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, Eat Like Gold.

Key Highlights:

• 🍽️ Food Adventures: The seeds for this episode took place between rounds of the European championships. David had just launched his Instagram account, sharing behind-the-scenes footage from kitchens and his unique experiences trying new cuisines while traveling for bridge tournaments.

• 🃏 Legendary Partnerships: Dive into David’s experiences playing with bridge legends Zia Mahmood and Andrew Robson, including arguably one of the better bid hands of all-time, an unforgettable seven-diamond contract.

• 🏅 Bridge Career Reflections: David reflects on significant milestones, such as finishing second in the 2008 Olympiad, emphasizing how rare these opportunities can be.

• 👨‍👧‍👦 Family Life: David shares the joys and humor of parenting two young children and how family life balances with the competitive bridge scene.

• 🎬 Creating Content: Hear about David's journey into social media content creation, his philosophy of storytelling through food, and his inspirations, including the legendary Anthony Bourdain.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Stay tuned for his upcoming bridge competitions, including the Bermuda Bowl and North American Bridge Championships.

• Explore David’s recommended eateries and hidden food gems around the globe.

• 🎧 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.

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:

• ⚓ From Navy to Nuclear: Tracy explains how rigorous Navy training prepared him for high-pressure roles in nuclear plant operations, where critical thinking and error prevention are paramount.

• 🔥 Critical Moments: Discover Tracy’s most intense experiences in nuclear operations, including emergency reactor shutdowns and managing complex safety protocols.

• 🃏 Bridge & Life Lessons: Tracy draws insightful parallels between nuclear safety protocols and bridge strategies, highlighting error prevention, risk assessment, and maintaining composure.

• 🏆 Competitive Drive: Listen to Tracy's experiences at national bridge events, including memorable matches against elite players, and his continuous pursuit of improvement.

• ❤️ Family and Bridge: Tracy shares humorous anecdotes about teaching bridge to his wife Maureen, their competitive dynamics, and their successes at tournaments.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Follow Tracy's bridge journey at upcoming national events, including the prestigious Spingold.

• Explore Tracy's recommended readings, such as Mike Lawrence’s bridge strategy books.

• 🎧 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.

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 Ropes: John recalls early mentorship from Chouky Neal and playing with promising talents like Jason Holderness.

• 🏆 Breakthrough Moments: Relive John's first significant tournament victory at the NABC and his ambitious venture into international competition.

• 🤝 Influential Connections: Hear stories about bridge legends and mentors like Gavin Wolpert, Jeff Hand, George Mittelman, and the late Eric Kokish.

• 💰 Rubber Bridge Adventures: John humorously shares his first encounter playing rubber bridge in London, meeting Zia Mahmood, and the memorable experience of cash winnings.

• 🌟 Major Wins: John reflects on his notable victories, including the Mitchell Board-a-Match, the Mixed Swiss, and the WBT Reykjavik Masters.

• 🃏 Friendship and Growth: Learn how playing with friends like Lilly Justman helped sharpen John’s competitive edge and joy for bridge.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Follow John’s upcoming journey at the European Championships.

• Explore John’s documentary Double Dummy for deeper insights into bridge.

• 🎧 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.

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.

• 🎯 Strategic Team Building: Adam reveals why pairing with veteran Eddie Wold and allowing younger teammates Adam Kaplan and Finn to sort out their partnership proved crucial.

• 🔥 Tension and Triumph: Relive intense matches against top teams like Nickel and Wolfson, and discover how Adam and his teammates maintained focus even during massive leads.

• 👏 Celebrating Comebacks: Learn how Adam Kaplan's return to competitive bridge after a five-year hiatus helped propel the team to victory.

• 😂 Behind the Scenes Humor: Adam shares hilarious anecdotes involving bridge legends, including humorous interactions with Jeff Meckstroth and Zia Mahmood.

• 💍 Personal Milestones: Beyond bridge, Adam discusses wedding preparations, playing bridge with his fiancée, and the balancing act between professional and personal life.

• Follow the team's journey at the upcoming Bermuda Bowl in Denmark.

• USBF Credentials Committee 

• 🎧 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.

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.

• 🎖️ Grand Life Master: Jeff Edelstein shares his journey, including winning the North American Pairs with Matthew Weingarten.

