spirit." Lees meer
Kitty Munson Cooper is a bridge blogger, genetic genealogist and world-champion bridge player. She has won eight North American Bridge Championships and the Venice Cup in 1989. She currently lives in San Diego, CA. Today we talked about her background, the secret to winning world championships, sexism in bridge, and more.
Kitty has won NABCs with two different husbands. Playing with someone close to you is a different feeling; they see what you don't see, and you see what they don't see.
[18.26] 1987 – forcing her way onto the British ladies' team in the 1987 European championships.
[23.11] The dream team – winning a world championship with the help of a good partnership between teammates.
[27.35] The keys – Willing to play up, having a good partnership, and having the killer instinct are the keys to having success in open bridge for women.
[35.50] Stories about playing with the great players in the old days.
[42.02] Teaching bridge – talks about how satisfying it can be to teach kids bridge and designing a beginner curriculum.
[47.03] The 70s – walks us through the story of meeting her late husband in the 70s, then re-meeting and marrying him in 2000.
[51.49] Thoughts on what makes a serious partnership.
[57.39] Playing with your spouse – the difficulty of playing bridge when emotions get involved.
Resources
Connect with Kitty
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/kittycooper/
Website - openskywebdesign.com/
blog.kittycooper.com/
bridgeteaching.com/
Twitter - twitter.com/openskyweb
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Joe Grue
9 november 2022 · 27 min
Today I have an abbreviated conversation with my good friend Joe Grew, who is one of the best bridge players in the world. This is my first in-person conversation and it took place at Congressional Country Club in September. It got cut short because, frankly we had to get on the tee! Lees meer
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47. Susan Morse - Bridge Writer Extraordinaire
26 maart 2022 · 1 uur 32 min
Susan Morse is my kind of person, well humored and a lover of bridge. In one of her Bridge Bulletin articles she introduced me to the concept of the Bridge Base Online "hamburger". This conversation came about based on a chance encounter at the Austin NABC. We've since gone on to break bread during the Hilton Head regional. In a just completed phone conversation Susan tells me she will talk to her team about playing the Spingold for the first time in Providence. Lees meer
Episode highlights:
1:10- 'Good Evening Memphis'
14:55- How she began playing bridge
25:00- The all-too-familiar story of frantically pursuing masterpoints
48:35- New bridge book coming out soon?
53:10- The awe of meeting Meckstroth
1:03:27- The Migry (TST Guest #3) Hand
1:16:56- The tables are flipped and John gets interviewed
1:27:34- The Cardturner movie???
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46. Milan Macura - Streaming Bridge
16 maart 2022 · 1 uur 11 min
Returning from my hiatus, I am pleased to welcome Milan Macura to kick off our next season on The Setting Trick. Milan is a professional player and teacher. He is also a Youtube streamer and was previously president of the Czech Bridge Federation.. Lees meer
In 2009, through a series of amazing, fortunate events, Milan won the 1st World Youth Congress. Listen for the full story!
Milan Macura's Youtube Channel
Episode highlights:
5:06- His pathway in becoming a streamer
13:25- The story behind his improbable win in the 1st World Youth Congress
19:30- Milan can't be intimidated
26:05- "Full-service pro"
28:47- How Milan learned bridge
37:58- Youth bridge
48:55- Streaming details
52:08- Blue shirt red shirt
59:40- Milan loves playing bridge on tablets
1:05:25- Celebrating the World Youth Congress victory
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45. Jenni Carmichael - Director!
4 november 2021 · 1 uur 25 min
We have saved today's guest to appear once the next in-person Nationals loomed near. Meet Jenni Carmichael, our first tournament director on the show and spouse of TST Guest #24 Tom Carmichael. A fine storyteller, Jenni finds the humor and draws out the drama. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
1:20- Chances of Austin Nationals happening
5:23- Requirements to become a director
11:15- 3SXX making is clearly an average board
15:00- "I just have four cards left to play"
17:05- How Jenny got into directing
24:00- "The only law we care about is God's law"
28:46- "Does he have his bid?"
40:44- Bridge camps
46:30- Mixed Pair stories of absurd scores, intense pressure, and momentum
53:26- If no Greg, maybe no Double Dummy
55:20- Jenni once held a long grudge against her current director idol
1:11:12- It is useless to psych against Jenni
1:14:13- But her psychs are deadly
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44. Ola and Mikael Rimstedt - Twins that Win
19 oktober 2021 · 1 uur 21 min
The Rimstedt family of Sweden is among the strongest bridge-playing families of all-time. Twins Mikael and Ola are the youngest players ever to win the World Pairs, and their sister Cecilia won the 2019 Venice Cup, sadly with their sister Sandra no longer on the team after having emigrated to the US. Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Mikael and Ola. In addition to being my friends and I've even been lucky enough to have them on my team on occasion. Lees meer
Watch the video version here: https://john-mcallister-s52b.squarespace.com/episode-44-ola-and-mikael-rimstedt
Episode Highlights:
7:35- Mikael and Ola almost didn't play in the world pairs they ended up winning
13:17- How Mikael got angry at Ola on a board where their side got a complete top late in the finals of the World Pairs
18:02- Rim job on Vugraph
20:12- Making the Swedish Open team
34:42- Rimstedt brothers better than the Grossack brothers???
38:48- Why they split and came back together
46:12- Their dad previously played for Sweden
1:04:28- How Ola and Mikael got into bridge
1:12:08- Dating status
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43. Susan Bricken - Dedicated to Growing the Game
15 september 2021 · 57 min
We are informally designating Susan Bricken as the Chief Enthusiasm Officer for the ACBL Educational Foundation's new program, BridgeWhiz. We hope she'll be an inspiration to all who want young people to learn the game. After finishing this episode, make sure to tell three people about BridgeWhiz, and feel free to copy me at john@thesettingtrick.com! To date 1,250+ students have signed up. Lees meer
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxAmqb_pKWw&t=3s
Episode Highlights:
0:50- BridgeWhiz details
6:48- The bridge version of Queen's Gambit
13:45- Immediately jumping into the deep end
20:20- Learning bridge from TST Guest 41 Robert Todd
23:08- Never play bridge with your spouse??
25:00- Doubling the size of her local bridge club
31:10- The interviewee becomes the interviewer
32:50- The history of Double Dummy
45:25- Saving Lives Susan
50:10- Swimming Susan
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42. Shan Huang - Is Better than You!
