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 to focus on bridge, and how that choice has shaped his path forward.
We explore how water polo taught him teamwork and mental toughness that translates directly to the bridge table. Ethan discusses his partnership with Avery Silverstein, training with legendary player Chip Martel, and invaluable coaching from Aaron Silverstein, Avery's dad. From winning silver and bronze medals at junior world championships to balancing college applications with tournament play, Ethan has a big future ahead in the game. His summer plans include playing multiple European tournaments as well as the nationals and world championships.
Key Highlights:
•       🎓 UVA Early Decision: Ethan shares the emotional moment of getting accepted to UVA early decision, his top choice. Though he's not sure how much he'll be involved with Hoos Playing Bridge, the UVA club.
•       🏆 The Epic Vanderbilt Comeback: How our team, Silversetin and the Destroyers, rallied from down 62 IMPs at halftime to defeat the 8th overall-seed.
•       🥈 World Championship Medals: Ethan recounts winning silver in the Under-16 and bronze in the Under-21 world championships, including dramatic qualification battles and playing against the best junior teams in the world.
•       ⚾ Choosing Bridge Over Baseball: The difficult decision to quit competitive baseball despite being on track for college recruitment, and how falling in love with bridge made that choice clear.
•       🤽 Water Polo's Impact on Bridge: How being a varsity water polo player taught Ethan about teamwork, handling pressure, and the goldfish mentality of forgetting the last board, essential skills for competitive bridge.
•       👨‍🏫 Training with the Best: Ethan's structured training regimen have at times included weekly sessions with Chip Martel, one of the winningest players in ACBL history, and constant mentorship from Aaron Silverstein.
Resources & Next Steps:
•       🎧 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 for episode drops, tournament pics, and more.
Chapter Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction and Welcome
1:45 Getting Into UVA Early Decision
5:41 Future Bridge Goals and Summer Training Plans
8:36 Training with Chip Martell
12:06 The Importance of Mentorship in Bridge
15:17 First Meeting and Playing Together
22:39 Starting Bridge and Playing with Paul Holmes
26:46 Traveling Solo to Tournaments
30:13 Family Background and Bridge Heritage
32:58 College and Career Goals in Finance
35:31 Balancing Bridge with Future Career
37:17 Water Polo and Its Impact on Bridge
42:38 Aaron Silverstein as Coach and Mentor
43:17 The Epic Vanderbilt Comeback Against Grue-Moss
50:10 Quitting Baseball to Focus on Bridge
54:31 Under-16 World Championship Silver Medal
01:01:04 Under-21 World Championship Bronze Medal
01:07:45 The Importance of Aaron's Coaching
01:12:32 Beating Team Rubenstein - Biggest Achievement
01:14:04 Playing on Vugraph Against World-Class Players
01:19:54 Summer Bridge Tour Plans in Europe
01:22:27 Friends' Reactions to Bridge Career
01:26:11 Wrap Up and Looking Ahead

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. It was a relief, Antonio says.
In our conversation, Antonio opens up about what those years of finishing second felt like, the moment he realized he'd won the Reisinger (he wasn't even playing the final set!), and his journey from professional poker player to bridge champion. We discuss how poker shaped his approach to pressure moments and reading cards, why defense is his favorite part of the game, his challenges with tilting at the table, and the soon to be legendary hand where he took 23 minutes to defend two hearts and made Bobby Levin want to quit bridge. This was a particularly enjoyable conversation with one of bridge's rising stars.
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Key Highlights:
🏆 Breaking the Curse: After seven consecutive finals losses, Antonio finally won the Reisinger and describes the overwhelming relief of no longer wondering if he was good enough to win the big one.
🍺 Watching from the Bar: Antonio didn't play the final set. Instead, he watched from the bar with Johan Upmark, drinking beer, watching football and hoping!
🃏 From Poker Pro to Bridge Champion: Antonio was previously a professional. He explains how those skills help him read cards, handle pressure, and control emotions during critical moments in bridge.
🛡️ Defense is Everything: Antonio reveals that defense is his favorite part of bridge, and miscommunication on defense is what tilts him the most, especially when signals get crossed.
😤 The Tilt is Real: Multiple teammates confirm that Antonio tilts easily at the table. He admits it's his South European blood and shares the story of a complex diamond lead that went wrong and cost them a critical board.
⏱️ The 23-Minute Defense: Antonio took 23 minutes to defend two hearts, eventually finding the only winning line. Bobby Levin responded in the chat saying he wanted to quit bridge, and Antonio's team still lost the match by forty-six IMPs.
🤝 Nystrom as Mentor: Antonio credits Fredrik Nystrom as his best teammate and mentor who takes every question seriously, helps him improve, and understands when he needs space after tilting.
🥈 European Mixed Silver Medal: Playing with Andrea Nilsson, Simon Holt, and Maya Lo Björk Heed, Antonio made it to the European Mixed Championships final in 2023, losing by just five IMPs.
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Resources & Next Steps:
🎧 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 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 the Champions Cup, what it's like balancing bridge with school and gap years, and why having boyfriends who also play bridge is essential! With warmth and humor, they also open up about temper at the table, tears after tough losses, and the joy of winning B finals (again and again).
 
Key Highlights:
🌟 From Neighbors to Teammates: How growing up just 200 meters apart led to a lifelong friendship and eventual bridge partnership.

