Ep. 89 Stefan Scorchev: Getting IntoBridge
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Release Date: 04/21/2025
Ep. 102: 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...
info_outline
Ep. 101: 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...
info_outline
Ep. 100: 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...
info_outline
Ep. 99: The Setting Trick podcast with Sartaj Hans
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
info_outline
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_outline
Ep. 97: From Hearts to Champion: John McAllister’s Personal Bridge Odyssey
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In a special solo episode, John McAllister shares his own personal journey into the world of bridge. John takes listeners from his first bridge game with Aunt Kathleen to major tournament wins, highlighting the mentors, friends, and unexpected encounters that shaped his bridge career. Listen in for heartfelt anecdotes, insights into learning bridge, and John’s reflections on pivotal moments and memorable players he met along the way. Key Highlights: 🎲 First Steps in Bridge: Discover how a casual game with family sparked John's lifelong passion for bridge. 🌉 Learning the...
info_outline
Ep. 96: From Underdogs to USA-1: Inside Adam Grossack’s Epic Bridge Victory
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
In this unforgettable episode, John McAllister sits down with Adam Grossack, fresh off his team's stunning victory in the US Open Trials. Adam shares candid stories from the tournament, detailing how his four-handed team navigated intense matches, strategic pairings, and unexpected twists to claim the prestigious USA-1 spot in the Bermuda Bowl. Dive into behind-the-scenes insights on the team dynamics, preparation tactics, and pivotal hands that shaped their incredible run. Key Takeaways from This Episode: 🎯 Strategic Team Building: Adam reveals why pairing with veteran Eddie Wold and...
info_outline
Ep. 95: Cheating, Convictions, and Compassion: Inside the American Contract Bridge League’s Recorder's Office with Jeff Edelstein
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
Ever feel like you have been cheated playing bridge online? Have you taken the time to report the pair by filing a player memo? Join John McAllister as he sits down with Jeff Edelstein, the ACBL recorder and a Grand Life Master, for a revealing conversation about the nuances of cheating detection, ethical prosecution, and the human stories behind bridge's biggest integrity challenges. From Edgar, the cutting-edge cheating detection software, to personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights, this episode unpacks the complexities of keeping bridge fair, and human. Key Takeaways from This...
info_outline
Ep. 94: From Iceland to Delray: Svenni Eiriksson on Friendship, Risk, and Reinvention
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
What happens when a car rental mishap, a spur-of-the-moment bridge partnership, and a life-changing move from Iceland to Florida collide? You get Svenni Eiriksson, a bridge player whose story is equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and deeply human. John McAllister sits down with his former partner and friend to relive the many twists, laughs, and breakthroughs of Svenni’s journey from Icelandic tournaments to an NABC win in the U.S. More than just a fun loving, lover of laughing, Svenni impressed John, as his partner by pulling off a trump coup without breaking a sweat. Svenni shares how...
info_outline
Ep. 93: John’s Jumbled Auction |It’s Your Call!|
The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
info_outlineMy 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 borrow from modern gaming, and what it’s like to run a bridge startup.
You can learn more about IntoBridge on its website: https://intobridge.com/
Subscribers to The Setting Trick email list check your email or to subscribe click here: https://www.thesettingtrick.com/
Episode Highlights:
4:58 – Stefan played bridge online constantly in his childhood, and moved into in-person tournaments at seventeen. He says he played bridge as much as fifteen hours a day.
12:05 – Stefan says he is the strangest looking person at tournaments because he always wears his IntoBridge merchandise.
16:05 – “We focused on inventing something that has the potential that you close it immediately and continue whenever you can.”
17:35 0:54 – Ranked matchups on IntoBridge
24:17 – The Daily exists to give people a reason to return to IntoBridge every day.
28:47 – Stefan has a lot of ideas for new bridge formats unique to IntoBridge
32:45 – Some unfortunate mis-clicks
40:12 – Bridge marketing is difficult, so word of mouth has been the best marketing channel for IntoBridge
48:22 – Running a startup is difficult as investors and employees rely on the performance of the business
56:46 – Having access to a free bridge platform as a kid was game-changing for Stefan.
57:59 – One great aspect of online bridge is that it naturally leads people into in-person bridge, encouraging them to meet more people.
1:02:41 – Stefan’s Fiance, Desi, is coming to the US Nationals for the first time.