The First Winter Transnational Championship - Alpe d'Huez 2024
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Continuing our 'Share Your Stories' series, we delve into three more enthralling bridge tales. In this edition, Helene unfolds her extensive journey with the game, rich in history and strategy. Lesley brings a heartwarming perspective, highlighting the deep connections formed through bridge. Lastly, an anonymous member shares a unique initiation into the world of bridge, a journey that began right at the workplace. Join us as we traverse these diverse experiences, celebrating the enduring passion and vibrant community inherent in the game of bridge.
From Ian
"I'm a 30-something rookie player who's only been playing for a year+. I was enchanted with old pulp stories of "games of wits" over the bridge table, and joined a local club (as the youngest player). Sadly due to my overactive schedule I couldn't come in every day it was open. I was given kind advice by a bridge pro (after a Pro-Am game where I led us to dead-last place) to study every day if I want to get better and BBO has been a saving grace where, combined with instructional sites, I've ridden the educational roller-coaster of high and low MP scores and instant weekly solitaire scores that could fall flat and other times soar!
I'm not confident enough to play online with others yet as in person, but BBO has been a solitaire sanctuary for the likes of me, and I appreciate it greatly for the confidence and challenge it gives me!"
From BBO Community
"I started playing well over 40 years ago, courtesy of a fellow employee who "badgered" me into trying the "real" game of Bridge!!
(I had been "amusing" myself with the daily paper's bridge column for a few years!! Surprise!! Surprise!! That column WAS good enough that I didn't embarrass my self (too badly) at the "real" table!! AND I discovered I both enjoyed (and fell in love with) the game, the competition, and the never-ending challenge of the game!
I'm now well on my way to being a Gold LM and still LOVE the game, the challenge, AND the competition!"
From Helene, BBO: helene_t
"My dad was a famous player and director, and he introduced me to various card games before I started school, as a way of teaching me numbers. During a rainy holiday, when I was 10, he taught me bridge, but we were only three bridge players in the household so for many years I would only play at family reunions. I wanted to go to the bridge club but my parents wouldn't let me as they didn't want me to be exposed to smoke. So my bridge skills didn't evolve very fast. At the family reunions I would always ask my partners if we could play weak notrump because that would give us more notrump openings and I didn't know how to respond to a suit opening. On the other hand, we got a computer at home so I wrote a program to make movements to help my dad who was a TD. So I am one of the few players who started making my own movements before I started playing at clubs myself.
When I was 29, I moved to the Netherlands. I thought that becoming a member of a bridge club would be a good way to make some friends. So I bought some books about Dutch Acol. It was very confusing, as it didn't resemble Acol at all. it was more similar to Goren.
On New Years eve there was a bridge session announced before the dancing at one of the public parties, so I signed up for that. It was my first encounter with bridge in the Netherlands so I was prepared for a culture shock. On the first deal, I became declarer, and the opening lead went to RHO's queen and my king. She led to trick two, and I objected: "I won the first trick!". She replied: "No, this is a feminist club, here the queen wins from the king!"
I have been on BBO since 2001. Through BBO I have met lots of new friends which has helped me being less lonely whenever I move to a new country (which happens often). I am a frequent contributor to Bridge Base Forums, and I made the Forum Precision stock convention card. Other than that, I am a fairly mediocre bridge player. I have read and discussed lots of theory, but my card play skills are not that great."
From Lesley Waltner
"How I discovered Bridge, and how it completely changed my life forever.
I had been the caregiver of my sick husband for several years, and in his last few years he had developed dementia, which made it necessary for me to place him in a Memory Care Facility 20 miles from my home. I would visit him there most days and spend time with him, staying to eat dinner with him and then driving home. Eventually he passed away, and then I was busy with planning his Memorial service.
After I worked through all the repercussions of losing him, I found my life very empty and lonely, and I wondered what I should do to find new purpose and pleasure in my life.
One day I saw a flyer, saying “Learn Bridge in a Day”. This intrigued me; I remembered my parents sometimes having friends over for Bridge, but they had never taught me to play; and I always figured the game was just too complicated for me to learn. Most of my life I was too busy anyway, being married, bringing up my daughter, and working full-time for 35-plus years. But now I had free time, so I signed up and took the day-long class.
At the time of the class I knew absolutely nothing about Bridge, and of course, Bridge cannot be “learned in a day”, but I got the basics and joined a beginning group. Bridge is a very mentally challenging game, and it takes a lifetime to learn all the ins and outs of it, but I love mental challenges like this, so I stuck with it.
The other thing about Bridge is, you need a partner to play, and for a while I had a partner who had played the game many years ago in college. So together we played in this beginning group and started learning the various little techniques that make you a better player.
Slowly, slowly, I developed my Bridge knowledge and skills, and honed my instincts for the game. I learned by my mistakes, and there were so many! Sometimes I became discouraged, but I never dropped out.
Soon I joined a local Bridge Club, and made so many friends! Bridge became my new social life. The days that we played Bridge in the club became my favorite days of the week.
Then Covid struck! No Bridge! Libraries were closed! No social activities at all! For a person like me who lives alone, this was crushing.
Out of necessity, I figured out how to play Bridge on line, in the BBO app. Our Club started having regular games online, and this was great.
