Jeff Meckstroth

Jeffrey John (Jeff) Meckstroth (born May 15, 1956 in Springfield, Ohio) is a multiple world champion in contract bridge, winning the Bermuda Bowl representing the U.S. five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called triple crown of bridge: the Bermuda Bowl, the World Open Pairs and the World Team Olympiad. As of December 2011 he ranks number 6 among Open World Grand Masters.

For decades Meckstroth has been in a regular partnership with Eric Rodwell and together, nicknamed "Meckwell", they are one of the most successful bridge partnerships of all time. They are well known for playing an aggressive and very detailed system that derived from Precision Club.

One of Meckstroth's iconic achievements was winning three of the four available major events contested at the ACBL's 2008 fall championships, the Open Board-A-Match Teams, Blue Ribbon Pairs, and Reisinger Teams. Despite the magnitude of this accomplishment, it was overshadowed by his regular partner, Eric Rodwell, who won the three events with Meckstroth, and finished second in the one event they did not play in together, while Meckstroth finished 17th.

He became ACBL's all time leading masterpoint holder when he went past Paul Soloway's long held record during the Indianapolis Winter Regional in March 2010.

He is a full time bridge professional and currently lives in Tampa, Florida.

Bridge accomplishments

Awards

• ACBL Player of the Decade 1990s, 2000s
• ACBL Player of the Year 1992, 2004
• Barry Crane Top 500 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Mott-Smith Trophy 1979, 1980, 1985, 2000, 2009
• Fishbein Trophy 1996, 2004, 2007
• Herman Trophy 1980, 1982, 1995, 2004
• ACBL King of Bridge 1974
• Le Bridgeur Award (Best Played Hand of the Year) 1998
• IBPA Award (Best Played Hand of the Year) 1999

Wins

• Bermuda Bowl (5) 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2009
• World Open Team Olympiad (1) 1988
• World Open Pairs (1) 1986
• World Mixed Pairs (1) 2002
• North American Bridge Championships (48)
  • Vanderbilt (5) 1980, 1982, 1985, 2000, 2003
  • Spingold (12) 1984, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007
  • Reisinger (8) 1979, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2008
  • Grand National Teams (8) 1990, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008
  • Open Board-a-Match Teams (1) 2008
  • Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1984
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (5) 1994, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009
  • North American Men's Swiss Teams (1) 1989
  • Blue Ribbon Pairs (2) 1982, 2008
  • Life Master Men's Pairs (1) 1979
  • Open Pairs (1) 1979
  • Open Pairs II (2) 1992, 1999
  • Mixed Pairs (1) 1980
• United States Bridge Championships (10)
  • Open Team Trials (10) 1980, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008
• European Open Bridge Championships (1)
  • Open Pairs (1) 2003
• Other notable wins:
  • Buffett Cup (1) 2010
  • Cavendish Invitational Teams (2) 2000, 2003
  • Macallan Invitational Pairs (2) 1995, 1996

Runner-ups

• Bermuda Bowl (2) 1997, 2005
• World Open Team Olympiad (1) 1992
• Rosenblum Cup (1) 2010
• North American Bridge Championships (18)
  • Vanderbilt (4) 1979, 1991, 1996, 2002
  • Spingold (2) 1985, 1990
  • Reisinger (1) 1980
  • Grand National Teams (3) 1994, 2003, 2005
  • Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1998, 1999
  • Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2005
  • Master Mixed Teams (2) 1983, 1992
  • Life Master Pairs (1) 1983
  • Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1992
  • Life Master Men's Pairs (1) 1985
• United States Bridge Championships (4)
  • Open Team Trials (4) 1982, 1984, 1985, 1997
• Other notable 2nd places:
  • Cavendish Invitational Teams (1) 1997
  • Cap Volmac World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 1994
  • Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1993
  • Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 1984

Bibliography

• Meckstroth, Jeff; Smith, Marc (2001). Win the Bermuda Bowl With Me. Toronto: Master Point Press. pp. 188. ISBN 1-894154-33-9. 

References

• Jeff Meckstroth biographical information

External links

• World Bridge Federation profile