64 Amber Lin - Bridge's Wonder Woman
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Release Date: 09/28/2023
Ep. 87 Tuva Nilsmark: BridgeQueen
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Ep. 87 Tuva Nilsmark: BridgeQueen Today’s guest is Tuva Nilsmark, who goes by BridgeQueen on YouTube. As a bridge lover and social media user, Tuva saw a gap in the YouTube landscape for bridge videos that are light, short, easy to understand, and fun to watch. She fills that gap with her tutorials and weekly Funbridge Friday videos, hoping to inspire new players to hone their skills. Bridge isn’t just community for Tuva – it’s a part of her family. Tuva’s boyfriend is Simon Ekenberg, whom she met through bridge. She also picked up bridge as a teenager to play with her grandparents,...
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Ep. 86 Drew Cavalier: From Nervous to National Bridge Champ
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Today’s guest is Drew Cavalier, a bridge player who lives in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2022, Drew won the Wernher Open Paris with Christian Jolly, who Drew describes as one of the smartest people he’s ever met. We discuss his bridge mentors and partners, the highs and lows of competitive bridge, and some of Drew’s most memorable hands. Drew played in an online speedball with Owen Lien, another podcast guest, and had an extremely impressive score. You can listen to that episode here: Subscribers to The Setting Trick email list check your email or to subscribe click here:...
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Ep. 85 Jason Hackett AKA Prime Mutton
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Today’s guest is bridge player turned burgeoning social media star Jason Hackett, also known as Prime Mutton. A frequent traveler, guinness reviewer, and 2019 Eurotransnational winner, Hackett and I had much to discuss. We talk about the strangest food he’s tried during his travels, how he broke out on YouTube and Instagram, and his favorite bridge formats. Jason’s mother Olivia introduced him and his twin brother to bridge at eleven years old. Though Jason does not discuss bridge much on his social media channels, he is a formidable opponent. He beat Boye Brogeland and Geir...
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Ep. 84 Boye Brogeland: Bridge at the Edge and In Person
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Boye Brogeland is a force to be reckoned with. He holds the World Grand Master title, with three European Open Championship wins under his belt, as well as several North American championships. He also played a prominent role in uncovering the Fisher and Schwartz cheating scandal when he noticed that his opponents were taking risks that would not make sense unless they knew the cards his team held. We discuss how he got into bridge, some of his most memorable competitions, and his role in the scandal. In preparation for this conversation, Boye asked me to get on the World Bridge Tour App. I...
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Ep. 83 Brian Reynolds - Fancies himself as a Bridge Outlier
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Brian Reynolds is an LA-based bridge teacher who, with his wife, Samantha, runs an educational website, . They specialize in teaching people who’ve “never touched a deck of cards.” That’s how they got recommended to the production team for the bridge documentary film, “.” That initial meeting dramatically altered the film’s storyline. One player quit on the spot! As a bridge pro, Brian is refreshingly candid about his bridge ability. This conversation covers a broad range of topics.
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Ep. 82 Richard Zeckhauser: Making Better Decisions in the Card Game Bridge
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Today on The Setting Trick, we’re thrilled to welcome Richard Zeckhauser, a towering figure whose expertise spans both economics and competitive bridge. A professor at Harvard Kennedy School, Richard has spent decades exploring the complexities of decision-making, risk, and strategic behavior. His groundbreaking work has shaped the fields of economics and public policy, offering insights into how we assess uncertainty in everything from health to finance. But his talents extend beyond the classroom—he’s also a highly accomplished bridge player, with two North American Bridge...
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Episode 81: Owen Lien Does It All In Bridge
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
John McAllister chats with 35-year-old Owen Lien of Oak Park MI about Junior Bridge, directing on BBO, playing professionally and reaching highs and lows in national events. Owen has won two limited NABC events: The 10K Swiss in 2016 and the 0–5000 Mini Spingold in 2009. He was second in those same events in 2014 and 2007. A Platinum Life Master with over 18,000 masterpoints – 10,000 of them gold and 2100 platinum – Owen is a hardworking player who loves the game and still plays for fun at the club.
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Ep 80 Matthew Granovetter: Bridge Mystic
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Matthew Granovetter is a six-time NABC champion. He also won a world championship, the Mixed Pairs, in 2006. He is a popular author and teacher, along with his wife, Pamela. They are best known for their theories on bidding via their system GUS (Granovetter Unified System) and their books on defensive play. Matthew is Hasidic (a branch of Orthodox Judaism); his spirituality is woven throughout his life and bridge – the two are inseparable. His latest book on Method Bridge is his proudest contribution to the game.
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Episode 79: Boss Ladies of Bridge – Ladawna Parham and Bronia Jenkins
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Just before the Toronto NABC, John sat down with Ladawna Parham, executive director of the ACBL Educational Foundation, and Bronia Jenkins, executive director of the ACBL. Jenkins, “one year in,” still has the energy and vision she started with, if not more. Parham, who took the position in November, has had to start from the ground up, with no bridge experience (although she did do her own research prior to getting the job). She is amazed at the depth and vitality of the bridge world. Listen to how these two women are working together within their organizations to engage and empower those...
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Ep. 78 - Gavin Wolpert is committed to making you the best bridge player you can be!
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
John welcomes back his first-ever guest, Gavin Wolpert, a seven-time NABC winner, including the 2021 Soloway Knockout and the 2005 Blue Ribbon Pairs with his wife, Jenny, and a two-time bronze medal winner in Open World Championships. Gavin is one of the internet's favorite Bridge teachers, using interactive problems to allow students to make mistakes and learn from them, emphasizing practice as an essential component in becoming a better bridge player, and implementing technology to provide opportunities for targeted practice. Gavin shares his thoughts on the need for more structured and...
info_outlineAmber Lin has already achieved a lifetime of success at age 26. A national champion and two-time world champion medalist (including gold in Morocco just a few weeks ago), Amber has found the time to develop as a bridge player, mentor and coach others, intern with the ACBL Educational Foundation, and work full-time as an energy consultant at Bain & Company. Listen to Amber’s amazing trajectory via the USBF Junior Training Program and the benefits of mentorship and learning together with friends.