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
Release Date: 02/26/2026
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
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_outlineIn 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 level up?
We also dig into some boards from the team trials, the art of listening as a podcaster, and why Adam believes you cannot improve in isolation. He shares stories about his longtime partner Greg Humphreys, how their NABC Fast Pairs win unfolded in Reno, and his experience playing the USA Team Trials on LoveBridge. Plus, we explore his journey from learning bridge from his maternal grandmother to writing a bridge novel, and what it takes to truly level up at this humbling, wonderful game.
Key Highlights:
-
📋 The Leveling Up Project: Adam spent all of 2025 publicly documenting his year-long mission to improve at bridge, tracking hours of study and process rather than just chasing results.
-
🏆 NABC Fast Pairs Victory: The story behind winning the national Fast Pairs with partner Greg Humphreys in Reno, including the celebration dinner, the trophy photo scandal, and the near-repeat the following year derailed by COVID.
-
🎯 Learning from the Best: How working with coaches like Joyjit Sensarma, and picking the brains of Gavin Wolpert, Bobby Levin, and Steve Weinstein, transformed Adam's approach to system and decision-making at the table.
-
🖥️ LoveBridge Team Trials Deep Dive: Why Adam loves the USA Team Trials format on LoveBridge, how he uses VuGraph sessions for study, and who is more fun to share a room with Marty Fleisher or Kevin Bathurst at the event.
-
📚 Six Books and Counting: From a bridge novel to "When to Draw Trumps" and beyond, Adam explains what inspires each book, how student feedback shapes his writing, and why a simple request can turn into 350 pages.
-
🎭 The Art of the Interview: A candid conversation between two podcast hosts about preparation, listening, letting conversations breathe, and why going in without a rigid agenda produces the best results.
Resources & Next Steps:
-
🎧 Listen to Adam's podcast: Leveling Up with Adam Parrish.
-
📰 Explore Adam's monthly newsletter.
-
📖 Browse Adam's bridge books including When to Draw Trumps and his other titles.
-
💻 Check out the Love Bridge and experience the online bridge platform Adam recommends for serious study.
-
🎴 Watch hands and study expert play using Bridge Winners, the website built by Greg.
-
🎧 More Stories Like This – Subscribe to The Setting Trick wherever you listen to podcasts for more deep dives into the world of bridge.
-
📱 Follow @thesettingtrick – Stay connected on Instagram and for episode drops, tournament pics, and more.
Chapter Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Meet Adam Parrish and the Leveling Up podcast
4:06 What is the Leveling Up project and why he started it
6:57 Tracking process over results and working with a sports psychology coach
9:12 A tough year at the nationals with Greg Humphries
11:10 Why you cannot improve alone and the value of mentorship
13:26 Has Greg actually leveled up? Talking about his long-time partner
18:16 Live hand analysis from the USA Team Trials
25:00 What separates different levels of players on the same decision
27:13 The most consistent takeaway from a year of learning from the best
35:58 Learning bridge from his maternal grandmother
38:01 Finding duplicate bridge in high school and college
42:44 The NABC Fast Pairs win in Reno with Greg Humphries
46:41 Third place in the Platinum Pairs and the revoke karma story
50:47 Stories about Greg Humphries and what makes him special
58:30 Trying to wrangle Greg for the GNT and team commitments
1:00:00 Why the LoveBridge Team Trials format is exceptional
1:02:43 How Adam uses view graph sessions for serious bridge study
1:05:06 Editing Kit Woolsey's Matchpoints and the book's legacy
1:06:55 Writing six bridge books and what inspires each one
1:15:00 Tournament routines, preparation, and the importance of rest
1:18:53 Podcast preparation and the art of the interview
1:22:47 Plans for the World Championships in Poland and upcoming events
1:25:42 Final reflections and wrap-up