3 september 2021 · 1 uur 32 min
Shan Huang (technically Huang Shan) is a budding bridge legend. His frequent successes at tournaments earned him multiple Richmond trophies, the Canadian masterpoint race, before he immigrated to the US' greener bridge pastures. He is in a formidable partnership with Floridian Kevin Dwyer. Lees meer
Link to Video Version: https://youtu.be/yAMvFrjPfp0
Episode Highlights:
1:40- Huang Shan
11:33- Why Shan moved from Canada to USA
19:30- His experience at a Chinese monastery
24:10- Descriptions of Justin Lall (RIP)
28:45- How Shan's partnership with Kevin Dwyer came to be
32:35- The power of preempts against precision players
35:30- The biggest advantage of strong club systems
41:45- Shan's mentors
49:54- A tragic hand
1:02:45- Another minus 1660 hand that costed John $1600+
1:07:27- Who does Shan most want to partner with?
1:13:22- How rating bridge hands is like rating peoples' attractiveness
1:19:00- Shan hates squealing
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41. Robert Todd - Adventures in Teaching
19 augustus 2021 · 1 uur 19 min
Robert Todd is becoming a force in the bridge teaching world and has been called "the next generation of great bridge instructor and entertainer." Having taught in 48 States, lectured at countless regionals, nationals, and cruises, Robert is following the path of his mentors Audrey Grant, Larry Cohen, or Barbara Seagram—some of the world's most renowned bridge teachers. Lees meer
Besides teaching professionally, Robert is heavily involved in promoting youth bridge. Using his knowledge and expertise as a top-tiered educator, Robert is helping spearhead the new ACBL Education Foundation program, Bridge Whiz. If your child is interested in learning bridge online, this 20-week long class is perfect for their needs! Learn more here.
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/5SKv693j0L0
Episode Highlights:
1:20- The history of the ACBL Education Foundation
5:50- How to make learning bridge enjoyable
7:15- Robert's teaching style and method
11:57- ACBLEDF peddling Tricky Bridge
15:10- Robert was brainwashed into loving bridge
His unique upbringing in the social bridge community influences his perspectives
22:05- Robert led a study to discover how many bridge players there are in America
27:05- Why the ACBL Education Foundation's goal is different than the ACBL's
32:35- Different bridge-playing communities
35:59- Professional teaching administrative details
43:52- Professional bridge and promoting bridge
50:53- Funny stories about TST Episode #31, Adam Kaplan
1:00:32- Robert's analysis on the Meckwell partnership
1:02:44- The administrative thinking behind BridgeWhiz
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40. Jacek Kalita - The Gentle Killer
31 juli 2021 · 1 uur 8 min
Ever since my conversation with Jeff Meckstroth, I began asking a standard question to Setting Trick guests, "are you better than (Jacek) Kalita?" It was a fun or tough question, depending on the guest, which got a wide variety of responses in spite of Jacek being ranked 2nd in the World Bridge Federation's rankings. Lees meer
Hailing from Poland, Jacek is our first European based guest. Astute listeners will have noticed that I stopped asking the are you better than question when Jacek's partner Michal Nowosadzki confessed to self-kibitizing in multiple online events last year. The partner with whom Jacek won two Bermuda Bowls and also his good friend.
Find out what Jacek had to say about all of that and see his fine sense of humor for yourself.
Episode highlights:
3:58- Are you better than Kalita???
6:35- Michal Nowosadzki (Kalita's partner) cheating case
10:04- The aftermath reaction
15:00- Kalita's pathway to becoming a professional
23:35- When a frequent opponent becomes a partner
27:40- For the system nuts
31:50- Why Kalita is pro-kibitzing
36:20- The secret sauce behind Kalita and Nowosadzki constant success
41:00- Bridge and traveling the world
44:20- When Kalita got to play with his childhood bridge heroes
46:15- Kalita's former client helped create the stock market in Poland!
50:28- Kalita's family and bridge
53:35- Michal Klukowski and Kalita
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39. Andrew Rowberg and Danning Lu - Collegiate Bowl Champs
5 juli 2021 · 58 min
In 2017, there was no bridge club at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Then Andrew Rowberg, a recent PhD graduate in computational material science, came along. Four years later, during which bribery cookies were baked, practice sessions held, and talent developed, the UCSB Overbidders Anonymous emerged victorious in the 2021 Online North American Collegiate Bridge Championships. We're excited to showcase the journey that this UCSB team took from having nothing to winning it all. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
2:40- The formation of the UCSB Bridge Club
4:05- How Danning learned bridge
5:34- The pieces of the champion team
12:20- COVID can't stop dedicated college students
13:42- Defeating TST Guest 32 Richard Jeng the Georgia Tech bridge giants
19:10- Freshman clutching it up in the wild Finals match
23:29- Andrew's teaching philosophy
28:00- Now is your perfect chance to hire a collegiate champion with a PhD in computational material science!
33:07- The overbidders in "Overbidders Anonymous" are no longer anonymous
39:30- The universally dreaded Berkeley monsters
45:35- Proof that playing bridge increases your job prospects
48:10- Danning plays the precise system and likes to take fitness
51:23- The expert's advice on forming a collegiate championship team
56:00- The secret ingredient in bridge success: sugar
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38. Mike Levine - Hires the Best!
8 juni 2021 · 1 uur 16 min
Our first ever sponsor to be featured on The Setting Trick is Mike Levine. As many bridge players know, a match up against the Levine Team should be dreaded, unless one enjoys being demolished. In tow with his ultimate dream team, which includes two partnerships considered by many to be the greatest pairs of all time, Mike recently won the first 3 North American Online Bridge Championships in a row, a feat of absolute dominance. Lees meer
In life, Mike Levine has somehow managed to top his massive successes at the bridge table; he is one of the world's most illustrious inventors, holding more than 60 patents. Through his shared insights on topics like population control, I got to see the creative force behind his many inventions. I am excited to share my conversation with this fascinating man.
Episode Highlights:
2:28- The progression to the inception of Mike Levine's current team
8:34- Mike isn't the weakest player on his team???
11:25- Mike's approach to bridge is understanding concepts logically, rather than memorizing
15:50- Mike's recipe analogy to bridge
18:10- Mike doesn't fully subscribe to the common wisdom for pros that "Your job is not to win. Your job is to not lose."
19:00- Why Mike is willing to spend so much money to hire top players
25:10- Why Mike's physical disability does not hinder him
29:04- The Lake Trail that Mike brought to existence
34:30- Mike's education
36:05- One of Mike's joke patents
39:52- Mike's solution to global warming: prevent overpopulation
44:05- More thoughts on population control
48:00- "All things complicated are not useful"
53:40- Is Stayman really a convention?
