Million-Dollar Hobby: Inside the World of Big-Money Bridge
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A 20-something man played bridge with three old ladies this past Columbus Day. They played at the Honors Bridge Club on East 58th Street, where the median player age is well north of 70 and the air smells of coffee and heavily applied makeup. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the young man was indulging his grandmother and her friends for an afternoon.
But no. The young man was John Kranyak, a three-time junior world champion bridge player who now earns a living as a bridge “pro,” partnering with wealthy sponsors. That afternoon, Mr. Kranyak was working a shift in the employ of Melanie Tucker, a financier’s wife.
Such partnerships are common here at the Honors, one of Manhattan’s three major bridge clubs and considered the most hoity-toity. Marjorie Wilpon, the wife of Ken Wilpon (who is first cousin to Mets owner Fred Wilpon), plays here. So does Justine Cushing, whose father was the developer of Squaw Valley.
Read the rest of Greg Hanlon’s article on the Observer website
