28. Ron Smith - Is Funny!

Among US Juniors, few adults’ names are as well-recognized as Ron Smith. But don’t let his title of “Honorary Junior” fool you; Ron began playing bridge back in the Roth Stone era, when he only would open the bidding with 14 points—3 points more than what he needs to open today. A true perennial all-star, Ron stands out for his work in fostering the rising young stars of our game. He’s also a pretty entertaining and genuinely good natured fellow.   Episode Highlights: 1:50- Ron’s mother used to think he was going to hell for playing bridge 3:40- Ron’s sister = ultimate bridge wing-woman 5:15- How Ron became hooked on bridge 12:05- Seymon Deutsch could get away with anything 16:00- The legend of Zia Mahmood 21:30- “I’ve got a partner for you” = Bobby Levin 23:00- Don’t cheat 32:20- Al Roth Stoned 36:55- A Justin Lall story 40:50- Ron + Juniors = win Midnight Zip KO 42:40- Ron is an honorary junior 44:30- How to get Bobby Levin to agree with your bidding 48:30- Bob Hamman’s unique perspective on Justin Lall 52:10- Brad Moss bamboozled Joe Grue with a legendary psyche  54:50- Ron believes in preempting aggressively when favorable 1:05:00- Edgar Kaplan and his diplomacy 1:14:40- Rubber bridge stories 1:23:40- “You’re not playing for anything either?” 1:35:28- How Joe Grue got his nickname “Joe Boo”