How did you get started in Bridge? At what age? Who did you learn from?
I learnt bridge at university at age 20 after meeting Nic Croft, forming a partnership with Steve Geddes who was also learning at the same time.
What do (did) you do professionally?
I was previously employed as a High Frequency Trader, trading options on Asia Pacific stock exchanges. Currently I am a professional bridge player.
Who is your partner and for how long? Longest Partnership?
Currently I play with Sophie Ashton, we have played on and off for over a decade but have only trialed for the Australian teams over the last 5 years.
If you had a choice who would you like to play with? Australia and Internationally – living or dead.
Many people in Australia would say Tim Seres. I was fortunate enough to play rubber against him, so had the opportunity to play with and against him.
However, before he passed away Bobby Richman had said to me “we should have a game some day” and I agreed. Due to both our other commitments “some day” never came around and it’s a regret of mine that I didn’t get to play with one of the greats in Australian Bridge.
In your playing career, what is the bridge success that has the most meaning for you?
Winning the Australian Youth Selection Event butler to make the youth team in my final year that I was eligible.
And your worst moment in bridge?
I’m never going to hear the end of finishing second in the Gold Coast Congress teams
What do you do between sessions to put you in the best frame of mind for the following sessions?
Nothing! I try to switch off between sessions. The time for post mortems is after the event, during the event I’m trying to conserve my mental energy and relax for the sessions ahead.
Do you have a favourite and least favourite convention?
I don’t have a favourite convention, but my least favourite convention that I play often is Bergen raises. They are fine in a casual partnership as a way to have lots of ways of raising partner, but I think it’s too many bids dedicated to that and prefer the 3M raise to be “mixed” rather than the very rare 0-5 hands.
Would you prefer to have more system or less?
I prefer to have more understandings rather than a laundry list of conventions that get added to a system
What do you to do to improve your game?
Bidding practice, bidding practice and more bidding practice.
I think play and defense are just as important but these can be studied by reading books. Building an expert partnership takes a long time and bidding lots of hands together is the best way to do that.
Favourite bridge book?
I have too many to pick just one. Read all the bridge books.
What interests or hobbies do you have besides bridge?
Food (cooking and eating). Music.
What is the number one thing that bridge has done for you as a person and for your life?
Meeting new friends, especially across different cities.
National Titles
Multiple, recently Spring Nationals 2023 and 2024, GNOT 2023.
State Representation
2007 NSW Team
National / International Representation
2018 Open Team
2023 Mixed Team
2025 Open Team