🏆 Venice Cup Debut: Their first appearance on Denmark's women's national team — finishing 5th in qualification and nearly upsetting China.

🎉 Champions Cup Drama: The heartbreak of an 88–88 tie decided on a technicality — and why they're determined to come back stronger.

❤️ Bridge & Boyfriends: Both partners found love through the game and share how bridge shapes their relationships.

😂 Badminton Battles & Bloopers: From live-streamed badminton matches against the Bilde brothers to funny tournament moments.

📸 Building Junior Bridge DK: How their Instagram page is helping grow the game — and how they're planning to secure a Pepsi Max sponsorship.

 
Resources & Next Steps:
📲 Follow Ella & Julie's journey on Junior Bridge DK Instagram

📰 Learn more about the Venice Cup and international women's bridge events

🎥 Watch the documentary Double Dummy featuring the USA junior team (with familiar faces from their opponents!)

🎤 Catch up on past episodes featuring Christina Lund Madsen and other Danish stars

🎧 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.

Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start
6:33 Representing Denmark at the Venice Cup
7:36 Facing China in the knockout rounds
17:05 Champions Cup run and the controversial ending
21:38 Growing Junior Bridge DK Instagram and chasing sponsorships
23:16 Life as juniors, gap years, and constant bridge practice
31:18 Traveling the world for tournaments (Memphis, Iceland, Prague, Cyprus)
44:17 Denmark's Bermuda Bowl run and watching at Fox & Hounds bar
57:02 Fun stories: badminton matches and team camaraderie
1:08:22 Balancing relationships, studies, and bridge ambitions
1:22:39 Christina as a mentor and "guardian angel" for Danish juniors
1:26:29 Reflections on their journey and what's next

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 how features like Leak Finder are helping players spot weaknesses and grow. Along the way, he talks about competing in Sweden, balancing tech with family, his surprising victories at the table, and even what he'd say to Bill Gates if the two crossed paths at a tournament.
 
Key Highlights:
🃏 From Poker to Bridge: Emanuel's journey from card games and Settlers of Catan to finding bridge at 25 and never looking back.



💡 The Birth of Cue Bids: How a simple coding project grew into a global app used daily by pros to sharpen their bidding.



📊 Leak Finder: The newest feature that compares your bidding accuracy to the field — and why it's become Emanuel's favorite tool.



🤝 Bridge & Community: Stories of making friends, teaming up with Swedish stars, and even meeting his wife through the game.



🌍 The Underdog Upset: Emanuel's favorite bridge memory — knocking out a top seed at the Spingold in Toronto.



🔮 Dream Features: From teaching beginners to building world-class robots, Emanuel imagines what unlimited resources could bring to bridge tech.

 
Resources & Next Steps:
📲 Try Cue Bids for yourself: cuebids.com



🎤 Join the Cue Bids Discord to share feedback and connect with other players



📰 Read Kaplan Upsets Struul: A Tale from an Underdog on Bridge Winners (co-written by Emanuel's wife, Erika)



👀 Follow Emanuel's updates and Cue Bids features on Bridge Winners and social media

 
Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Start

0:00 Emanuel's late start in bridge at 25 and how it changed his life

0:01 Meeting his wife through bridge and creating Cue Bids

1:25 Why many pros practice on Cue Bids daily

1:38 Emanuel's background: family, math, computers, and games

2:26 First bridge lesson and early enthusiasm from other players

4:10 Friendships and first partners in bridge (Erica, Clara, Simon Beck, Fredrik Alfredson)

7:28 Playing with Erica, moving to London, and eventually marrying her

8:07 Career as a developer and passion for board games (Settlers of Catan)

9:54 Moving to London for consulting work and balancing bridge & relationships

12:08 How Cue Bids began as a coding side project and proof of concept

13:59 Partnering with Daniel Goldberg to build Cue Bids into a real product

17:37 Launching features like Leak Finder and how it works

20:54 Community feedback and feature growth (Discord, events, pro challenges)

23:18 How top players use Cue Bids in practice and events

25:16 Fixing scoring quirks and improving simulation accuracy

27:54 Ranked challenges, Jack/Queen/King/Ace system, and ELO scoring

33:01 Working full-time on Cue Bids and why Emanuel turned down big tech jobs

37:02 His dream feature: beginner bidding courses & stronger robots

45:52 Cue Bids growth to 25,000+ users and partnerships (Lea robot, InBridge)

52:57 Emanuel's greatest bridge memory: the Toronto upset vs. Strul

1:27:07 Closing thoughts, Bill Gates hopes, and plans for San Francisco

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 matter as much as trophies.
Key Highlights:
✍️ Stories That Stick: In her writing, Christina aims to uncover the humor, heartbreak, and humanity of bridge. Here she captures the essence of bridge icon Zia Mahmood.



🌍 On the World Stage: Memorable moments from competing internationally and what those experiences taught her.



🎭 Behind the Curtain: The pressures and rewards of finding students/sponsors to play in top-level tournaments around the globe.



👩‍👧 Life Off the Table: How motherhood and divorce reshaped her identity and her approach to competition.



❤️ The Real Wins: Why Christina believes friendships, stories, and joy outlast medals and rankings.

Resources & Next Steps:
🌟 Support women in 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.