Robert ‘Bob’Hamman, a legend in the sport of bridge

Bob Hamman

What strikes one meeting the bridge legend Bob Hamman is his simplicity and sense of humour. Grey-haired but still upright in his gait this 77-year old from Dallas has seen and understood everything about the sport in his long bridge journey starting in 1957 and is still no done with it. Credited with 10 World championship title, over 50 NABC titles he was also World Bridge Federation’s number one ranked player in 1983 and from 1985 to 2004 continuously. Any surprise then that Hamman is held in high esteem in this business. And yet he can be so modest about his achievements and views about the modern bridge.

“The present generation players are intelligent, so good and make all those thinking and biddings of earlier times look so trivial,” he said, enjoying a good laugh and at the same time agreeing that the sport has evolved into a an exciting sport now. Age has not withered his enthusiasm nor memories. The ever-smiling American would recall matches of his early years even the spades, diamonds or the no-trumps or hearts he had bid then and the card he had held. As all bridge players aver every match and every contest is a learning curve. The opponents provide you the lessons but is said of Hamman is his ability to coordinate with his partner or better still to read his partner’s mind.

The great player still does not miss a round of bridge every week back home. Travel thus is part of his life for such is the way matches or league are held all over the US alone. But then Hamman does not believe playing day in and day out. “You would be dead in a week’s time then,” he chuckles.

On the changes that have come about in bridge play, the American wishes that the sport remains the same simple one. “Too many conventions (read systems) introduced brings about a burden on all players. Lets also have a shorter round of round robin in the World championship. I am happy that there are variations now like the Transnational championship, pairs and others. These add to the variety and it is good,” he said while adding that Chennai was great venue for the Championship. “This hotel (ITC Grand Chola) is fabulous. Everything fine and it is a great championship,”he said.

Hamman, who is here with the USA 1 team for the senior event (the d’Orsi trophy) is also the CEO of SCA Promotions, Inc. a company that he started in 1986. The company is the world's largest provider of prize coverage for promotions, contests, and games.