The 2024 Master Teachers
June Patton and Adam Parrish

June Patton and Kathie MacNab


Adam Parrish

The ABTA Master Teacher Accreditation is the highest recognition in the North American bridge teaching community. ABTA Master Teachers are the very best professionals, and the ABTA is confident in recommending our Master Teachers for bridge teaching jobs at any level and in any setting.

The ABTA Master Teacher Accreditation recognizes those teachers who have mastered the art of teaching bridge.

Phil Abrahamson
The 2024 Teacher of The Year

The 2024 ABTA Teacher of the Year Phil Abrahamson is a volunteer who teaches free lessons on the online platform Planet Bridge and serves as a mentor for Unit 503 at the Palo Alto Bridge Center.

His nomination was led by Dee Fulton of Holualoa HI, a supporting coach on Planet Bridge who assists with running breakout groups from Phil’s lessons, which are attended by around 60 students each week.

“Phil shines in all three areas in which teachers must have skills: personality, teaching skills and knowledge,” Fulton said. “Then there’s the fourth area: Passion. Phil has a passion for bridge that is contagious. Normally students in any lecture classroom get a bit antsy after 20 minutes, but not with coach Phil. He holds them in his thrall. All 50 or 60 at a time!

“Phil deserves to be recognized by the professional bridge community for being the exemplary teacher that he is. He sets a high bar for all bridge teachers.”

2024 Book of the year awards

Brenda Montague presents Barbara Seagram with the Book of the Year Award for "The Magic of Defense."

The American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) has announced winners in its 43rd annual Book of the Year contest, which recognizes excellence in instructional resources for bridge players of all levels. Awards were presented at the ABTA national convention in Toronto ON on July 18.

In the Intermediate category, two books tied for the award:

“Twelve Important Bridge Lessons on Defense”(Master Point Press) by David Bird teaches valuable skills that can be used at every session of bridge. Each chapter includes analysis of full deals, recap questions and quizzes to illustrate the concepts.

“The Magic of Defense” (Baron Barclay) by Barbara Seagram focuses on how to make defending more enjoyable and successful by communicating with partner.

Winner in the Advanced Intermediate category was “Parrish the Thought: Modern Defensive Thinking” (Bridge Winners Press) by Adam Parrish. The author explains the thought processes that can help defenders visualize unseen hands, make accurate signals and choose active vs. passive strategies.

Top-rated runners-up in the Advanced Intermediate category were:

“Method Bridge” (Granovetter Books) by Matthew Granovetter.

“Solving the Mystery of the Redouble” (AuthorHouse) by James Marsh Sternberg, MD and Danny Kleinman.

“Secret JoJo Plays Lebensohl”(Secret JoJo Bridge Publications) by Joanne Waldron.

Winner in the Advanced category was “Simple Squeezes Made Simple” (AuthorHouse) by James Marsh Sternberg, MD and Danny Kleinman. The authors offer clear, step-by-step explanations and more than 100 example deals to take the mystery out of the most common types of squeeze plays.

Top-rated runner-up in the Advanced category was “Why I Lose at Bridge: A Collection of Cardplay Errors” (Master Point Press) by Ben Norton.

ABTA Award Committee members are Jeff Bayone, Sam Marks, Henry Meguid, Brenda Montague and Karen Walker (chair).

ABTA is now accepting submissions for its 2025 awards, which will be announced in July 2025. Eligible works are printed books as well as other media, including instructional podcasts, video lessons, webinars and software.

Authors or publishers wishing to enter new titles can get more information by sending email to:

bookoftheyear@abtahome.com 

The submission deadline is May 1, 2025.

The Winner of the 2024 Apple Basket Award

First Place: Barbara Seagram
Teaching End Plays …or Strip and Throw-In

This is how I teach this fun topic.

Would you buy a used car from a salesman who told you that your brakes would work 50% of the time? Probably not. Finesse-aholics overlook the fact that finesses work only 50% of the time. Whenever you find yourself in a contract which depends on a finesse, consider whether you can execute a strip & throw-in instead … that is unless you are able to peek to see who has the missing queen!

Second Place: Linda Green

Quiz Time

Before a bridge lesson: Quiz time!!

We require a warm-up class at the gym – we need a warm-up class in bridge.

Email a quiz before a lesson to be filled out at home. Bring it to class and we warm up by going over the quiz – they get very excited when they get many correct answers. It breaks the ice in the class and becomes a great conversation starter among the players. The answers are e-mailed after the class as well as notes needed to reinforce what they learned in the lesson.

Second Place: Phyllis Siegel

Opening Bid Flowchart

Phyllis created a visual inventory of questions to ask oneself when deciding whether and how to open the bidding

Teachers' Round tables & Panel- A great Success!

Scenes from the 2024 ABTA Convention in Toronto.

Pedro Durao
The 2023 Master Teacher

Pedro Durao,  newly accredited as a Master Teacher from the American Bridge Teacher’s Association. Receiving the credentials to be called a Master Teacher is no easy feat.  Each candidate must prove to a panel of long-standing Master Teachers that they are worthy of the accreditation.  Pedro is the first European bridge teacher to receive this honor.

Pedro has shown his passion, desire, and abilities in spades.  Pedro has owned the largest bridge club in Portugal for 14 years. He was working 24/7 preparing materials, teaching inside and outside his club for large firms and at Senior Universities. 