• 🧑‍⚖️ What Does a Recorder Do? – Edelstein explains his role in investigating player memos, and what happens once a complaint is filed.

• 📊 Edgar's Precision – Learn about Edgar, a powerful detection software designed by Franco Baseggio and Brian Platnick, which analyzes bridge hands for cheating patterns.

• 🕵️ Manual Investigation vs. Edgar – Edelstein describes the painstaking manual review process compared to Edgar’s lightning-fast analysis.

• ⚠️ Real-life Consequences – Jeff shares the story of John’s misconduct, highlighting how disciplinary processes affect players.

• ❤️ Compassion in Discipline – Edelstein discusses shifting from a strict disciplinary perspective to embracing compassion and rehabilitation.

• 🗣️ Proper Conduct – What constitutes ethical breaches and how to appropriately address suspected cheating or misconduct at the table.

• 🚨 Changes in ACBL Discipline – How Edgar has transformed disciplinary processes from handling a few cases monthly to managing hundreds.

• 🎧 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.

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 bridge shaped his life, his move, and his community.

• 🎉 A Bridge Friendship for the Ages – John and Svenni met at the Icelandic Bridge Festival and went on to win their first NABC title as partners.

• 🚗 The Infamous Car Rental Saga – A botched pickup turned Icelandic comedy of errors that somehow involved loaning one’s wife’s car to a virtual stranger.

• 🏆 From 9 VPs to Victory – After a disastrous start in the Soloway, their comeback led to a dramatic NABC win at the Mitchell BAM.

• 🇮🇸 Leaving Iceland for Bridge – Svenni moved to Florida for a directing job and ended up becoming a full-time pro player, thanks in part to the Cappelletti' hospitality.

• 🤝 More Than Just Cards – From laughter to late-night dinners, Svenni reminds us that the best parts of bridge are often the people.

• 🧠 Visualization and Technique – Why Trump Coups come easy to Svenni, and how different minds see bridge differently.

• 🥶 Hot Springs and Spiked Tires – John and Svenni share Iceland travel stories, winter driving, and sausage shelf life.

• 🏀 From OKC Fan to Life Philosopher – What NBA playoffs, bingo taunts, and emotional regulation all say about life at the table and beyond.

• 📘 Book Mentioned: 30 Minutes to Precision by C.C. Wei

• 🎧 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.

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. Along the way, we hear about bridge cruises, recruiting Egyptian pros on BBO, and the stylish team scarves that helped tie it all together.

Whether she's playing with a world-class junior or her long-time partner the “Minister of Defense,” Lynn brings enthusiasm, optimism, and a love of the game that’s totally contagious.

🥇 Lynn won two events at the Spring NABC — including her first 10K title after finishing second the year before 🧣 Her Women's Swiss team wore matching scarves — her signature touch as team captain 🎲 She met her mixed partner Aly by chance on Bridge Base during COVID 💥 One highlight of the Women’s Swiss: a gutsy 4♠ bid leading to a +1100 against a pro 🌎 Lynn played international events like Four Jacks in Dubai, repping the US 🧠 She's constantly learning — like practicing hand patterns and soaking up insights from partners like Greg Hinze and Christian Lahrmann 😂 Her signature laugh is well-known, and she isn’t afraid to bring humor and lightness to even the most competitive tables

• 🎧 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.

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 a player and a person.

🏆 Dennis won the 2008 Junior World Championship—after failing to qualify for the under-21 trials

🍷 Known for being a slow drinker, he’s still a favorite drinking buddy of Zia’s

🎲 He and Zia played 5NT in each of their first two tournaments together

🇩🇰 He’ll represent Denmark at the 2025 Bermuda Bowl, alongside his longtime partner Martin Schaltz

🧸 Father of two, Dennis talks candidly about balancing bridge with family life

🧠 On his first try at Rubber Bridge in New York, he walked away with $3,500 after reluctantly agreeing to play $1 per point

☕️ What’s a Danish coffee? Let’s just say you might need a solo cup…

🎄 His time with the Lavazza team included Christmas dinners at Maria Teresa Lavazza’s home

🎧 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.

Andrew Robson describes Dennis as the best player in Denmark