Bobby Levin

Robert J. (Bobby) Levin (born November 19, 1957) is an American bridge player. He is best known for winning the 1981 Bermuda Bowl world teams championship.

Career

Levin was born in Southampton, Long Island, New York. As a 13-year-old, he won the first tournament event he ever entered – the Men’s Pairs at a New York sectional – making him the youngest winner in the history of the event.

When Levin was 15, the family moved to Miami. In March 1973, not long after arriving in Florida, Levin became the youngest Life Master in the history of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) at the age of 15 years and 4 months old. This record has since been broken. Once in Miami, Levin met two players – Billy Seamon and Russ Arnold – who had a profound influence on his bridge career. By the age of 17, Levin was playing professionally on teams with Arnold, sponsored by Bud Reinhold.

In 1979, his team (Reinhold, Arnold, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell) tied for first in the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. Since the Reisinger was a qualifying event for the team trials to determine ACBL’s representative for the world championships, a playoff was necessary. Even though team won the playoffs against the Dallas Aces (Ira Corn, Ira Rubin, Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman and Bobby Wolff) it lost the trials in Cincinnati.

The following spring Reinhold team won the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, qualifying yet again for the team trials. This time the squad easily won the right to represent the United States in the 1981 Bermuda Bowl in Port Chester, New York. The team added John Solodar and defeated Zia Mahmood-led Pakistan for the championship. The win made Levin, at 23 years old, the youngest world champion at the time.

About a year later, Levin moved to Chicago to work as an options trader. When the market crashed in 1987, Levin was back to Florida, entering the real estate business with one of his brothers. He moved to the Orlando area in 1988 and lived there for twelve years.

Levin and his wife of ten years, Jill, who is also a champion bridge player, reside in The Bronx, New York.

Awards

* Herman Trophy 1979
* ACBL King of Bridge 1975

Wins

* Bermuda Bowl (1) 1981
* North American Bridge Championships (23)
** Vanderbilt (2) 1980, 1989
** Spingold (1) 1992
** Reisinger (1) 1979
** Grand National Teams (3) 1997, 1999, 2000
** Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1996, 2006
** Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1987
** Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (2) 2005, 2006
** Master Mixed Teams (1) 1987
** Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1979
** Life Master Pairs (3) 1989, 1994, 2001
** Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1994
** Life Master Men's Pairs (1) 1988
** Open Pairs (1) 1978
** Open Pairs II (1) 1993
** IMP Pairs (1) 2003
** Fast Open Pairs (1) 2007
* United States Bridge Championships (2)
** Open Team Trials (2) 1980, 1993
* European Open Bridge Championships (1)
** Mixed Teams (1) 2003
* Other notable wins:
** Buffett Cup (1) 2006
** Cavendish Invitational Teams (3) 1999, 2005, 2008
** Pan American Open Teams (1) 1992
** Reisinger Knockout Teams (1) 1985
** Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1993
** Cavendish Invitational Pairs (3) 1999, 2002, 2007

Runner-ups

* World Transnational Open Teams (1) 2000
* World Open Pairs (1) 2006
* World Mixed Pairs (1) 2006
* North American Bridge Championships (17)
** Vanderbilt (2) 1984, 2000
** Spingold (2) 1988, 1991
** Grand National Teams (3) 1978, 1992, 2007
** Open Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1990
** Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1983
** Open Swiss Teams (1) 2008
** Blue Ribbon Pairs (4) 1987, 1988, 2000, 2004
** Life Master Open Pairs (1) 2005
** Open Pairs II (1) 1999
** Men's Pairs (1) 1986
* United States Bridge Championships (1)
** Open Team Trials (1) 2000
* Other notable 2nd places:
** Cavendish Invitational Teams (2) 2000, 2006
** Cap Gemini World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 2000
** Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1994
** Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 1994
** Goldman Pairs (1) 2007

References

* [http://www.clairebridge.com/textes/bobby_levin.pdf Bobby Levin biographical information]

External links

* [http://www.worldbridge.org/people/person.asp?qryid=11125 World Bridge Federation profile]
* [http://www.worldbridge.org/people/person.asp?qryid=11127 World Bridge Federation profile]