Tell Me About Bridge

My mother used to play it with all the neighbor ladies. It was an opportunity to drink and gossip all afternoon

Very popular in retirement communities

Omar Sharif made a tidy living playing it for high stakes.

No trump!

You'll have to ask Billie Joe McAllister, sugar.

R4, Or Paul Simon.

R2

Never understood that crack from Sylvia Fowler to Peggy Day about how the latter would never be able to afford a child unless her bridge game improved. Is the game normally played for high stakes or something like poker?

My mom won third prize in some contest. I don't remember what the first and second prizes were, but I remember they were really nice. This was the third place prize they sent her...

It's no Mah Jongg!

Do they have teams, like in Canasta?

I played it in college but haven't since. If you like Euchre, bridge is sort of like a more complicated version of Euchre.

AARP has an on line version you can play.

Have played it since college, I love it. Hard part is finding people my age to play...

It's a great card game for which you need skill, strategy, and of course, some luck. I found once I started playing Bridge every other card game seemed trivial. I play regularly with a group of gay friends. We all enjoy it.

I

Omar Sharif Bridge 5+, Rubber, Chicago and Tournament Bridge card game.

Who knew?

More...

I wish bridge would make a comeback.

Bear Stearns CEO James Cayne supposedly "played the fiddle as Rome burned"; accused of not wanting to tear himself away from a bridge tourament in Nashville, TN as his company exploded in financial crisis.

I don't understand it, but my father LOVED it and was quite good. He played occasionally when he was younger (my mother was terrible at it), but REALLY got into it when he retired. Almost obsession-level.

There was Bridge Academy a couple miles from his house that offered "lessons"/practice mid-morning, and then they'd play in the afternoon, after lunch (which was typically at a taco joint around the corner). That's what he did every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. And most Saturday nights, he'd receive an invitation for dinner & a game at someone's home. (as a single-guy, and a very good player, he was very popular whenever someone needed a "fourth" for their regular game). He even started playing in weekend tournaments in Palm Springs & Santa Barbara with one his regular partners -- and winning!

It was just the GREATEST thing for him, in terms of filling his time (he had no other hobbies), keeping his mind sharp, and meeting new people. He developed a whole new social circle in retirement (which is difficult to do) thanks to Bridge.

Lady Whoever in Poirot’s The Incredible Theft was “heavily in hock to money lenders, because she played bridge so abominably.

Remember these for your bridge party?

I’d like to learn to play, but don’t know where to start or who to ask.

^ You're in luck...

R20

Just let your fingers do the walking, and search online.

Besides online lessons many areas have more than a few local bridge clubs.

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More again....

American Contract Bridge League

American Bridge Association

Don't ask me, I have an upper partial.

For those who know, is it a lot more difficult than euchre or 500? I like both those games, especially 500 when you play with a good partner. Cribbage is also an excellent card game but is probably even less played these days.

Echure is more easy going, fast and loose compared to bridge.

Once you know what you're doing bridge can be "fun", but most forms still require a bit of skill, math and studious behaviour.

One thing that simply isn't done in bridge is trumping your partner's ace. If said partner in cards is also one's spouse or whatever all hell will break lose later on. Marriages have ended, weddings called off.....

[quote]Tell Me About Bridge

Almost ALMOST as dangerous as asking the Datalounge to tell you about opera.

You have to take lessons and you have to stick with it. Just learning how to bid takes considerable time. It’s worth it, though!

I associate it with boring old people, waiting to die in assisted living.

On both sides of pond you have good number of young persons who play bridge.

From Boston...

Many top players indeed caught the bug at an early age.

It all sounds perfectly dreadful.

This girl looks potentially helpful:

George Burns played bridge pretty much every day of his adult life, right up until he died at age 100.