Winner November Stars and Platinum

We recently caught up with Jingsong Liu, also known as 'zilon' on BBO, from Seattle in the USA. He won the latest Stars and Platinum, securing the top spot on the leaderboard.

Jingsong Liu, in his late fifties, lives in Seattle and works with computer software. He enjoys reading, working on computer projects, and playing games.

Aside from all this, you won't be surprised to hear that he also has a real passion for bridge. He's been into it for more than 40 years since his college days, mostly shared with local acquaintances. However over the past decade, as a result of shifting life priorities he's had to take a step back from competitive bridge.

But hey, here he is, winning November's Stars & Platinum, proving that his competitive bridge spirit is still alive and kicking!

And here's what he has to say about Stars and Platinum:

"Recently, I've been drawn to the Stars & Platinum games, providing a unique platform for comparing declarer play with top players. The experience has been truly rewarding."

Here's an interesting hand he played from Day 2 of the tournament:

"The auction and opening lead provided a wealth of information, revealing the West hand to be likely 4-1-4-4 or 3-1-4-5. After West won the trump at trick two and returned a trump, with East confirming a singleton, the scenario turned double-dummy, allowing the declarer to set up clubs to maximize the number of tricks."

He also talked about the difference between robot individual games and typical table games. He says,

"I approach this as a brainteaser and puzzle-solving exercise. The daylong format is particularly conducive to my purposes, offering freedom from concerns about tempo."

Apart from Stars & Platinum, he also enjoys playing the Zenith Daylong, saying he likes it as it's not best-hand and closer to normal bridge.

He also shares a unique piece of advice for new players:

"Every player's journey is unique. Enjoy the game."

Perhaps you'll be up against Jingsong Liu in the upcoming Stars and Platinum event next month? If you'd like to add the game to your calendar it's played over three days and starts on Monday, December 4. Click here for all the details.