58:35- An example of Mike's "wonder bids"
1:03:15- Take a glimpse into Mike's mind as a bidding theoretician
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37. Youngest Life Masters: Bill, David, & Doug Hsieh - Passing the Baton
15 mei 2021 · 49 min
We continue our popular series of "The Youngest Life Master" with long-ago former record holders Bill and Dough Hsieh, along with their older brother and inspiration David Hsieh. In this episode, they taught me just how much our game has changed. From the abolition of smoking at the table to masterpoint inflation, and to the resurgence of youth bridge, bridge has evolved. However, one thing continues to be the same: its power of leaving happy memories that survive over the span of decades. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
1:50- Be the once in a blue moon and pronounce their last name with "C"
4:05- How the Hsieh brothers got started on bridge
7:00- Imagine being interviewed by the local newspaper for every tournament you go to
7:55- 6-year-old-Doug's opponents thought Doug was a joke and refused to play
10:20- The masterpoints inflation is real
11:05- Bill's dad was the original engine behind his pursuit for the record
13:24- An unlucky split costed Doug beating the record by an additional 10 months
14:44- Bridge can consume you
15:48- The past versus the current state of youth bridge
18:50- The Hsieh brothers' current exposure with bridge
22:40- David's favorite partner
25:15- It was inevitable that Doug will beat Bill's record
26:50- Ron is a great role model!
30:35- The Hsieh brothers' influential mother
33:05- Back when everybody smoked at the bridge table
36:00- People still remember stories from Midnight Swisses that happened 40 years ago
40:15- Bridge opens up connections in the work place
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36. Michael Xu - Asks a Lot of Questions
12 april 2021 · 1 uur 2 min
In June of 2019, I asked now 17 year old Michael Xu to help me prepare for my interview with his bridge mentor/hero, Michael Rosenberg. This sparked his progression from The Setting Trick helper, to The Setting Trick intern, and finally to The Setting Trick guest. Lees meer
One year after I first reached out, Michael co founded the Youth Bridge Association, a nonprofit organization based on the idea of youth teaching youth bridge. As co president, Michael has helped host multiple classes as well as a tournament that drew 140 juniors!
Michael has generously agreed to share the below letter, which upon reading, Kevin Rosenberg, Michael Rosenberg's son said, "it sounds like you're trying to date my dad!"
Fabled "dating" email
Dear Michael,
A few months ago, when asked by my college counselor who would be the best person to write a letter of recommendation, the first and only person that came to mind was you. Before bridge, before SiVY, before you, I never thought I would come to identify so strongly with a community. If you asked me back then whether I believe that I will have such a robust relationship with a non-family member, I would have scoffed at that idea. Yet, over the span of 4 years, I have developed a truly extraordinary connection with you. From our first encounter in Toronto, to the first bombardment of emails, to the first in-real-life post mortem (@Atlanta), to the first dinner together (@Dennys), to the first time playing against you, to the first time hearing a "well-played" from your lips, and finally to the latest email, you have seen my growth from a completely clueless youngling to a now still slightly clueless and learning adolescent who knows some things.
Michael, you are the only one. You saw me at the Trials, going past midnight to review boards. You saw me at WuJiang, China, where even at the World Youth Team Championships, I was more preoccupied with learning than sleeping/eating. You saw me flood your inbox with emails, and when you think you a…
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35. YLM: Joel Wooldridge, Sam & Dan Hirschman, and Steve Cochran
3 april 2021 · 1 uur 20 min
The third and possibly final episode of the Youngest Life Master series has touched down! In this episode, we caught up with four former youngest Life Masters: Joel Wooldrige, brothers Sam and Dan Hirschman, and Steven Cochran. Joel is now a world-class expert and is one of the world's best players. Sam and Dan continue to celebrate their former record with the annual "The Party". Steven was an absolutely wild teenager; he once woke up in the ocean while traveling across the country to play bridge, without his parents. At the age of 14. It really amazes me how different are the paths that people take! Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
2:55- 11 year old Joel Wooldrige
3:55- How Joel learned to play bridge
5:25- How Sam Hirschman's father played a role in getting his son's record beaten
8:55- Joel was in the Guinness Book of World Records!
11:15- The real reason why Dan had to take back the YLM record for the Hirschman family
18:15- Sam and Dan Hirschman
20:30- Father Hirschman = Most Valuable Motivator
26:25- Sam was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine!
28:10- Bridge lost Dan to Magic: the Gathering
28:49- Dan was featured on the Leno show, the People Magazine, and NYT
32:19- The last times Sam and Dan can flex their former record
34:05- The annual "Dan Hirschman Youngest Life Master KO Teams" where 25 teams onced showed up to play at the Hirschman house
40:35- How Sam ended up on Sports Illustrated magazine
44:30- The decline of bridge's cultural relevance
46:50- Meet Steven Cochran
49:25- Steven learned bridge at NASA
52:35- Steven taught his entire college fraternity to play bridge
- 14 year old Steven spent a whole summer traveling US and Canada to play bridge
59:48- Steven excels at declaring
1:01:35- Unfortunately, Steven couldn't measure up for the attractive girl
1:02:35- Waking up in the ocean
1:07:40- Steven once was a professional soccer player
1:09:09- No fanfare for Steven becoming part of the first two-person ACBL Kings and Queens of Brid…
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34. Andrew Robson - The Formidable Englishman
26 maart 2021 · 1 uur 5 min
Andrew Robson is a giant, in both height and bridge; he is 6 feet 6 inches tall and has won a slew of titles, including back to back Reisingers in 1998 and 1999. On top of all his bridge accolades, he has met the Queen of England, received the prestigious "Other Buggers' Efforts" award, and survived a 100 foot fall. Lees meer
If you want to learn more about Andrew and his bridge adventures, there is a great page on his website called Andrew's Life in Bridge, where I learned many of the stories I asked Andrew about today.
COVID finally got Andrew to start presenting a daily video series, where I've learned a lot of card play nuances in the advanced section https://andrewrobsonbridgecast.com
Subscribers to The Setting Trick email list may access Andrew breaking down Adam Kaplan's play on a deal featured in Double Dummy here.
