Dropping out of Columbia University (where he was in the class of 1922) as a math major to become an actuary, he became the youngest person ever to pass four examinations of the Society of Actuaries at the age of 21. During World War I, he joined the army at 15 by lying about his age but spent most of his time there playing poker. He was the uncle of activist and author Susan Jacoby, as well as father of James Jacoby, an author and world-class bridge player in his own right.īorn in Brooklyn to a Jewish family, he was taught to play whist at the age of six and played his first bridge at ten.

He was from Brooklyn, New York and later lived in Dallas, Texas. He also excelled at, and wrote about, other games including backgammon, gin rummy, canasta, and poker. Oswald 'Ozzie', 'Jake' Jacoby (Decem– June 27, 1984) was an American contract bridge player and author, considered one of the greatest bridge players of all time and a key innovator in the game, having helped popularize widely used bidding moves such as Jacoby transfers.

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