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
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
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
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