Larry Cohen (bridge player)
Encyclopedia
Larry Neil Cohen is an American
bridge
player and writer. He is the winner of 25 North American Bridge Championships
including the Vanderbilt
, two Spingold
s, two Reisinger
s, three Life Master Pairs
, and four Blue Ribbon Pairs
as well as a two-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs
.
He authored To Bid or Not to Bid: The LAW of Total Tricks; it was the best-selling bridge book of the 1990s with more than 55,000 copies sold in a total of six different languages. It and its sequel Following the Law deal with the "Law of Total Tricks
." He is well known for his former playing partnership with Marty Bergen
whose ideas meshed well with his own. His current bridge partner is David Berkowitz
.
He learned to play bridge at age 6 from his grandparents, started playing duplicate at age 14, and began playing in tournaments at age 15. He became an American Contract Bridge League
(ACBL) Life Master at age 17.
He currently resides with his wife, Maria, in Boca Raton
, Florida
. He works as a bridge teacher, often on cruise ships. He writes a monthly column,The Real Deal in the ACBL's Bridge Bulletin.
Cohen shocked the bridge world by announcing his retirement from high-level competition effective in 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player and writer. He is the winner of 25 North American Bridge Championships
North American Bridge Championships
North American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
including the Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Trophy
The trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
, two Spingold
Spingold
The Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
s, two Reisinger
Reisinger
The Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.-History:...
s, three Life Master Pairs
Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs
The Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
, and four Blue Ribbon Pairs
Blue Ribbon Pairs
The Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
as well as a two-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs
Cavendish Invitational
The Cavendish Invitational is the largest money bridge tournament in the world. The , which concludes the tournament.-History and format:The Cavendish Club, whose name is associated with the event, was founded in 1925 in New York City...
.
He authored To Bid or Not to Bid: The LAW of Total Tricks; it was the best-selling bridge book of the 1990s with more than 55,000 copies sold in a total of six different languages. It and its sequel Following the Law deal with the "Law of Total Tricks
Law of total tricks
In contract bridge, the Law of total tricks is a guideline used to help determine how high to bid in a competitive auction. It is not really a law but a method of hand evaluation which describes a relationship that seems to exist somewhat regularly...
." He is well known for his former playing partnership with Marty Bergen
Marty Bergen
Marty A. Bergen is an American bridge player and writer. A 10-time national champion and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master he retired from active competition in 1993...
whose ideas meshed well with his own. His current bridge partner is David Berkowitz
David Berkowitz (bridge player)
David L. Berkowitz is an American professional bridge player.In 1998, he came as close as it is possible to come to a world championship without winning it. In the World Open Pairs, he and Larry Cohen led throughout the five-session final, only to be overtaken on the last two boards...
.
He learned to play bridge at age 6 from his grandparents, started playing duplicate at age 14, and began playing in tournaments at age 15. He became an American Contract Bridge League
American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League is the largest contract bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, and Canada, and is a member of the World Bridge Federation...
(ACBL) Life Master at age 17.
He currently resides with his wife, Maria, in Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He works as a bridge teacher, often on cruise ships. He writes a monthly column,The Real Deal in the ACBL's Bridge Bulletin.
Cohen shocked the bridge world by announcing his retirement from high-level competition effective in 2009.
Awards
- ACBL Player of the Year 2002
- Romex Award (Best Bid Hand of the Year) 1995, 2000
- Precision Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1996
- ITES Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 2003 (Winning Journalist)
Wins
- North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(25)- VanderbiltVanderbilt TrophyThe trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 2005 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1981, 1984 - ReisingerReisingerThe Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.-History:...
(2) 1985, 1991 - Grand National TeamsGrand National TeamsThe Grand National Teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(3) 1994, 2007, 2008 - Open Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1991, 2007 - Men's Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1984 - North American Swiss TeamsKeohane North American Swiss TeamsThe Keohane North American Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1999 - Mixed Board-a-Match TeamsChicago Mixed Board-a-MatchThe Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The event is a board-a-match team event....
