Robert J. (Bobby) Levin (born November 19, 1957) is an American professional bridge player, from Aventura, Florida. He was the youngest winner of the Bermuda Bowl world championship for national teams from 1981 until 2015, when 19-year old Michal Klukowski of Poland succeeded him. Levin is also a five-time winner of the Cavendish Invitational Pairs, the world's leading contest for cash prizes, with his regular partner Steve Weinstein. As of June 2013, Levin ranks number 20 among Open World Grand Masters"Open Classification" (ranked table, page one). WBF Master Points Records. World Bridge Federation. Retrieved 2013-06-13. and his wife Jill ranks number 21 among Women World Grand Masters. Retrieved 2013-06-13.

Levin–Weinstein were one-third of USA1 in the 2011 Bermuda Bowl, where they finished fourth."USBF Trials Bracket Posted". Bridge Winners. May 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-11. Beginning mid-2012 they joined Nick Nickell's team."Levin-Weinstein Joining Nickell in 2012" July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-11. The professional teams hired by Nickell had won four of the preceding nine biennial Bermuda Bowls, from 1995. Retrieved 2011-07-11.

Career Levin was born in Southampton, Long Island, New York. As a 13-year-old, he won the first tournament event he ever entered – the Men's Pairs at a New York sectional – making him the youngest winner in the history of the event.

When Levin was 15, the family moved to Miami. In March 1973, he became the youngest life master in the history of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) at the age of 15 years and 4 months, a record since broken. Once in Miami, Levin met two players – Billy Seamon and Russell Arnold – who had a profound influence on his bridge career. By the age of 17, Levin was playing professionally on teams with Arnold, sponsored by Bud Reinhold.

In 1979, his team (Reinhold, Arnold, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell) tied for first in the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. Because the Reisinger was a qualifying event for the playoff to determine North America's representative in the world championship (ACBL team trials), a playoff between the Reisinger winners was necessary; they lost to the Dallas Aces comprising Ira Rubin, Fred Hamilton, Bob Hamman and Bobby Wolff.

Next spring the Reinhold team won the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams in Fresno, California, qualifying for the team trials. The squad easily won the right later that year to represent the United States in the 1981 Bermuda Bowl in Port Chester, New York. The team added John Solodar and defeated Zia Mahmood-led Pakistan for the championship. The win made Levin, at 23 years old, the youngest world champion at the time, a distinction he held for 34 years, until 19 year old Michal Klukowski's win with the 2015 champion Polish team.

About a year later, Levin moved to Chicago to work as an options trader. When the market crashed in 1987, Levin was back to Florida, entering the real estate business with one of his brothers. He moved to the Orlando area in 1988 and lived there for twelve years.

His regular partner is Steve Weinstein, who is also a world class poker player. When forming their partnership, they spent a week with Marty Bergen in Florida to put together their system.

Levin and his wife since January 1998, Jill, who is also a world champion bridge player, reside in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania (as of 2010)."Unit 120 2010 Mini-McKenney Awards". ACBL. Confirmed 2011-07-11.

Bobby's son Andrew is a college student and Jill's sons Shane and Justin Blanchard are "upcoming bridge players" (as of 2010).

Bridge accomplishments

Awards ACBL Player of the Year, 2014 Herman Trophy 1979 ACBL King of Bridge 1975

Wins Bermuda Bowl (1) 1981 World Open Pairs Championship (1) 2010 North American Bridge Championships (33) Vanderbilt (6) 1980, 1989, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017 Spingold (1) 1992 Reisinger (1) 1979, 2021 Grand National Teams (3) 1997, 1999, 2000 Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1996, 2006 Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1987 Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (2) 2005, 2006 Master Mixed Teams (1) 1987 Blue Ribbon Pairs (2) 1979, 2018 Life Master Pairs (3) 1989, 1994, 2001 Life Master Open Pairs (1) 1994 Life Master Men's Pairs (1) 1988 Open Pairs (2) 1978, 2015 Open Pairs II (1) 1993 IMP Pairs (1) 2003 Fast Open Pairs (1) 2007 Roth Open Swiss Teams (1) 2010 Norman Kay Platinum Pairs (2) 2014, 2018 United States Bridge Championships (5) Open Team Trials (5) 1980, 1993, 2010, 2014, 2017 European Open Bridge Championships (1) Mixed Teams (1) 2003 Other notable wins: Buffett Cup (2) 2006, 2010 Cavendish Invitational Teams (3) 1999, 2005, 2008 Pan American Open Teams (1) 1992 Sunday Times–Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1993 Cavendish Invitational Pairs (5) 1999, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010

Runners-up

World Transnational Open Teams (1) 2000 World Open Pairs (1) 2006 World Mixed Pairs (1) 2006 North American Bridge Championships (29) Vanderbilt (5) 1984, 2000, 2010, 2018, 2019 Spingold (3) 1988, 1991, 2012 Grand National Teams (3) 1978, 1992, 2007 Open Board-a-Match Teams (3) 1990, 2012, 2013 Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1983 Open Swiss Teams (2) 2008, 2018 Blue Ribbon Pairs (4) 1987, 1988, 2000, 2004 Life Master Open Pairs (2) 2005, 2013 Open Pairs II (1) 1999 Men's Pairs (1) 1986 Senior Knockout Teams (2) 2017, 2018 Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (1) 2016 Reisinger (1) 2014 United States Bridge Championships (2) Open Team Trials (2) 2000, 2017 Other notable 2nd places: Cavendish Invitational Teams (3) 2000, 2006, 2009 Cap Gemini World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 2000 Macallan Invitational Pairs (1) 1994 Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 1994

Notes

References

"The natural: Bobby Levin now at a high point in his life". NABC Orlando 98 Daily Bulletin 10:7. ACBL. Reprinted at Clairebridge (Claire Martel). Retrieved 2011-05-21.

External links Bobby Levin profile at Bridge Winners (maintained by Levin)

Audio-video interview uploaded October 27, 2009, by ACBLvideo at YouTube Robert Levin ACBL Database NABC Wins