Ep. 87 Tuva Nilsmark: BridgeQueen
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Release Date: 03/06/2025
Ep. 91: Dennis Bilde – The Danish Ace
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this episode, John sits down with Dennis Bilde, one of Denmark’s top bridge talents and a player with a reputation for being both formidable at the table and fun to be around. Dennis shares stories of missing flights, winning world championships, and his early card-playing days before discovering bridge. The conversation dives into partnership dynamics, life with two young kids, and how Danish coffee might be the bridge world's best-kept secret. From his time on the Lavazza team to his upcoming appearance at the Bermuda Bowl on home soil, Dennis reflects on what it means to grow, both as...
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Ep. 90: Adrienne Carter: Shifting Your Mindset
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
My guest today is Adrienne Carter. She claims to be an aspiring bridge player. I know her from working with her as a performance coach and mindset specialist. She has worked across industries with everyone from CEOs to poker players, and has seen a recent uptick in interested golf players following her appearance on the Chasing Scratch podcast. I reached out to Adrienne’s company, Primed Mind, in September of 2022 at the recommendation of my friend and former Setting Trick guest Nabil Edgtton, who used Primed Mind’s hypnosis services to improve his performance. You can listen to my...
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Ep. 89 Stefan Scorchev: Getting IntoBridge
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
My guest today is Stefan Scorchev, a bridge player, friend, and the creator of IntoBridge. For those who are unaware, IntoBridge is a free platform for online bridge games. In his childhood, Stefan learned the value of online bridge as he spent hours playing bridge every day, and found that playing bridge online encouraged him compete at in-person tournaments. Stefan is the first Bulgarian guest I’ve had on the show, and I fist met him in 2012 when he played on the Bulgarian team in the Junior Nationals. We talk about in-person and virtual bridge, the unique features of IntoBridge that...
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Ep 88: Ami Zamir – From Fishbein Glory to Fatherhood
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this episode of The Setting Trick, John welcomes his friend and bridge phenom Ami Zamir—one half of the ACBL’s top-ranked pair of 2023. From winning major events to missing the final session of a national championship for the birth of his daughter, Ami shares the highs, the heart, and the hustle of life as a rising star in the world of competitive bridge. Ami opens up about his journey from high school sweethearts to fatherhood, his chess obsession, and what it’s like to chase glory across Europe and the U.S. with partner Oren Telodano. The two discuss how talking through hands (even...
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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...
info_outlineEp. 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, whom she promptly abandoned for stronger players.
Boye Brogeland suggested I interview Tuva for this episode. You can listen to my conversation with Boye here: https://www.thesettingtrick.com/https/thesettingtricklibsyncom/ep-84-boye-brogeland-bridge-at-the-edge-and-in-person
Subscribers to The Setting Trick email list check your email or to subscribe click here: https://www.thesettingtrick.com/
You can follow Tuva on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bridge.queen/?hl=en
Tuva’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgequeen
Episode Highlights:
2:00 – Tuva is in a fantasy football league with her boyfriend Simon Ekenberg other bridge players: “Really good bridge players; they suck at fantasy football though.”
4:58 –Tuva started her YouTube channel recently, to a largely positive reception. You can watch her videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@bridgequeen
8:14 – How Tuva got started in bridge
11:19 – Tuva’s father is the captain of the Swedish Open
12:48 – The first time Tuva saw Simon
15:14 – As if her bridge-playing family wasn’t enough, you might also know of Tuva’s mother, Catrin Nilsmark, who is a golfer and two-time captain of the European Solheim Cup Team.
22:15 – With her Funbridge Fridays series, Tuva hopes to show a different side of bridge. She wants to counter the overly serious image that bridge can have.
29:17 – Tuva and Simon played a bridge and golf event and beat Ola Rimstedt.
36:30 – Tuva’s first partner was her father
42:32 – The BridgeQueen YouTube channel has a video called “Learn Bridge in only Three Minutes:” https://youtu.be/MxWO8EFujbw?feature=shared
49:01 – The most pressure Tuva has felt playing bridge so far
55:04 – Tuva’s ultimate goal is to win the Venice cup
58:55 – Another long term goal of Tuva’s is beating Simon