The Setting Trick: Conversations with World Class Bridge Players
The Setting Trick features conversations with world class bridge players, and lovers of the card game bridge from all over the world.
Episodes
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 t...
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 unfor...
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.
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 he...
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 h...
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 jou...
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...
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 tact...
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 cheat...
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 wi...
In this episode, John interviews Lynn Castoldi, fresh off two huge wins at the Spring NABC — the 10K Knockout Teams and the Women's Swiss Teams, the latter by a razor-thin margin of just 0.13 VPs. With her signature laugh, Lynn shares the stories behind her victories, her partnership with Ann Karin Fuglestad, and how she went from getting kicked out of bridge lessons at a senior center to becoming a national champion. ...
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 br...
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...
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 o...
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 ...
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 i...
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...
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.
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