RIP Paul Soloway bridge's all time master point leader

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macrae1234 · #1 Post by **macrae1234** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:54 am

Paul Soloway
1941 – 2007
Paul Soloway, the ACBL's all-time leading masterpoint holder and one of the great players of all time, died of complications from an infection on Monday at a hospital in the Seattle area. He was 66. Read More...

At the time of his death, Soloway's masterpoint holding was at 65,511.92, more than 6000 ahead of second on the list.

Soloway was elected to the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame in 2001, the first year he was eligible (minimum age of 60) and was inducted in 2002.

He was a key member of the Nick Nickell team that has dominated North American and world bridge for more than a decade. He was a member of the winning Bermuda Bowl team five times, the latest in Monte Carlo in 2003. He also won more than two dozen North American championships.

At his last NABC this summer in Nashville, Soloway was part of the winning squad in the Spingold Knockout Teams, his ninth win in that event. He was scheduled to play with the Nickell team in the Bermuda Bowl in Shanghai, China, this fall but his illness kept him from making the trip.

Soloway lived in Mill Creek WA, a suburb of Seattle with his wife, Pam

kusch · #2 Post by **kusch** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:26 am

I got a chance to meet Paul when I attended the NABC in Reno a couple of years ago. Good guy.

I kind of knew it was bleak as OKBridge put out a news flash the other day about his health. They had already amputed one leg and when I read that I figured there was more to it.

#3 Post by **Bob78164** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:11 pm

I used to play the Reno year-end regional fairly regularly. (Do they even hold it any more?) Most of the country's best bridge players played that regional, because it was their last chance to add to their master point totals for the year. Often, the Barry Crane Top 500 award would be decided at that tournament.

One day, I happened to be in the same section as Soloway. The contract was the same pretty much through the room (4 spades, if memory serves), and in most of the room (and remember, this room included many of the best players in the country) the battle was over whether the declarer won an overtrick. Not at Soloway's table, though. He was on opening lead. He found a lead no one else in the room found. He beat the contract three tricks.

I didn't know him, but he was one hell of a bridge player. --Bob

macrae1234 · #4 Post by **macrae1234** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:14 pm

Yes it is still going on every New Year's however I am not sure about Crane 500 leaders playing

#5 Post by **Bob78164** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:16 pm

macrae1234 wrote:Yes it is still going on every New Year's however I am not sure about Crane 500 leaders playing

I think there are one or two other year-end regionals nowadays. I seem to recall that New York City holds a regional then, and I have a vague memory that there's a big one in the middle of the country. --Bob

kusch · #6 Post by **kusch** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:21 pm

Here are the December regionals from the ACBL site.

11/28 12/02 GM WIESBADEN Info Contact
12/10 12/16 CA RANCHO MIRAGE Info Link Contact
12/26 12/31 MO KANSAS CITY Info Contact
12/26 12/31 NV RENO Info Link Contact
12/26 12/30 NY NEW YORK Info Contact
12/26 12/01 SC MYRTLE BEACH Info Link Contact
12/31 1/06 FL ORLANDO (LAKE BUENA VISTA) Info Link Contact

macrae1234 · #7 Post by **macrae1234** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 5:33 pm

I was going to post that glad I looked