His success shows as he built his club from 700 tables in 2004 to a peak of  4,000 tables in 2016.  When everyone was at home during the pandemic lockdown, Pedro went to work teaching bridge online. Not only has Pedro proven to be a quality bridge instructor, but he is also a fierce competitor.  He played for the Portugal Junior team in 1993 and 1994 and as an adult in numerous international events such as the Von ZedWitz pairs and the NABC Ross Swiss Teams.

The ABTA heartily congratulates Pedro and wishes him all the best in his future bridge endeavors.

Pedro seen above with Betty Starzec to receive his Master Teacher Pin . 

Bruce Greenspan
The 2023 Teacher of The Year

The 2023 ABTA Teacher of the Year has been active in bridge for over three decades. Originally from the Massachusetts area, he moved to Florida part-time in 2002 and became a resident in 2020.
After volunteering at the District level, Bruce now spends much of his time working with students at his
local club – promoting bridge, charities and working with new and improving players. After Hurricane Ian, Bruce and his wife Judy decided that the area needed a ‘boost’ to get people back to the club and organized and promoted the Learn Bridge in A Day class which had been cancelled. 

Here are some comments sent to us by Bruce’s students:

In all the years I have known Bruce he has passionately promoted bridge with knowledge, humor, and kindness. Recently I attended and assisted with a learn bridge in a day seminar that he was instrumental in bringing to this area to bring more people into the game that we love so much but which has seen a big loss in attendance since the pandemic. 

He has steadfastly given of his time and shared his teaching skills at our major tournaments in those 30 years to promote this wonderful game. I truly believe that he should be recognized for that effort and be awarded Teacher of the year.

2023 Book of the year awards

The American Bridge Teachers’ Association (ABTA) announced the winners of the 42nd annual Book of the Year contest, which recognizes excellence in instructional resources for bridge players and teachers of all levels. Awards were presented at the ABTA national convention in Chicago, on July 13.

Winner in the Advancing Beginner category was Step by Step: Playing Notrump Contracts (Master Point Press) by Robert Berthe and Norbert Lébely. Translated from French, the book teaches declarer play by involving the reader in a series of questions and answers about example deals and practice problems.
Top-rated runners-up in the Advancing Beginner category were: Step by Step: Playing Suit Contracts (Master Point Press) by Robert Berthe and Norbert Lébely.
Suit Preference: The Abused and Misused Signal (Author House) by Dr. James Sternberg and Danny Kleinman.

Winner in the Intermediate category was Twelve Important Bridge Lessons on Declarer Play (Master Point Press) by David Bird. The book focuses on common card-play techniques, offering illustrative deals, play problems and recap questions and answers.
Top-rated runners-up in the Intermediate category were:
Active or Passive? A Guide to Being a Better Defender (Author House) by Dr. James Sternberg.
Trump Promotion: The Uppercut (Author House) by Dr. James Sternberg.
Let’s Play Some Bridge (Master Point Press) by Frank Stewart.

Winner in the Intermediate/Advanced category was Insights on Bridge: Bid, Play and Defend (Baron Barclay) by Mike Lawrence. This is the third installment -- and third Book of the Year Award -- for the author’s Insights on Bridge Series, which features practical tips and mini-lessons for advancing players.
Top-rated runners-up in the Intermediate/Advanced category were:
Better Declarer Play: Combining Your Chances (Master Point Press) by Danny Roth.
Sublime Declarer Play: After the Contested Auction (Master Point Press) by Nick Smith.

ABTA is now accepting submissions for its 2024 awards, which will be announced next July. Eligible works are books as well as other media, including instructional podcasts, video lessons, webinars and software. Authors or publishers wishing to enter new titles can get more information by sending email to bookoftheyear@abtahome.com . The submission deadline is May 1, 2024.

ABTA Book Of The Year Committee members are Jeff Bayone, Sam Marks, Henry Meguid, Brenda Montague and Karen Walker (chair). 


Sally Sparrow of Master Point Press accepting the awards for the Advancing Beginner and Intermediate categories from Brenda Montague.  


Mary Maier of Baron Barclay accepting the award for the Advanced book category from Brenda Montague. 

The Winner of the 2023 Apple Basket Award

Brenda Montague announced the top three winners of the 2023 Apple Basket Award:

First place
1NT Responses by Girish Bijoor

Second place- 
How Disappointed Will You Be if Partner Passes your Invitational Bid? by Kathy Rolfe

Tied for third place
Work on a Game Where You are Not an Expert by Larry Cohen
Activity Using ACBL E/Z Deal Cards for Review by Enid Roitman
Everything You Need to Know About Bridge Bidding in One Poem by Sally Ann Rhea

2023 Apple Basket Tips

Teachers' Round tables & Panel- A greast Success!

This year, many members submitted topics for our newly added teachers' round tables and various questions for a Teacher Panel. Each group met for one hour with a facilitator to brainstorm ideas and solutions, followed by a 90-minute debrief session to share with the entire group. 

1. Adam Parrish – What would a standard ABTA curriculum look like
2. Jill Wallace - Classes are over; how do we keep them? round table notes
3. Sally Sassen – How do we attract people back to our clubs from playing online? Ideas and challenges.
4. Martha Ehrenfeld – Marketing and recruiting teen/young adult players to learn the game and join clubs. round table notes

The convention survey showed that these two additions were well received because they enabled teachers to share ideas and solutions to many of the post-pandemic challenges we face.

 

Teacher Panel - Betty Starzec, Mo Jo, Patty Tucker, Amy Nellissen, and Barbara Seagram.