The greatest show on Earth – NABC Reno 2022

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There is nothing quite like a NABC
The Biggest Little City in the World
Bob Hamman is back!
Interesting deals from the Daily Bulletin
Congratulations to the winners!

There is nothing quite like a NABC

Three times a year, cities in North America host a vast array of players, ranging from World Champions to those taking their first exciting steps into the world of tournament bridge.

Imagine being a golfer and finding yourself on the first tee with Tiger Woods, or perhaps a tennis player who discovers his first-round opponent is Roger Federer; at the Nationals, you have every chance of playing against the greatest champions!

The Biggest Little City in the World

This year Reno, the Biggest Little City in the World, was the venue of the Spring Nationals. It was probably the last North American Bridge Championship where the major events ran on the 13.00 and 19:30 schedule, as starting from the summer Nationals in Providence, all national and regional events will run on a daylight schedule, play starting at 10.00 and 15.00. Reno attracted an attendance of 6204 tables, almost 1000 more than the previous event, the 2021 Fall Nationals in Austin, Texas.

With so many tables in play, the number and type of tournaments is incredible. Knockout Teams, Bracketed Knockout Teams, Compact Knockout Teams, Board-a-Match Teams, Swiss Teams, Flighted Pairs, Stratified Pairs, IMP Pairs & Speedball Pairs are just some of the contests on offer.

The atmosphere at these major championships is terrific and socialising is the order of the day, especially when the evening sessions end. A top attraction was the Reno Axe Bar where you could unwind and try your hand at this increasingly popular sport.

Bob Hamman is back!

Players are kept up to date about results, upcoming events and everything bridge related by the Daily Bulletins. One of the early stories they reported featured the legendary Bob Hamman. After decades of successfully battling the best players across the globe – he is still the world’s No.1-ranked player – Bob encountered his toughest opponent so far when he caught COVID-19 last summer.

Although he was double-vaccinated, he tested positive and when he began experiencing shortness of breath he was admitted to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. From there, he went to the hospital’s intensive care unit and was placed on a ventilator. It was seventy days before he was taken off the ventilator in late October 2021. The protracted spell in hospital made him physically weak, and he lost around forty pounds in weight, causing him to comment ‘I don’t recommend doing it this way, however.’

Bob required several weeks of nursing at Kindred Hospital in Dallas. As he continued to improve, he started physical therapy, continuing in rehab through mid-January, at which point he hired a personal trainer. Despite the physical challenges, Bob began returning to work after Thanksgiving in 2021, using a walker to help him get about. “I wanted everybody at the office to know I was still around,” joked Hamman, the founder and boss at SCA Promotions.

Bob did not attend the Fall NABC in Austin, as he was still on the mend. “It was the first Nationals I’ve missed since 1963,” he said. Bob is pragmatic about his post-COVID health status. “I do require significantly more sleep these days than I did pre-COVID. I can take breaks in team games, but I’m a little concerned about pair games. I’ll likely spend less time at the bar after the evening sessions,” he quipped, “This was a severe illness, no question about it. I feel fine now. I’m not as good as before but turning in early each night helps. I came out of this pretty damn good, all things considered.”