MO : Yes , there is a rank of Platinum Life Master , and if I hadn ’ t given up the game for 30 + years I ’ d probably be ranked higher . These master points are a lifetime accumulation . But there is another ranking , more like the chess system , where it ’ s not just a function of lifetime accumulation of points , but also more how you ’ ve done recently . In other words , how much success you ’ ve had against what quality players . So , if you go to a big tournament and do well against master players , you will increase your rating significantly in this alternative ranking structure , which is better measure of true quality .
JEB : Especially for someone who has taken a 35-year break . So , are you on an uptick ?
MO : We did really well in Florida . We won one event and came in 5 th in another with hundreds of top quality worldwide players .
JEB : “ We ,” so did you have a set partner ?
MO : Yes , I went with one of my favorite partners from Iceland , who played around the world as a teenager - they have a bigger support system there , and he had a team of coaches as a youth . He ’ s a world class player . He ’ s now a professor at UVM .
JEB : Do you ever get a random partner , or do you usually play with him ?
MO : You can go to a tournament and sign up at the partnership desk for a random partner . Better players usually have someone they want to play with . Some never switch partners . You can also play as a team of 4 .
JEB : Do you do the team of 4 play ?
MO : In Florida , we anticipated just playing in pair games the whole time , but for the last day , we partnered with another pair from Florida for team play , and we won our bracket . We were in the second highest bracket based upon our master points , and we won that ! played them believe it is Warren Buffett . He is noted as saying he ’ d be fine going to jail for the rest of his life so long as he could have three other good bridge players to go with him .
JEB : I did also see that you write quite a bit about this game , and in your writings you go into hands in great detail , like what would you do if you were dealt a particular hand . Is that a popular forum , or how people share on line ?
MO : Yes , my Icelandic partner and I are co-editors of a quarterly publication called Table Talk . It has been published in Vermont , by the Vermont Bridge Unit of the ACBL since 1986 . My partner and I took it over about 1 year ago . Duplicate bridge has three components : the bidding , the play of the hand , and defense . The articles in Table Talk variously address each of these components …
JEB : … Like how to handle unusual hands ?
MO : Exactly . As an adjunct to the quarterly publication , my co-Editor and I have created a website … www . bridgequarterly . org ... where we post our issues of Table Talk , and where we are gradually putting up old issues dating back to 1986 .
JEB : So , to our Pursuits of Happiness theme , this sounds a lot like work . There are legal aspects in the contractual bidding , there are mathematical calculations , you are sitting down and inside the whole time , there are detailed articles you write and it all sounds very mentally taxing . But I recall you said you play to relax . What do you find the most enjoyable or relaxing about playing a game that requires so much intellect ?
MO : Well it is a very cerebral and mathematical game . Percentages , maximizing tricks , etc . But it ’ s a very different form of intellectual stimulation than practicing law , and in a way much more refreshing . That said , after 5 days in Florida playing 7 hours a day , I ’ m drained .
Pursuits of Happiness
JEB : Excellent ! But you say most play with set partners ?
MO : Yes , for example , Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are regular partners who play together . Warren lives in Omaha , and if you go to the regional tournament there in Omaha , you may end up playing against Warren Buffett and Bill Gates !
JEB : They always play together ?
MO : Not always , but often . They are friends , and they are quite good , and there is a debate about who is better .
JEB : I ’ d guess Bill Gates ! MO : No , actually more people who have
JEB : So , your brain was fried ?
MO : My brain got a good workout . Like distance running , if you are conditioned to it , its invigorating and endorphin building . Socializing is great , and winning is obviously a rush . Live bridge , even more so than online bridge is a partnership sport , and the ability to collaborate successfully with someone else is a challenge . It ’ s particularly rewarding when you communicate well .
JEB : I was wondering about being able to wink or signal what you have … I mean that sounds like cheating .
MO : That would be . No behind the scenes signals are allowed . There can be
www . vtbar . org THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • FALL 2018 11