In this episode of The Setting Trick, I sit down with Emma Kolesnik, who just won the Mixed Teams at the 2026 World Bridge Series in Katowice, Poland. She partnered her husband Adam Grossack, and their teammates were prior Mixed champions Sabine Auken and Roy Welland. Emma takes me through their quarterfinal win, decided by a single imp, including a seven imp time penalty. The final was a marquee matchup against Adam's brother Zach.
We talk about pressure at the table, paying college students to learn bridge, and how the game turned her younger brother Finn Kolesnik into a close friend. We also get into playing with your spouse, family trips built around the European championships and why her family gave up cooperative games.
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Key Highlights
⏱ One IMP, After a Penalty: Seven minutes over cost seven imps, so a win by eight became a win by one.
🧠 Bridge is Grinding: Adam has helped Emma work hard on every deal.
🎓 Paid to Learn Bridge: With Mitch Dunitz, she paid college friends to come to four lessons.
👫 How Finn Came Around: He refused to play until he learned Emma was being paid to go to the youth NABCs.
🎲 Ticket to Ride: The team name came from a board game, and her family learned cooperative games only start blame games.
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Resources & Next Steps
🏆 2026 World Bridge Series results
📸 The Setting Trick on Instagram
🎧 Subscribe to The Setting Trick on Apple Podcasts
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Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Cold open
00:52 Welcoming Emma Kolesnik
01:47 A quarterfinal won by one imp
03:39 The seven imp time penalty
05:21 Checking scores on the tablet
07:18 Facing Klukowski and Zmuda
09:03 Pressure, and the grind
10:30 Seven spades doubled
11:44 The last board, two notrump
15:11 Bridesmaids who don't play
15:53 Paying students to learn
19:25 Did she cry? Finn's Soloway
21:32 A final against Zach Grossack
22:45 A comedy of errors
25:09 Rooting in the semifinal
26:56 Six years apart, bridge friends
28:31 Why Finn finally played
30:50 Adam asks Finn's permission
33:20 Playing with your spouse
36:14 Turning down a pro offer
38:23 Tablets, screens, the ACBL
41:56 Roy, Sabine and golf
43:06 Watching the Bermuda Bowl
48:09 Watching family on ViewGraph
49:57 Tromsø and family trips
52:56 How many countries
55:50 Museums on bridge trips
57:22 Why Ticket to Ride
60:56 No more cooperative games
63:10 Nationals with her dad
65:36 A yoga retreat instead
68:16 Boards that stick with you
73:01 The round of 16 ruff
76:06 When she plays next