Episode Highlights:
1:42- A horrible accident that broke his legs
9:22- He's not a model student
12:27- Andrew's education
Imagine doing worse on a test than a monkey would
15:37- The tournament that was vital to Andrew's confidence as a bridge player
18:52- A wildly successful psych
22:10- How Andrew met one of his partners, Rita Shugart
24:20- Andrew is an "Other Buggers' Efforts" award winner!
27:42- When your team sucks at losing IMPS
29:52- The pain of losing in the semi-finals of a Bermuda Bowl by 1 IMP and then losing again by 1 IMP in the third place playoff
31:37- Amazing bidding by Andrew and his partner, David Gold
David Thompson's quote from Bridge Winners, "The video of auction is quite interesting: https://youtu.be/diMipYWGr3c?t=20293
The auction took 12 minutes including 3 minutes for the 7♦ bid and 5 minutes for David Gold's final pass. Whilst 7♦ was certainly a brilliant bid by Robson, Gold's pass was pretty impressive also having diagnosed the sorts of hands Robson could be holding and successfully determining the inferiority of a ♠ contract."
38:07- Andrew Robson Bridge Club
41:27- John's mother might have a crush on A…
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33. Albert Bender - Taking the Game to Kids
19 maart 2021 · 51 min
Al Bender is an extraordinarily dedicated teacher for Bridge For Youth, a nonprofit organization that promotes youth bridge in the Seattle area. After the pandemic struck, Bridge For Youth and Al switched from a face-to-face teaching model to solely virtual instruction. He caught my attention through this Bridge Winners article on the benefits of teaching online. To say the article brightened my day would be a massive underbid. Read it! Lees meer
The most important takeaway from Al's experience is that virtual instruction is an incredibly effective teaching model. We want to see this model duplicated across the country!
Episode Highlights:
2:20- The many flaws of teaching face-to-face
4:25- Advantages to virtual teaching
5:05- Bridge For Youth's journey in learning how to teach online
7:55- How Bridge For Youth got a staggering 110 students
9:50- Interesting gender discrepancy
12:40- The power of the Shark Teaching Console
"I no longer have to watch my partner make stupid mistakes"
16:10- Testmoz and the allure of competition
18:55- A serendipitous success
20:40- The dedicated student
23:40- Summer camp will be taught by former Setting Trick guest, Tom Carmichael
25:35- Collaboration to on youth tournaments
29:20- SharkBridge is free for teachers who teach youth bridge for free
30:05- Teachers must be good with youths
32:10- Bridge For Youth is in search for teachers!
37:50- The important thing is having FUN!
40:35- A big weakness is the lack of social interactions when using Shark Bridge
45:00- Al warns you to not use the word "kid"
47:00- Al wants to make a difference in his students' life
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32. Greg Hinze - This Dude Abides
12 maart 2021 · 55 min
Meet Greg Hinze: Three time North American Bridge Champion, world champion and he also has a world class sense of humor! After first hearing there was such a thing as a professional bridge player, Greg made it his five year goal. He played a lot, read lots of books, practically went broke and now is a highly desired pro. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
1:35- How Greg first decided to pursue his goal of becoming a professional
3:15- How Greg got hooked onto bridge
6:10- Greg and his poker job
7:55- How Greg quickly improved into an expert
9:40- Live bridge and RealBridge
12:50- Greg's favorite event
15:20- Reject those who rejected you
18:50- Strong club vs natural system
21:45- Greg's 2D opening system
24:10- Winning a world championship on a team formed the night before the event
26:50- Greg, his wife, and fun midnight knockout deal
29:30- Broke North American champion
31:35- An interesting strategy to pick between two close calls and a happy accident
35:20- His prediction on the future of live bridge
40:50- "Swiss Master" ~ Justin Lall
43:55- Bridge connects
48:30- Greg's biggest bridge tip
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31. Youngest Life Master: Adam Kaplan and Richard Jeng
28 februari 2021 · 34 min
At the age of 10 years and 43 days Adam Kaplan set the record as the American Contract Bridge League's youngest ever life master. A subsequent article in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin, commemorating Adam's achievement, inspired his successor Richard Jeng who broke Adam's record with ease at the age of 9 years, 6 months, and 12 days. Lees meer
Both Richard and Adam are members of the USA1 Under 21 team whose journey in the 14th World Youth Team Championships we chronicle in Double Dummy. A film which Adam largely inspired. Here are two brief conversations about Richard and Adam's quest to become the youngest life master and what the title meant to them.
2:16- The event where Adam won his last needed masterpoints
4:04- Two club games per day—the dedication needed to get those masterpoints
6:39- The fame ensuing after his achievement
7:46- What the achievement means to him
9:14- "I was a terrible partner" ~ Adam
12:14- Adam's current level of bridge involvement
14:04- The story behind Adam's nickname
15:39- Adam's partner in Double Dummy
19:54- An optimistic grand bid by Adam
24:09- Adam's current career plans
26:30- Richard's first reaction on hearing about Andrew Chen's achievement
27:05- How Richard first started playing bridge
28:40- Richard's inspiration on becoming the Youngest Life Master
29:50- Richard's meeting up with the teen whose record he planned on beating
30:35- This record is meant to be broken!
31:35- Life Master is a title given only to those who mastered life
31:55- The event where Richard won his last needed master points
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30. YLM: Andrew Chen - The Current Titleholder
18 februari 2021 · 31 min
Our latest guest, Andrew Chen, is our youngest ever, by a lot! 8-year old Andrew is the ACBL's youngest ever Life Master, a feat many spend decades striving for. In May 2020, Andrew, at the age of eight years and three days, smashed the previous record holder's mark by more than a year. He also was the first to set the record since the requirements for being a Life Master moved from three hundred to five hundred Masterpoints. Lees meer
All four members of Andrew's immediate family, his mother Sarah, his brother Charlie and his father Steve, are bridge players. He is also a product of Silicon Valley Youth Bridge, whose pizza parties are helping introduce many young people to the game. Steve also joins us, to whom Andrew gives a lot of credit for his amazing achievement.
Episode Highlights:
1:40- Andrew's favorite bridge player—and no, it's not his dad :)
4:20- Andrew enjoys punishing his opponents
6:43- How Andrew decided to pursue the youngest Life Master title
9:15- The players who helped Andrew in obtaining the title
12:35- A glimpse into Andrew's bidding system
14:34- Andrew the ambassador
16:35- How Andrew's parents met
17:05- How Andrew's family plays bridge.
19:15- Andrew doesn't neglect his reading
20:43- Video games that Andrew enjoy playing
22:35- Andrew's height
25:08- Andrew as the narrator for Double Dummy???