(1) 2002 - Blue Ribbon PairsBlue Ribbon PairsThe Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(4) 1981, 1983, 1988, 1995 - Life Master PairsVon Zedtwitz Life Master PairsThe Von Zedtwitz Life Master Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(3) 1987, 1988, 1996 - Life Master Men's PairsNail Life Master Open PairsThe Nail Life Master Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1983 - Open Pairs ISilodor Open PairsThe Silodor Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(3) 2004, 2006, 2009 - Open Pairs IIWernher Open PairsThe Wernher Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Wernher Open Pairs is a four session MP pairs event, two qualifying sessions and two final sessions....
(1) 1996
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (1)
- Open Team Trials (1) 2000
- Other notable wins:
- Buffett CupBuffett CupThe Buffett Cup is a bridge trophy which is awarded biennially in an event between teams from Europe and the United States.The tournament is modeled on the Ryder Cup golf competition and is held in the week preceding the golf event at a nearby location. The competition was first held in 2006 and is...
(1) 2006 - Cavendish Invitational TeamsCavendish InvitationalThe Cavendish Invitational is the largest money bridge tournament in the world. The , which concludes the tournament.-History and format:The Cavendish Club, whose name is associated with the event, was founded in 1925 in New York City...
(2) 1988, 1994 - Pan American Open Teams (1) 1992
- Cap Gemini World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 1999
- Cavendish Invitational PairsCavendish InvitationalThe Cavendish Invitational is the largest money bridge tournament in the world. The , which concludes the tournament.-History and format:The Cavendish Club, whose name is associated with the event, was founded in 1925 in New York City...
(2) 1984, 1989 - Goldman Pairs (1) 1983
- Buffett Cup
Runner-ups
- World Open PairsWorld Open Pairs ChampionshipThe World Open Pairs Championship is one of the competitions held as part of the World Bridge Series Championships. This Pairs competition was initiated in 1962 and is held every four years. It is open to pairs from all over the world, without any quota restrictions being applied. In its present...
(1) 1998 - North American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge ChampionshipsNorth American Bridge Championships are three annual bridge conventions sponsored by the American Contract Bridge League . The "Spring", "Summer", and "Fall" NABCs are usually scheduled in March, July, and November for about eleven days. They comprise both championship and side contests of...
(21)- VanderbiltVanderbilt TrophyThe trophy is awarded for the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams national bridge championship held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(4) 1990, 1993, 1998, 2004 - SpingoldSpingoldThe Spingold national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1983 - ReisingerReisingerThe Reisinger national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The Reisinger is a board-a-match event.-History:...
(3) 2002, 2004, 2007 - Grand National TeamsGrand National TeamsThe Grand National Teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1991 - Open Board-a-Match TeamsMitchell Board-a-Match TeamsThe Mitchell Board-a-Match Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1990, 2008 - North American Swiss TeamsKeohane North American Swiss TeamsThe Keohane North American Swiss Teams national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 2006 - Master Mixed TeamsChicago Mixed Board-a-MatchThe Chicago Mixed Board-a-Match teams national bridge championship is held at the summer American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship .The event is a board-a-match team event....
(1) 1994 - Blue Ribbon PairsBlue Ribbon PairsThe Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1996 - Life Master Open PairsNail Life Master Open PairsThe Nail Life Master Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1991, 2002 - Life Master Men's PairsNail Life Master Open PairsThe Nail Life Master Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the fall American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1986 - Grand National PairsNorth American PairsThe North American Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(2) 1980, 1984 - Open PairsSilodor Open PairsThe Silodor Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 1979 - Open Pairs ISilodor Open PairsThe Silodor Open Pairs national bridge championship is held at the spring American Contract Bridge League North American Bridge Championship ....
(1) 2002
- Vanderbilt
- United States Bridge Championships (4)
- Open Team Trials (4) 1985, 1998, 2002, 2008
- Other notable 2nd places:
- Cavendish Invitational TeamsCavendish InvitationalThe Cavendish Invitational is the largest money bridge tournament in the world. The , which concludes the tournament.-History and format:The Cavendish Club, whose name is associated with the event, was founded in 1925 in New York City...
(2) 1986, 2000 - Goldman Pairs (1) 1991
- Cavendish Invitational Teams