After two long years of no face-to-face Bridge, our Club finally opened again, at first with the rule of wearing masks, and then eventually no more masks, hooray! By this time, Bridge Tournaments had started up again, and I was brave enough to go to a few of these Tournaments and play in them.
And so, slowly but surely, I started earning points: black points, red points, silver points and gold points. Sometimes the Tournaments were far away, and I would stay at that hotel and play every day, for 5 or 6 days in a row.
Other Tournaments were within driving distance, so I would drive there every morning, play all day, and come home late at night.
By this time, I realized that I had become addicted to Bridge: yes, I was a Bridge-junkie. I especially loved being at the Tournaments and hearing everyone speaking the language of Bridge as I walked by.
So—now my life revolves around Bridge, and playing Bridge makes me happy. I love the challenge of it and the mental workout it gives me.
And I love the social life of our Bridge Club, as well as making new Bridge friends and possible new online Bridge partners at the Tournaments."
From Aisha, BBO: ASC87
" I was introduced to Bridge through a friend last year. Initially, I was positive it wasn't my forte. I felt thoroughly discouraged. I could tell immediately that this game would not come quickly to me: too many numbers and too much memorization.
My relationship with numbers for the context: When asked for my phone number, I’d often mistakenly give my sister's. I still have to look up my CNIC number when requested, which is saved as a contact on my phone directory. I am password-challenged beyond belief, with a list of them maintained. And I still count on my fingers for the most essential calculations. I am more than challenged.
Back to bridge: to my surprise, I had fun, and it felt stimulating. Plus, I had already taken the plunge and suffered the anxiety of attempting to learn something new. Over time, I felt an immediate affinity for the game itself.
Looking back, I'm glad I didn't let anything discourage me. even some people inferring it was a "guy thing." But I stuck with it, learned the ropes with a mentor and dear friend, and surprisingly, I found some joy in the game. It's not about being a Bridge maestro; it's more about proving self-impeding ideas wrong and enjoying the unexpected."
"I live in England and BBO has enabled me to Play bridge with my dear friend who lives in Virginia. It was a life line during covid keeping us all from going mad being unable to go out and socialise. However since then I have been able to continue not only with my friend but also just to log on when I can take the opportunity to join a table.
This year I have been invited to share thanksgiving, leaving soon to what I know will be a very warm welcome.
May I wish all your members a wonderful celebration"
"I'm on BBO since the beginning when it was hard to get a game going for lack of people and so many other platforms were coming up or available. But BBO resisted the test of time and something new always came up that made you like it even more. I was a constant visitor of the Forums and it was there where my game got better, especially thanks to posters like Jlall and some others. Fast forward to 2020, BBO definitely allowed me to keep myself alive, both psychologically and physically, so thank you so much BBO!"
"My own experience with bridge began online with classes from both Amy Nellisen amynel and Morris Jones bridgemojo, taking classes from both of them, while I played on BBO with my then nonagenarian grandmother for the few years of the pandemic. She played online with me from age 97-100.5 when she passed away, still telling me that, "bridge is good for your mind!" BBO was a wonderful way to connect with her regularly online and to practice playing bridge. We'd start with robots and then sit down at casual tables and it was good fun.
Friends and I who've met through online bridge classes use BBO to play, to practice, to occasionally play in online tournaments and it's been a great way to keep up our friendship. If not for BBO and bridge, I would never have gotten to know some of the ladies I play with. We text each other and email about upcoming times to play, but we live across the country from each other and haven't ever met in person. If we're missing a person, we play with 1 or 2 "Robbie/Roberta Robot fill-in's" and they're usually pretty quiet and it's sometimes hard to read their bidding!! 😉
Also, the community games for us newbies have a good lesson afterwards. All in all, I'm so happy to have BBO as a way to increase my bridge practice and playing. Thanks for this cards for kindness campaign."
"I will be 80 this month and have been playing bridge for 60 years. The best times of playing have been with three men (Gil, Stan, and Steve) I worked with and three men (Rick, Ron, and Dave) who attend church with me. We played for years on Thursday evenings at my home (alternating with each group of men) and we always had snacks and great fellowship around the games of bridge. Then Covid kicked in and we quit gathering in homes but started playing on Bridgebase.com and using ZOOM to see each other. The fellowship is still great and our older hands get to relax from shuffling and dealing the cards. Thank you friends for the great fellowship and thank you Bridgebase for the opportunity to continue playing the greatest game in the world."
"I'm playing BBO since I was a newbie, found my partner in bridge and life (my husband is my partner), teaching juniors, and now BBO is not just a place to play, it is a part of my happy life..."
If you'd like to share your story with the BBO community then please either drop it in the comments below or click the button for more options on how to submit. You can write, record some audio, or even a video if you'd like.
i started to play in 1979 when my brother return from France and teach me and my two brothers. we played all Saturday,s afternoon. Then I said I need to improve this very interesting game. I found a club in Rio de Janeiro. I had several classes and was playing better. With the Covid the club closed its doors. Then I found BBO where I played with old friends and made news. Last week the club opened his doors ab$ we had A Christmas game with several friends. Unfortunately the club is still closed. But bridge is about make friends and have entertainment even remotely. I love to play.
May your passion for bridge always shines through, Eduardo! Here's to more games and friendships, and happy playing!