27:45- Andrew's language fluencies
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29. Ron Smith - Has More Stories
2 februari 2021 · 1 uur 10 min
Didn't get enough of Ronnie? He's back! Ron Smith returns to the show, bringing with him more hilarious stories. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
6:05- Ron's opinion on Real Bridge
12:30- When your teammates go for minus 4600 in 4Cxx down 8 so you lose 24 IMPS, but you still win the match
15:35- Ron learns from his teacher who went minus 5800.Twice
16:05- Story of the only person to win the Vanderbilt while also losing two matches in the same tournament
18:30- Never give up during a match
25:05- Bobby Levin is so good looking, his partner needs to play with his head down lest he loses his focus
28:40- More hilarious Baby Levin stories
34:40- Ron believes in the great joys of having the social connections through playing bridge
38:10- Speculations on the future of bridge—will things ever be the same again?
40:15- Mahaffrey stories
44:35- Peter Weichsel's most embarrassing moment
47:15- Reese stories
53:05- Ron's worst three hands
59:48- Leo Lasota: the world's greatest online player
1:03:05- Oren Kriegel is an upcoming super star
1:06:35- "Here comes the damn diamonds again" story
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28. Ron Smith - Is Funny!
18 december 2020 · 1 uur 38 min
Among US Juniors, few adults' names are as well-recognized as Ron Smith. But don't let his title of "Honorary Junior" fool you; Ron began playing bridge back in the Roth Stone era, when he only would open the bidding with 14 points—3 points more than what he needs to open today. A true perennial all-star, Ron stands out for his work in fostering the rising young stars of our game. He's also a pretty entertaining and genuinely good natured fellow. Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
1:50- Ron's mother used to think he was going to hell for playing bridge
3:40- Ron's sister = ultimate bridge wing-woman
5:15- How Ron became hooked on bridge
12:05- Seymon Deutsch could get away with anything
16:00- The legend of Zia Mahmood
21:30- "I've got a partner for you" = Bobby Levin
23:00- Don't cheat
32:20- Al Roth Stoned
36:55- A Justin Lall story
40:50- Ron + Juniors = win Midnight Zip KO
42:40- Ron is an honorary junior
44:30- How to get Bobby Levin to agree with your bidding
48:30- Bob Hamman's unique perspective on Justin Lall
52:10- Brad Moss bamboozled Joe Grue with a legendary psyche
54:50- Ron believes in preempting aggressively when favorable
1:05:00- Edgar Kaplan and his diplomacy
1:14:40- Rubber bridge stories
1:23:40- "You're not playing for anything either?"
1:35:28- How Joe Grue got his nickname "Joe Boo"
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27. Scott Hoffer - World's Best Bridge Learning App
27 november 2020 · 1 uur
While Scott Hoffer professes to be the worst player yet to appear on The Setting Trick, he caught my attention as the developer of an iOS app called Tricky Bridge. Presently only available on iPhones and iPads, Tricky Bridge has become my go to destination for anyone who is interested in learning the game. The ACBL Education Foundation helped make the app's series of 37 beginners lessons free. Hat's off to both the Ed Foundation and Scott, you've answered one of my prayers! Lees meer
Episode Highlights:
2:00- Tricky Bridge and how it came to be
9:48- Tricky Bridge's retention rate with users
11:53- Apple's massive stamp of approval
Contest - Who is the Apple Editor playing Tricky Bridge???
19:33- Scott's company Forklift Studios
Meadowlark Bridge - Rodney Ludwig, the AI engine behind Tricky Bridge
21:18- Computer Bridge World Championships
26:03- Idea behind the Bots in Tricky Bridge
31:03- Grant from the ACBL Education Foundation founded the learning portion of the app
33:38- Please advertise the app to any young person interested in learning bridge
43:23- Thanks to BridgeWinners for helping provide feedback on bugs and crashes
48:43- Scott's ideas about the best way to stream bridge
50:03- Scott's acting career
50:46- Yale student, Reese Koppel, is a Tricky Bridge Intern
53:13- Robert Todd from ACBL Foundation
58:08- Double Dummy Film
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26. Nabil Edgtton - Tall, Dark and Handsome
18 november 2020 · 2 uur 1 min
I first saw Nabil Edggton at the 14th World Youth Team Championships in Taicang. I remember being in the Vugraph room and hearing fellow Aussie (Nabil is from Oz) David Stern say something to the effect of, Andy (Hung, Neil's junior and current partner) likes to bid game and let Nabil play it. It still strikes as the type of compliment on which I would love to be on the receiving end. Lees meer
Nabil and I became friends when we teamed up for the Rosenbloom in 2018. We don't talk about it here, but Nabil is a total hunk. He's a good friend and I am pleased to share this conversation with our listeners.
Highlights from Episode:
1:30- Nabil's thoughts on how to get young people into bridge
6:30- Nabil's potential area of growth in bridge
21:00- Nabil's thoughts on a hand that John played
29:10- John's growth in the skill of moving on after a mistake
32:00- What Nabil thinks is the key to working on improving one's flaws
35:40- Nabil's preparation before a bridge tournament
38:50- What Nabil loves most about John
43:10- Nabil's general life advice
46:10- Nabil's advice on a partnership relationship
52:30- How Nabil tackles the problem of improving as a bridge player
1:05:10- The mental edge that babies have
1:09:40- Why Nabil thinks there is a lot of value in simulations
1:36:20- A story of John teaching Hool
1:44:40- Nabil's thoughts on the problem with society
1:51:10- An area of improvement for John
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25. Walt Schafer - The Place to Play Online
14 november 2020 · 2 uur 23 min
On March 13th Walt Schafer began organizing bridge games on BridgeBase in response to the global shutdown. Walt continues to organize what has become known as "The Schafer Game," selflessly out of his love for bridge. I got to play with the legendary for Bob Hamman for the first time in Walt's game and we went on to win. Beating Episode 23 guests Finn Kolesnik and Jacob Freeman among others. Lees meer
A friendship has developed between the two of us thanks to this podcast conversation and I am delighted to share this conversation with a fine player and fellow bridge lover.
