Steve Weinstein

Steve Weinstein (born 1964) is an American professional bridge and poker player. He is known best as the youngest winner of the ACBL Life Master Pairs at the time that he achieved it, and the most frequent winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs, the world's leading contest for cash prizes. As of March 2022, the World Bridge Federation shows Weinstein at number 22 in the Open World Grand Masters rankings.[1] His highest ranking was 16th, in October 2011.[2]

For the Canadian philosopher, see Steven Weinstein (philosopher).

Life

Weinstein was born in New York state in 1964. At the age of 17 in 1981 he became the youngest winner of any North American Bridge Championship,[3] the ACBL's annual Life Master Pairs, playing with his stepfather Fred Stewart.

Weinstein and Liz Davis have been together since 1986, married since 1993. They live in Andes, New York.[3]

Weinstein worked on Wall Street until 2002 when he became a full-time professional bridge and poker player.[3] He played poker as 'Thorladen' and mentored others. "I take top young bridge players and I train them to be top poker players", he told Online Poker in 2007.[4] One of them was Gavin Wolpert; in 2010 Wolpert and another player created Bridge Winners, an online news and networking site for bridge players, which Weinstein immediately joined.[5][6]

Bridge career

Ten years after the Life Master Pairs championship, Stewart–Weinstein were one-third of a team (USA2)[lower-alpha 1] that represented the U.S. in the world championship for national teams, the 1991 Bermuda Bowl, where they reached the quarterfinal.[7][8][lower-alpha 1] They won the Cavendish Pairs in 1993 and again in 1996.[9]

Weinstein's regular partner for more than a decade is Bobby Levin, who may still be known best as the youngest winner of a world teams championship, the 1981 Bermuda Bowl.[10] When forming their partnership, they spent a week with Marty Bergen in Florida to put together their system.

Levin–Weinstein have won the Cavendish Pairs five times from 1999.[9] In the WBF World Championships Open Pairs they finished 11th in 2002, second in 2006, and first in 2010.[7]

They were one-third of USA1[lower-alpha 1] in the 2011 Bermuda Bowl, where they finished fourth.[7][11] Beginning mid-2012 they joined Nick Nickell's team.[12] The professional teams hired by Nickell had won four of the preceding nine biennial Bermuda Bowls, from 1995.[10][13]

Bridge accomplishments

Awards

Wins
  • European Open Bridge Championships (1)
    • Mixed Teams (1) 2003
  • Other notable wins:
    • Pan American Open Teams (1) 1992
    • Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1993

Runners-up

Notes
  1. Occasionally from 1983 and continuously from 1991, the United States is represented by two teams in the biennial Bermuda Bowl tournament, which comprises 22 teams from 2003.
    The United States playoff winner is commonly designated 'USA1' and the runner-up 'USA2' but they contend equally for the world championship.

References
  1. "WBF Master Points | WBF Open Ranking". World Bridge Federation (March 15, 2022 ed.). March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022.
  2. "WBF Master Points | WBF Open Ranking". World Bridge Federation (October 22, 2011 ed.). October 22, 2011. Archived from the original on October 22, 2011.
  3. "Fleisher Team". United States Bridge Federation. 2010. Archived from the original on June 30, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  4. Online Poker: Interview with Steve 'Thorladen' Weinstein. Interview by Shawn Patrick Green. Card Player. 2007-09-16.
      Reprint at Clairebridge (Claire Martel) with USBF 2010 preface. 2010-10-21.
  5. Steve Weinstein. Interview. Bridge Base Online.
  6. "About Us". Bridge Winners. June 2013
  7. "International record for Steve WEINSTEIN". World Bridge Federation. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  8. "30th World Team Championships, Results & Participants". WBF. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  9. "Invitational Past Winners" Archived August 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. The Cavendish Invitational. Bridge Winners. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  10. "World Team Championships". WBF. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  11. "USBF Trials Bracket Posted". Bridge Winners. May 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
  12. "Levin-Weinstein Joining Nickell in 2012". Bridge Winners. July 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  13. "International record for Nick NICKELL". World Bridge Federation. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
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