In the Pro/Am the organization decided to show the defending champions: pokerstas Gus Hansen and Tom Hanlon during all rounds to watch one of the world’s most lethal poker players’ approach to bridge.
Although the partnership’s system was not published anywhere on the Internet, we learned that the system they were playing was developed by Gus Hansen (the non professional bridge player) and emailed to Tom Hanlon (the professional bridge player) on February 7, 2013, these were some of their characteristics:
1) 1 Opening = 9-13 or 14+ with 4+ clubs,
2) Opening: 1, 1, 1= 4+ y 14+ PH.
3) 1NT Opening = 18+
4) All double over 2 or better = penalty
The tournament was divided into two segments of 14 boards each, with a 30 minute break between the two segments. The defending champions at the end of the first half: opened 10 of the 14 hands played, ending in the fifth position with 89 points accumulated, though far behind the leaders who had 159 points. The second segment was not good for our protagonists whose system played against them in several boards, and their opps were too lucky in many of the other boards.
One hand in which their system helped them to earn 23 points out of the 25 at stake was board 20:
After two doubles (take out) from Hanlon, Hansen passed over the third one, 2: penalty for their system and scored +1100.
A hand in which the system made them lose several points was board 24, in which as Hansen couldnt double the partnership didnt arrive to a solid game.
Klaer opened 1 and Hanlon compited with 2 but when Carroll raised his partner with 2, Hansen couldnt double to invite to game and chose to say 3, they were lucky that the defense didnt make all their tricks and they could score 200, but the hand cost them 11 points, and leave them with no hope of recovery.