Episode highlights:
2:55- Previously organized bridge games at the exchange
8 player
7 week schedule
$5 per imp
7:35- How Walt's directed tournament came to be what it is now
14:45- Walt's Bob Hamman story of a great declarer play which to this day, Walt still does not understand why it was necessary
Written up in the bulletin
Took a double dummy software two and a half days to make the same play
19:55- Another Bob Hamman declarer play story
22:20- a Tom Fox story
Strong club system
New Orleans
Walt set up Greco and Hampson
28:40- Baby Levin
31:50- A Spingold story involving Kit Woolsey
Ed Manfield: "Those are the best 16 boards I've ever been involved in my life"
39:00- Sometimes getting knocked out on the first day of the Spingold is a blessing in disguise
43:45- D22 GNT Qualifiers story
45:55- Junior star Finn Kolesnik
47:45- How Walt learned bridge
51:40- Walt's mentors: John and Bart Bramley
55:25- Bridge players succeed in trading options
1:13:05- Walt's first compound squeeze and how Bart just deflated him
1:15:05- Walt's greatest/favorite played hand where he uses the delayed duck squeeze
Redouble can be a great psychological weapon
1:26:05- Walt's role in the history of the Helgemo hand
1:30:30- Walt's physic abilities
1:35:50- Walt is a bridge player at heart
Bridge versus poker in terms of prize money
1:45:30- Walt's invented conventions
Look out for the Shaferto…
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24. Tom Carmichael - Captains the Juniors
3 november 2020 · 1 uur 46 min
In August of 2012, Tom Carmichael and I spent 12 days together in Taicang, China. Tom as the non-playing captain (NPC) of the USA1 Under 21 team, and me as the executive producer of a documentary film with the working title Lost in the Shuffle. We decided to focus on Tom's team owing to the appeal of the players on it and their chance to win the first ever medal for the US in the Youngsters (Under 21) Series. This conversation is eight years in the making. Lees meer
As an outside documenter, it's fascinating to hear Tom talk about the dynamics between his fellow NPC's and how they discussed and learned about which teams and players were good. Tom earned silver medals as both a player and NPC in junior bridge and has represented the US in The World Mind Sport Games.
For all of the junior bridge players out there, Tom and Joel Wooldridge's partnership started when they met at the junior reception at a Summer NABC. You never know where you might find your world class partner!
Episode highlights:
1:35- How Tom got into bridge
3:55- Parents met at a bridge club
12:15- How Tom met Joel Wooldridge
14:20 - System development with Joel Wooldridge by mail. Joel became ACBL youngest Life Master in 1990 at the age of 11 years 4 months and 13 days.
18:20- Bridge spans across generations
21:30- Tom believes it is awesome how bridge allows you to compete even against the world best
25:40- Tom's interesting relationships with ACBL Youngest Life Masters
26:50- Atlanta Junior Bridge, Atlanta Super Sectional hosted first ever Youth NABC in 2010
29:20- Tom's memories of the 2012 World Youth Team Championships (the event covered by Double Dummy)
40:15- The competitive pressure and emotions of the game
47:10- Serious Pie Neapolitan pizza in downtown Seattle
48:05- Tom's wife Jenni won the 2016 Reno NABC Mixed Pairs with Greg Humphreys.
50:05- Tom's system with Joel Wooldridge
57:15- Tom's attitude towards Joel's success in bridge
1:00:40- Shireen Mohandes' site http://www.barbu.…
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23. Chris Willenken - Next Level Bridge Thinking
22 oktober 2020 · 1 uur 19 min
Not all professional bridge players are world class. I will comfortably posit that Chris Willenken is. Having watched a director ask Chris about a bidding problem at an NABC I've been dumbfounded about how much Chris knows with just a few words introduction. Demand for playing lessons with him has skyrocketed during Covid as bridge players seek to improve their games online. Lees meer
I love the role Chris' mother played in helping him find this lifelong pursuit. Find out how she and bridge communities in both the Poconos and New York City's initial nurturing helped turn Chris into a top American expert.
Episode highlights
2:45- How Chris started playing bridge through his mother
9:05- The Collegiate School and Manhattan Bridge Club
13:40- Chris' relationship with one of his first partners
16:00- Chris' quotation on Ernest Hemingway to describe how he started his bridge professional career
20:05- Chris' heartbreaking story about losing the Blue Ribbons Pair on the last board
25:20- Chris' story of a funny hand played with Roy Welland
30:20- Chris' story of making it to the semifinals of the Rosenblum with Michael Rosenberg, Chris's hall of fame bridge partner for five year
38:20- Chris' mindset on all his incredibly close calls in winning major tournaments
41:30- Chris' answer to when he felt he could be considered a great bridge player
47:10- Chris' epic history with parliamentary debate at Williams College
Amanda Amert, Chris's debate partner at Williams.
51:45- Chris' style of bride with his current partner, Jan Jansma
57:15- How Chris views the use of deception in bridge
1:04:50- How Chris decides with his partner their bidding system
1:07:10- Chris' family and quarantine time
1:15:50- Is Chris better than Kalita???
1:18:45- Youth Bridge Association
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22. Jacob Freeman and Finn Kolesnik - Teens that Win
7 oktober 2020 · 1 uur 26 min
Jacob Freeman and Finn Kolesnik are 20 and 16 years old respectively. They first proposed the idea of appearing on The Setting Trick, seemingly as a lark, at the 2019 Fall North American Bridge Championships. As the podcast's founder and host, I was delighted that it mattered to them, and amused by being asked during a chance run in on a street corner! Lees meer
Find out the amazing story about how these two teenagers put together the "amateur" F Kolesnik team, calling on four hall of famers each of whom are more than twice their age.
These two up-and-coming bridge players who have already found much success in the game. Even though they are both still teenagers, they made waves in the bridge world when they recently tied for first place in the inaugural NAOBC Knockout.
I got the chance to chat with them about both of their backgrounds and how they got into playing bridge. The two young men tell the story of how they became a team. I ask them about their thoughts on the future of Bridge and about their short-term and long-term goals.
After losing the first 30 minutes of our first recording session, Jacob and Finn were generous enough to chat with me for a second time. In this episode, I have put together both interviews so you as a listener can gain all the insight!
Thanks for listening, and if you like what you hear, give us a review on iTunes.
