Bob Hamman
Robert D. (Bob) Hamman (born August 6, 1938 in Pasadena, California)[1] is an American bridge player, considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time. Hamman was a member of the famous Dallas Aces team, which competed with the Italian Blue team for dominance of world bridge in the early 1970s. He has won 11 world championships, 47 North American championships, and is still playing for more. In 1994, Hamman wrote his entertaining autobiography At the Table: My Life and Times (ISBN 0-9642584-1-2). As of 1999, his biography on the American Contract Bridge League hall of fame lists his competition achievements, and reads:
- "One of the world’s greatest players, ranks #1 among WBF [World Bridge Federation] Grand Masters, also ranks 1st in world performance over past 10 years. Member ACBL Hall of Fame. Has been highest ranked player in the world since 1985."[2]
The World Bridge Federation ranks Hamman as a World Grand Master and 8th in the world in terms of Master Points.[3]
Among his more interesting accomplishments are eight wins in the ACBL's most important pair championships (Blue Ribbon Pairs, Life Master Pairs and Men's Pairs) with eight different partners. Probably his most popular and emotional win, other than the 1970 Bermuda Bowl, was the 2000 Vanderbilt Teams. Despite myriad other wins, Hamman had not won the Vanderbilt since 1973. His partner, Paul Soloway, was severely ill and commuting between the tournament site and the hospital, and had literally come out of his sickbed to play the final quarter of the teams quarterfinal match, where they won 34 IMPs in the final quarter to win the match by 1. On the final board, Hamman and Soloway had a bidding misunderstanding to reach a very poor 6H contract, but their opponents could not work out declarer's hand due to the unusual auction, and the contract made, providing the margin of victory. In addition to his World Open Pairs victory in 1974 with Bobby Wolff, he was second in 1994 with Michael Rosenberg.
Hamman is the president of SCA Promotions, a prize promotion business in Dallas, Texas.
Hamman is credited with devising Hamman's Law.
Honors
- ACBL Hall of Fame 1999
- ACBL Honorary Member of the Year 1991
Awards
- ACBL Player of the Year 1990, 1993, 2006
- Fishbein Trophy 1969, 1983
- Herman Trophy 1978, 1988, 1993
- Precision Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1986, 1993
Wins
- Bermuda Bowl (9) 1970, 1971, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1995, 2000, 2003
- World Open Team Olympiad (1) 1988
- World Open Pairs (1) 1974
- North American Bridge Championships (47)
- Vanderbilt (6) 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 2000, 2003
- Spingold (15) 1969, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007
- Chicago (now Reisinger) (1) 1962
- Reisinger (9) 1970, 1978, 1979, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005
- Grand National Teams (4) 1975, 1977, 1986, 2006
- Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1988
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (2) 1990, 2006
- Master Mixed Teams (1) 1987
- Blue Ribbon Pairs (4) 1964, 1986, 1991, 1993
- Life Master Pairs (3) 1980, 1983, 1992
- Men's Pairs (1) 1986
- United States Bridge Championships (18)
- Open Team Trials (17) 1969, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1979 (Dec), 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008
- Open Pair Trials (1) 1963
- Other notable wins:
- Warren Buffett Cup (1) 2006
- Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 1998
Runner-ups
- Bermuda Bowl (6) 1966, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1997, 2005
- World Open Team Olympiad (4) 1964, 1972, 1980, 1992
- World Open Pairs (1) 1994
- World Mixed Pairs (2) 1986, 1994
- North American Bridge Championships (19)
- Vanderbilt (5) 1968, 1970, 1981, 1996, 2002
- Spingold (1) 1970
- Reisinger (1) 1968
- Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1998, 1999
- Men's Board-a-Match Teams (4) 1969, 1980, 1984, 1989
- Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 1992
- Life Master Men's Pairs (2) 1980, 1981
- Open Pairs (1) 1988
- Open Pairs I (1) 1999
- Men's Pairs (1) 1985
- United States Bridge Championships (3)
- Open Team Trials (2) 1979 (Jan), 1997
- Open Pair Trials (1) 1965
- Other notable 2nd places:
- Cavendish Invitational Teams (1) 1997
- Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1992
- Pamp World Par Contest (1) 1990