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Mike Doecke

How did you get started in Bridge? At what age? Who did you learn from?

21. Learned with some good mates on a Ski-Trip while we were snowed in. I never skiied again!

What do (did) you do professionally?

Maths (consulting) although I played poker for a few years in the mid 2000s.

Who is your partner and for how long? Longest Partnership?

William Jenner-O’Shea is my favourite partner. I have also had the privilege to play with David Parrott in Adelaide who was my “Maths In Bridge” honours supervisor as a beginner and we still play regularly in Adelaide.

If you had a choice who would you like to play with? Australia and Internationally – living or dead.

I’m still waiting for a game with Paul Lavings…

In your playing career, what is the bridge success that has the most meaning for you?

It’s great to see SA win on the national stage – I’ve been involved with quite a few of those. And I’m always very proud to see the Juniors that I’ve been involved with as a coach/captain succeed.

And your worst moment in bridge?

I’ve made some awful plays and gone for bigger numbers than most. Having a background in poker you learn to move on quickly – NEXT BOARD! 🙂

What do you do between sessions to put you in the best frame of mind for the following sessions?

I enjoy the bridge up to about 50 boards a day… and then a couple of beers in the evening to debrief and move on 🙂

Do you have a favourite and least favourite convention?

My favourite would be the MINI 1NT (8-11). In general any convention that lets you put pressure on the opponents or conceal your hand (while still getting to a good spot) is great. I hate any convention that involves describing your hand unnecessarily.

Would your prefer to have more system or less?

More but in a framework that is consistent and symmetrical. 90% of your system should be focused on competitive situations.

What do you to do to improve your game?

Ask a top player for a game and have an open mind to their new ideas.

Favourite bridge book

Bridge World Magazine – especially the Bidding Poll section where you get to see the styles of all the top players.

What interests or hobbies do you have besides bridge?

Hiking, Travel & Photography.

What is the number one thing that bridge has done for you as a person and for your life?

I’ve made a lot of amazing friends all over the world.

Bridge results and awards

I once won a case of beer for winning the first trick with the D7 (beer card) as declarer.

National Titles

A few.

State Representation

SA!

National / International Representation

Mostly as NPC 🙂