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Show Notes:
Bridgewinners thread on Andrew Robson and David Gold bidding to 7 diamonds from 2017 Transnational Teams Playoff
Episode Highlights:
2:25 - How the Kolesnik Team came together
15:55 - Finn's and Jacob's favorite tournament
21:55 - Bob Hamman is a hilarious man
25:00 - Finn's college and future plans
27:50 - Jacob's future plans
34:25 - Finn and Jacob discusses co-championing in the NAOBC KO
42:30 - How Jacob and Fin…
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21. Phil Clayton - Online Champion
30 augustus 2020 · 1 uur 24 min
Phil Clayton is a regular listener. When he recently won the first ever Premier Pairs we decided to invite him to be a guest. Phil wrote this post on Bridgewinners describing his win with his regular partner Andrew Gumperz. The ACBL's ultimate masterpoint reward is Grand Life Master. Unfortunately for Phil, none of his major wins will qualify him for the distinction. Nonetheless, he says the Premier Pairs is his best result to date. Lees meer
Phil recently moved to Dallas and seems to be greatly enjoying the bridge culture there. Here's a photo of him and Hall of Famer/ Episode 12 guest, Bart Bramley.
0:30 - Phil Clayton's regular partner and home-grown system
2:40 - what it was like winning the pairs
5:15 - Even a bad session led to a win
7:00 - Phil's environment as a junior player
10:05 - bidding problem and funny system win
15:00 - defensive problem
20:55 - Phil's advice on defensive signaling
30:10 - Phil's prediction on future National events
37:45 - Playing with Hamman
13 pages of notes after 90 minutes of discussion
44:35 - How Phil got back to Bridge after his hiatus
48:30 - Mountain biking with Chris Compton
"Over the falls"
56:05 - Finalist for ACBL CEO Job
1:11:40 - Nerve wracking nature of barometer scoring
1:16:35 - Bidding problem
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20. Jack Zhao - Laughs his Face off
24 juli 2020 · 1 uur 56 min
Jack Zhao is a two time world champion in pairs and one of the funniest men in the bridge world. While this is an audio program, when Jack laughs wholeheartedly, it looks like his face is going to explode. I've had the pleasure of partnering Jack for a week long regional tournament and visited him in his home city of Tianjin, China. Lees meer
In this conversation we discuss Jack's improbable journey to living in America, learning bridge as a teenager and the importance of Jack being welcomed into the bridge scene in Rotterdam. In spite of his team missing the first six boards of the semifinal, Jack won the 2017 Reisinger. In 2006, he won the Vanderbilt as the 44th seed, and the World Pairs, partnering Fu Zhong in both events. He won the World Mixed Pairs in 2014 with Kerri Sanborn.
Jack's ultimate bridge goal is to win a major world team championship, preferably the Bermuda Bowl. In spite of having been asked, he is not yet eligible for senior events.
Highlights from Episode:
1:25- The Edge - "It was like someone lit the touch paper on this bomb. I had never seen anything like it. It was like a switch went on." From It Might Get Loud when he saw the Jam on Top of the Pops.
2:30- Introduced to bridge by a casual player
11:50- 50% slams
14:12- Bridge in Rotterdam
15:25- The importance of bridge books
Kelsey
16:46- Bridge bible, Better Bridge with Bergen
Carried it everywhere with him
19:18- Most helpful was Terrence Reese over my shoulder
23:49- Playing with 1966 World Pairs champion Hans Kreijhns
One club four cards, one diamond four cards, one heart four cards
Underled ace of diamonds
Only lead to beat the contract
29:40- Jack's lifetime hero, Barry Westra, always curious about what Jack was thinking
36:35- Exams at Erasmus University
39:28- Playing with Fu
43:14- 2nd in Transnational teams
44:25- "Easy" last day of Bermuda Bowl Round Robin
47:19- Dream for all bridge players
52:11- Bridge does not require a lot of calculations
53:54- Reaction when he…
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19. Kim Frazer - Represents her Country
2 juli 2020 · 1 uur 35 min
Kim Frazer is an Olympian, three time Commonwealth Games gold medalist in rifle shooting and author of Gaining the Mental Edge at Bridge. Seeking a hobby in retirement, Kim took up bridge in 2005 and in 2018 made the Australian women's team in her first attempt. Lees meer
In this episode Kim shares how the mental techniques that brought her such success in shooting are just as applicable in bridge. Kim discusses the path she took in writing her book and explains with simple practices how to improve one's mental bridge game. Kim is rigorous about improving hers.
When she encounters a new card combination, she makes sure to look it up in the ACBL Encyclopedia. Her diligence is contagious. Playing in a BBO speedball a few days after we spoke, I encountered AQ762 opposite J954 and wondered, hmm, I wonder if there is more to this combination than I know. (Encyclopedia still in storage)
I played two slams in the same speedball which required careful play and handling. I noticed myself thinking I don't know how to play slams well. Thanks to having talked to Kim, I was able to acknowledge this negative self concept and notice how it didn't serve me. I went on to make both contracts. Thanks Kim!
I echo what Ron Klinger shared in the introduction, "I would just like to bar all of my regular opponents from reading this book."
Here's the fantastic photo of Kim from her shooting days mentioned in the outro.
Highlights from this episode:
19:00 Dont give yourself an excuse to fail
26:24 Ron Klinger's way of writing a forward
43:19 How Kim credits her partner's mental toughness for her first Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
49:47 How Kim thinks about affirmations
1:1:14 Studying card combinations
1:02:34 Shooting results versus bridge results
1:05:15 BLOW
1:06:15 How Kim's partner looks at the dummy as declarer
1:08:09 Kim's method for tracking the bridge if live bridge ever returns
1:14:36 Kim's bridge goals
1:18:27 Kim's cue word
1:22:01 How she started writing bridge artic…
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18. Best of : The Setting Trick Seasons One and Two
23 juni 2020 · 1 uur 30 min
Equal Justice Initiative Lees meer
Black Lives Matter
Bridge is one of my favorite subjects. I love hearing stories about how people got started, a great play or how they approach a hand. The Setting Trick podcast is the forum where I share conversations with world class bridge players and fellow lovers of the game. As the host and founder, it is my pleasure to share highlights from Seasons One and Two in our first ever Best of The Setting Trick.
Since we had our initial conversation with Bridgewinners co-founder Gavin Wolpert over two years ago, we are grateful to have spoken with 20 individuals over the course of 18 episodes. A portion of the audio from every conversation, save legendary Zia Mahmood's discussion of a bidding problem, can be found in this Best of.
We started this process with our intern Michael Xu having transcripts created for each episode. Michael read through every transcript and made a list of suggestions for what content should make our highlight reel.
My goal was to include audio from each one of our guests. I chose not to include Zia's discussion of a bidding problem to make this episode more accessible for less advanced and non-players alike. Playing with Zia is the subject of both Zach Grossack and Anam Tebha's segments and he is mentioned by former partner's Michael Rosenberg and Bob Hamman as well.
