Meet Michael (BBO: WildPossum): The BXP World Tour 2026 Champion

"I still don't expect to make it."

That's what Michael says about winning the BXP World Tour. And yet, he did.

From Seattle, with a view of the wheel

Michael lives in downtown Seattle, overlooking the Great Wheel. He's a mostly-retired biochemist, currently at work on what he describes as a dystopian novel. ("My wife is the hardworking one.") In short: not the profile you'd expect from a world-level bridge champion. Then again, maybe it is.

He has been playing bridge since around the time of the moon landing. He learned the rules from Hoyle's book at six years old, then spent over a decade looking for a partner.

Some things never change.

Why BBO?

Michael joined BBO in 2019. His take on the platform is direct:

"I think BBO has done a lot for bridge. The Bridge Master problems are great. I've used the teaching-table feature with friends and family. We need to corrupt more youth."
It's hard to argue with that.

While Michael appreciates robots who don't yell at him, he's currently on the prowl for an easygoing human partner as well.

Into the BXP World Tour

When asked how he'd describe his playing style in a few words, Michael didn't hesitate: "Lazy."

Entering the BXP World Tour was, by his account, a natural extension of that philosophy. The three-phase format drew him in (Regional, then National, then World Finals), and he moved through the early stages with the quiet confidence of someone who's been navigating card tables since before cable TV.

The qualifier rounds were, in his words, "fairly generous." He expected to reach the Finals.

What he didn't expect was how much harder the Finals would actually be. "Playing one's best over 96 boards is tougher than accumulating 55% games over several weeks."

The final session

What was going through his mind during the decisive boards? "Don't be a turkey."
It worked.

As for when he realized he had won, Michael estimates sometime around 2028. He's still processing.

His physical preparation for the event was equally rigorous:
"Physical fitness is important, so I went to the gym and stared at the treadmill.

Michael did share one hand he'll remember.
He spent the final session working through an elaborate endplay, reading the bots' card distributions, calculating probabilities, and engineering a textbook smother finesse. He scored 86%.
Five other players scored 96% by banging out the ace at trick two.
"The joke was on me," he says. Naturally.

For the curious: Michael's full hand breakdown

What actually made the difference

We asked what gave him the edge in this competition. The answer? "My new curry recipe."
We did not press further, but he might give it to you if you ask kindly.

One genuine surprise

For all his self-deprecation, Michael did share something that genuinely caught his attention: the scoring landscape at the top of the field.

"I'm used to seeing games in the seventies [percent], and there weren't many of those. Was the field tougher? It seemed low for a winning score to me."

He's right to notice it. The BXP World Tour draws serious players, and competition at the World Finals level is real.

His advice to players considering the next edition? Michael doesn't sugarcoat it:
"Depends on the player. If you're struggling to reach 55%, maybe play the dailies a bit longer until you get there. If you regularly reach 60%, this is a fun event."

One final thank-you

Michael chose to thank his friend Andrew Gumperz "for not entering, since he probably would have beaten me."

Will Michael win the next edition, or is someone ready to take on the challenge?

Curious where you landed? See the full BXP World Tour 2026 standings