Episode 16: Geoff Hampson
When I invited world champion Geoff Hampson via text message to be a guest on The Setting Trick, he shot back, “What’s the Setting Trick?” Crushed, I sent him a link to our website along with question marks and exclamation points. To which he responded, “I just bust chops, I’m down.”
In our conversation, Geoff goes into depth about his early bridge days, including how Franco Bandoni implored him to get out of the Toronto penny game.
Geoff has consistently emphasized the importance of counting when asked how an advancing player might improve. When I asked him how to count, he crushed me for the second time and said, "you're just not counting." He was totally right and the next time I played on Bridge Base Online it was 100% apparent to me.
It’s a pleasure to be able to share this conversation, particularly the record of Geoff's early bridge playing life, with the bridge community.
[Spoiler alert: We recorded this episode on March 16th and I am delighted to share that Geoff today (April 14th, 2020) reports himself to be in perfect health now]
Highlights from Episode:
2:55- Geoff talks about how he is sick
12:10- Geoff’s favorite bridge memory
14:00- Geoff talks about Fantunes and how suspected they were foul early on
23:20- The impact of the COVID-19 virus
26:50- A high level declarer play young Geoff made which made an impression on his partner John Gowdy
31:35- Geoff’s college experience (or lack thereof)
33:05- Geoff used to own the TO$0.01 game
37:20- The one good convention Sam Lev plays
39:20- How Geoff first started playing bridge
41:20- When Geoff was still a beginner
42:35- Geoff realizes he is better at bridge than Mohan Rajagopal
45:10- Geoff’s idea of using this time of quarantine to help spread the game of bridge
48:20- John and Geoff discuss golf
55:15- Geoff’s advice for advancing players is to COUNT
1:01:50- If you want to find Geoff during COVID-19, this is a good place to start. March ladder, won by Episode 4 guest Zach Grossack.
1:08:35- Geoff likes to read the Game of Thrones books
1:10:30- Geoff says he isn’t even the best player in his partnership
1:11:45- Is Geoff better than Kalita?
If you are interested in joining our online barbu group please apply to join our Facebook Group so that Shireen Mohandes may send you the particular set of rules by which we play.
Listen to the episode at:
https://soundcloud.com/john-mcallister-221670174/youre-just-not-counting-1