It has been a pleasure to be coached and encouraged by so many of our listeners. I can remember being in Scotland for a Double Dummy screening at Stirling University and going out for a drink afterwards. It made my day when one of the attendees told me he had listened to my conversation with Migry and enjoyed it.
My practice of how I am approaching interviews has been greatly influenced by listener Leonard Epstein whom I have never met. He stressed to me the importance of having an idea what I want to learn from the guest beforehand, sticking to it and making each guest the star. If you have suggestions, please pass them along!
If you gave up b…
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17. Anam Tebha - Mixed Champion
7 april 2020 · 50 min
Anam Tebha is a professional bridge player, who learned the game during summer school as a teenager and fell in love. Shortly afterwards, her and three classmates went to the junior world championships knowing "only KC." Afterwards, she returned home and "must have logged like over 50 boards a day" on Bridge Base Online, playing with any and everyone. Her hard work and passion paid off when she won the Mixed Swiss in a spontaneous partnership with Zia Mahmood. In the words of junior star, Finn Kolesnik, Anam "is a beast". Lees meer
Highlights from Episode:
2:00- How Anam learned bridge
3:45- Anam's parents (disappointing) view towards bridge
6:05- Anam's housemates
7:45- How Anam likes to allocate her bridge questions
9:40- Anam played in the Junior World Championships with a team of people who all had been playing for fewer than 6 months
12:35- Anam's story of playing with Zia Mahmood and winning the Mixed Swiss
23:50- Anam's experience of playing in a regional right before the coronavirus outbreak became very severe
32:10- How Anam played on the Zimmerman team
34:50- How Anam played with Joe Grue in the Mixed World Series
38:25- What Joe Grue taught Anam about opening 1N
41:15- Anam's experience playing against team Kranyak in the 2019 trials
45:20- Is Anam better than Jacek Kalita?
46:05- Why we should all emulate Finn Kolesnik
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16. Geoff Hampson - Best in the World
26 maart 2020 · 1 uur 15 min
When I invited world champion Geoff Hampson to be a guest on The Setting Trick, he shot back, "What's the Setting Trick?" Crushed, I sent him a link to our website along with question marks and exclamation points. To which he responded, "I just bust chops, I'm down." Lees meer
It's a pleasure to welcome one of the finest bridge players in the world with a sense of humor to match.
Highlights from Episode:
2:55- Geoff talks about how he is sick
12:10- Geoff's favorite bridge memory
14:00- Geoff talks about Fantunes and how he suspected they were cheating
23:20- The impact of the Covid-19 virus
26:50- A high level declarer play young Geoff made that changed John Gowdy's opinions about him
31:35- Geoff's college experience (or lack thereof)
33:05- Geoff's experience with playing money bridge
37:20- Funny comment Geoff made when he was in the Well
39:20- How Geoff first started playing bridge
41:20- Funny story back when Geoff was still a beginner
42:35- Geoff's initial motivation to get good at bridge
45:10- Geoff's idea of using this time of quarantine to help spread the game of bridge
48:20- John and Geoff discuss golf
55:15- The biggest advice Geoff has for players is to COUNT
1:01:50- Geoff plays Barbu. Here is the site where we play Barbu and the Barbu ladder, currently led by Episode (?) guest Zach Grossack 3/25
1:08:35- Geoff likes to read the Game of Thrones books
1:10:30- Geoff says he isn't even the best player in his partnership
1:11:45- Is Geoff better than Kalita?
If you are interested in joining our online barbu group please apply to join our Facebook Group so that Shireen Mohandes may send you the particular set of rules by which we play.
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15. Steve Weinstein - Relentless to Win
19 februari 2020 · 1 uur 28 min
Steve Weinstein speaks highly of his partners, demands a lot out of his students and plays to win. As a 17 year old, Steve became the youngest ever winner of a North American Bridge Championship, winning the Life Master Pairs with his stepfather Fred Stewart. While Steve is one of the best professional bridge players in the world, he considers himself "lucky that I have gotten to do things that I've loved and enjoyed and (I've) never had a job." Lees meer
Today, his regular partner is Bobby Levin whom Steve describes as "without a doubt, unquestionably one of the best players in the world." When asked what makes them such a formidable pair Steve said their biggest strength is they "we consistently hit the ball hard to the opponent's backhand."
A constant theme in our conversation is the importance of focus. From watching the spots at the table to not mixing bridge and poker, which Steve also plays at a very high level. Steve sets an excellent example for anyone wanting to be the best they can be. Make sure your goals and actions are in alignment and enjoy the wins.
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14. Jeff Meckstroth - All-time Great
3 januari 2020 · 1 uur 55 min
Jeff Meckstroth needs no introduction. His name is synonymous with winning. When I first laid eyes on him, some eight years ago, at the Williamsburg Regional, I thought, "Wow, there's Jeff Meckstroth!" Lees meer
Now, amazingly, here he is, full of good humor, stories and even some encouragement for my own game on The Setting Trick podcast.
In our wide ranging conversation, Jeff shares about meeting Eric Rodwell, how he knew Rod was the partner for him, getting started professionally and getting fired by both George Rosenkrantz and Nick Nickell!
One of my favorite parts of this interview came from a throwaway question about Jeff's partner for the upcoming Platinum Pairs. The only NABC event Jeff doesn't play with Rod. Jeff has partners lined up seven years out!
Meck is open about making mistakes, the importance of putting them behind you, underachieving on the Nickell team of late and his appreciation for those who have helped pave the way for his incredible success at the highest level.
Jeff recently befriended Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer. If you only have time for one story, starting at the 3:22 mark, check out how Jeff too quickly pulled a false card, in a friendly match against James and Josh Donn at the recent San Francisco NABC.
Other highlights from the episode include:
6:30- Jeff's advice to James and all bridge players
7:20- How Jeff met Eric Rodwell
10:40- A multi-system that Jeff used to play with Rodwell until it was banned
12:30- How Jeff learned bridge
13:40- Jeff's experience with winning the King of Bridge award
18:25- The 1979 Reisinger
24:30- Jeff's favorite bridge victory
28:00- How Jeff views his titles when he sits down to play
30:30- What Jeff cherishes about bridge
34:00- The aftermath of Jeff's departure from team Nickell
38:20- How Rodwell loves to tinker with their system
49:10- One hand doesn't mean anything
50:30- More on how Jeff started playing bridge
59:40- How Jeff helps up and coming professionals
1:01:00- Jeff's tho…