4. Zach Grossack - Bridge Star
05/09/18 • 91 min
Zach Grossack can play. He could do so as a fifteen year old star of Double Dummy
Now as a twenty year old, he is developing into one of the world's best. He and older brother Adam Grossack form one of the top young partnerships in the world. In this wide ranging conversation, Zach is both insightful and playful, much like he is at the table.
Here are some highlights:
9:18 - Get Zach’s thoughts on Danish starlet Christina Lund Madsen, including playing with her when she almost called the director on him.
15:38 - How Zach feels like he missed the golden age of professional bridge.
20:33 - On what Zach is doing to help bring new players into the game including starting a bridge club at Tufts, and how it takes so much time before one can even say that they “suck” at bridge.
29:35 - Adam Grossack might like it here where Zach refers to himself as a, “professional projector.”
30:18 - How Zach and his brother Zach recovered from almost not qualifying for the finals of the NAPs to winning in Philadelphia in March, including Adam and Zach’s partnership rule on Adam tanking and what it’s like to play with your brother.
38:38 - How you put into practice the age old rule about not talking about hands during the game.
48:15 - Learn about Zach’s previous experience with podcasting.
51:37 - Double Dummy is going to be available through Tugg.com more likely May 11 for screenings, including Cinema-on-Demand.
59:53 - Zach’s backup plans if being a bridge pro does not work out.
1:07:23 - Best win of Zach’s career to date in his mind.
1:11:05 - Listen as Zach hatches his plan to keep me from ever becoming a Platinum Life Master.
1:19:32 - Zach’s bridge hero, playing against him and with him.
Enjoy!
Zach Grossack can play. He could do so as a fifteen year old star of Double Dummy
Now as a twenty year old, he is developing into one of the world's best. He and older brother Adam Grossack form one of the top young partnerships in the world. In this wide ranging conversation, Zach is both insightful and playful, much like he is at the table.
Here are some highlights:
9:18 - Get Zach’s thoughts on Danish starlet Christina Lund Madsen, including playing with her when she almost called the director on him.
15:38 - How Zach feels like he missed the golden age of professional bridge.
20:33 - On what Zach is doing to help bring new players into the game including starting a bridge club at Tufts, and how it takes so much time before one can even say that they “suck” at bridge.
29:35 - Adam Grossack might like it here where Zach refers to himself as a, “professional projector.”
30:18 - How Zach and his brother Zach recovered from almost not qualifying for the finals of the NAPs to winning in Philadelphia in March, including Adam and Zach’s partnership rule on Adam tanking and what it’s like to play with your brother.
38:38 - How you put into practice the age old rule about not talking about hands during the game.
48:15 - Learn about Zach’s previous experience with podcasting.
51:37 - Double Dummy is going to be available through Tugg.com more likely May 11 for screenings, including Cinema-on-Demand.
59:53 - Zach’s backup plans if being a bridge pro does not work out.
1:07:23 - Best win of Zach’s career to date in his mind.
1:11:05 - Listen as Zach hatches his plan to keep me from ever becoming a Platinum Life Master.
1:19:32 - Zach’s bridge hero, playing against him and with him.
Enjoy!
Previous Episode
3. Migry Zur Campanile - My First World Championship Partner
I first met Migry at the Phoenix NABC in the Fall of 2013. Shortly thereafter I received an email from Christina Lund Madsen asking if I wanted to hire her and Dennis Bilde for the 2014 World Mixed Teams Championship. My only concern became finding a female partner. Christina suggested Migry and thus a great friendship born.
Migry is no shrinking violet! She has been a best friend, confidante, substitute mother, bridge partner and sounding board ever since we had lunch together on January 27th, 2014, her birthday, in New York City. We agreed to play the Mixed portion of the world championships together and after coming in 12th in the platinum pairs the entire 2014 World Bridge Series and cycle.
I have had some of my best results partnering Migry. She is a pleasure to play with and has a fantastic sense of humor. We love to laugh together. She continues to have great one liners, such as at the when I asked her about playing the Nickell team in the recent Vanderbilt. "We are not here to kibitz the opponents."
I have spent countless evenings at her New York City apartment talking about bridge and life with her and her equally delightful husband Pietro Campanile.
Our partnership almost never got off the ground because I had such difficulty understanding her on the phone initially. Migry did express concern about this for our listeners when I first asked her about doing the interview. One evening, over dinner, a waitress asked Migry what language she was speaking. Migry handled it with her typical grace and aplomb.
Through our time playing together Migry has graciously introduced me to countless friends of hers throughout the bridge world who I am now lucky enough to call friends as well. I am grateful that at no point during the interview did she call me by my one time nickname, "Baby John," and consider this an excellent sign of my increasing maturity.
Next Episode
5. Adam Wildavsky - Listener to Guest + Zia discusses a bidding problem
Adam Wildavsky is recognized as a Grand Life Master by the American Contract Bridge League. He has represented the United States finishing as high as third in the Bermuda Bowl and won the Reisinger Board a Match teams partnering Doug Doub with whom he had not even planned on initially playing the event.
In addition to my conversation with Adam we have bridge superstar Zia Mahmood discussing a bidding problem shared with me from my friend Anindra Sarkar.
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