TheDallas Aces (initially theU.S. Aces, later simply theAces) were the world's first professionalbridge team, organized in 1968 by Dallas businessmanIra Corn.[1][2] Corn was determined to return bridge supremacy to America after the domination of the formidable ItalianBlue Team for more than a decade.[3] The Aces, in various formations during the years featured stars such asJames Jacoby,Bobby Wolff,Billy Eisenberg,Bobby Goldman,Mike Lawrence,Paul Soloway,Eric Murray andSami Kehela. They won the 1970, 1977 and 1983Bermuda Bowls, as well as several other competitions. The team slowly disbanded after Corn's death in 1982.
Corn recruitedJames Jacoby andBobby Wolff, thenBilly Eisenberg,Bobby Goldman, andMike Lawrence, paying salaries ($800 per month for single players, $950 for married ones - in 2022 values: $6,400 and $7,600) plus expenses for major tournaments.[4]Bob Hamman at first declined an invitation, but became the sixth team member in 1969.[3] Jacoby paired with Wolff, Eisenberg with Goldman, and Lawrence with Hamman. The team practiced and analyzed hands for long hours. Corn hired coaches and provided a computer from one of his companies to assist analysis and to generate bridgedeals to order.[4]
In 1969, the team achieved its first major success, winning theSpingold Knockout Teams at the fallNorth American Bridge Championships.[2] That year it represented North America in theBermuda Bowl tournament, the nearly annualTeams world championship. But the Aces placed third behind a team fromTaiwan—an astonishing upset and the first time that a Bermuda Bowl final match did not include North America or the United States. Meanwhile, the Blue Team won its tenth in a row, and then disbanded. The Aces beat Taiwan in the 1970 final and defended their title in 1971, beating France in the final.
After 1971, Corn paid only expenses, no salaries.[1] The composition of the team began changing. In 1971, Eisenberg departed, replaced byPaul Soloway until 1973, when he in turn was replaced by Mark Blumenthal. That year the Aces as defenders lost the Bermuda Bowl final to Italy, with three players from the later Blue Teams on its roster. Lawrence and Jacoby were the next to leave, making way for the Canadian pair ofEric Murray andSami Kehela. They lost two more Bermuda Bowl finals, in 1974 and 1975, to Italy, which fielded three and two Blue Team members, respectively. Other personnel changes followed. The Aces recaptured the Bermuda Bowl in 1977 with the pairs Eisenberg–Eddie Kantar, Hamman–Wolff, and Soloway–John Swanson (same as 1975). As "USA" in the 1980World Team Olympiad, the Aces played well and won the silver medal.[1][a] Corn, who would die of a heart attack in April 1982, assembled one final Aces team in 1981. Now comprisingMike Becker–Ron Rubin[b] andAlan Sontag–Peter Weichsel[c] with Hamman–Wolff, it went on to win the 1982 Spingold and the1983 Bermuda Bowl. It dedicated the victory to Corn and then disbanded.[5]