Ep. 86 Drew Cavalier: From Nervous to National Bridge Champ
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Release Date: 02/28/2025
Ep: 107: Adam Parrish on Leveling Up, Writing Bridge Books and What It Takes to Win at the Nationals
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
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...
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Ep. 106: Avery Silverstein on Junior World Championships, Family Bridge Mentorship, and Chasing Gold
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
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...
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Ep. 105: Teaching Bridge to a New Generation with Maya Jonas-Silver
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
I was inspired to interview Maya Jonas-Silver, because of 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. 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...
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Ep. 104: From Water Polo to World Championships with Ethan Derman
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
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...
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Ep. 103: Antonio Palma Finally Breaks Through After Seven Straight Finals Losses
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
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....
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Ep. 102: Ella & Julie – Denmark’s Rising Stars in Women’s Bridge
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this episode, John McAllister sits down with Julie Marina Sigsgaard and Ella Rosthøj, two young Danish players whose friendship, partnership, and love of bridge have taken them from neighborhood kids to representing Denmark on the world stage. Despite only playing bridge for a handful of years, their dedication and countless hours at the table have already earned them national titles, international medals, and unforgettable experiences around the world. Ella and Julie share how they grew from casual juniors to key members of Denmark’s women’s team, the story of their dramatic run at...
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Ep. 101: Emanuel Unge – All in for Bridge, Building the Premier Bridge Practice Tool
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this episode, John McAllister sits down with Emanuel Unge, the creator of Cue Bids, the hottest app in bridge today. Emanuel shares how he discovered bridge at age 25. After years of poker and board games, and how that late start completely reshaped his life — leading him to meet his wife, build lifelong friendships, and ultimately create a platform that has transformed how players practice bidding worldwide. From his early simulations to today’s sleek app used by the world’s best, Emanuel opens up about the passion and persistence behind Cue Bids, why feedback drives innovation, and...
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Ep. 100: Christina Lund Madsen – Bridge’s Master Mixer
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this episode, John McAllister sits down with Christina Lund Madsen, a writer, journalist, tournament organizer, and world-class competitor, coming off of winning her third European Mixed Team Championship. Known for her sharp wit and fearless bidding, Christina shares how she uses storytelling to connect people, celebrate the game, and show bridge as more than just cards on a table. From her unlikely appearance at a European junior camp to her eventually becoming a world champion, Christina opens up about balancing motherhood, career, and competition, and why laughter and vulnerability...
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Ep. 99: Eat Like Gold: David Gold on Bridge, Food, and Playing with Legends
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
This is a long anticipated conversation for our host John McAllister as he finally sits down with English star David Gold. David considers himself lucky to play with legends Zia Mahmood for the North American Bridge Championships and Andrew Robson for the English open team. Fresh off competing in the European Bridge Championships in Poznań, Poland, David shares insights into his bridge journey, memorable stories, and his passion for food, highlighted by his new Instagram project, . Key Highlights: 🍽️ Food Adventures: The seeds for this episode took place between rounds of the European...
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Ep. 98: From Control Room to Card Table: Tracy Brines' Unique Journey in Bridge and Nuclear Power
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this captivating episode, John McAllister welcomes Tracy Brines, whose extraordinary background spans naval service, nuclear power plant operations, and competitive bridge. Tracy reveals engaging stories from his Navy days, shares intense experiences from his time managing nuclear power plant control rooms, and discusses how these high-stakes roles shaped his bridge-playing strategies. Tune in to explore Tracy's journey—from his introduction to bridge in college, navigating intense military deployments, to competing in national bridge tournaments alongside his wife. Key Highlights: ⚓...
info_outlineToday’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: https://www.thesettingtrick.com/https/thesettingtricklibsyncom/episode-81-owen-lien-does-it-all-in-bridge
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Episode Highlights:
4:00 – How Drew ended up playing with Disa Eythorsdottir at sectionals
9:09 – Drew has been lucky with mentors
19:02 – Drew’s disaster Imp Pairs hand. Learn more about the Imp Pairs format: https://www.bridgewebs.com/wncunit171/ImpPairs.pdf
23:10 – “This is the most important moment of my bridge career.”
30:10 – Dan Lev and Drew Cavalier played in Vegas recently. They led on Blue Ribbons on their first day, but they did not make it to day three. Drew speaks highly of Dan as a partner.
36:32 – Drew’s long term goal is winning a long-form knockout.
38:40 – The first time Drew and Christian Jolly played together, and “the only thing” Drew ever taught Jolly.
42:33 – One of Drew’s favorite bridge hands
45:44 – “When we won the Wernher, we discussed the system for fifteen minutes beforehand.”
46:55 – Drew’s experience at The Gold Coast Congress, and why he loves Australia.
50:55 – Bridge overseas and language barriers
56:49 – Why it’s important to have a growth mindset in bridge