My bridge journey is a bit unusual. In 1988, a group of engineers decided to teach ourselves bridge with Charles Goren’s book as our guide. We played at lunch for a few years until lunch hours became lunch half-hours. Then my only bridge for nearly thirty years was against early computer robots or on my smartphone.
After retiring in 2021 I began playing bridge at the Senior Center and library in Hershey PA. I had an unrelated but very negative volunteer experience that freed up my time. On a whim I drove to the Harrisburg Bridge Club on March 20th of this year. Pam and Jack were incredibly welcoming and described the guarantied partner policy. As fate would have it my first experience was in an open session. I had never played duplicate before or used a bid box. My partner, Sam, could not have been nicer. I was so nervous. My goals for the day were not to revoke or have the Director called on me. On one of the first boards I missed a transfer to hearts and left Sam in a doomed 2 Diamond contract with a combined six trump. Sam just smiled and said “Thank you partner.” The director was never called that day nor did we finish in last place.
After the session Pam and Andre spent time with me to answer my questions and provide invaluable guidance. The kindness and understanding shown to me that day made joining the club an easy decision. I have been a regular at the club for the last month and a half. Depending on traffic the one-way commute is 35-45 minutes, but the club is such a fun place to be. There are dedicated volunteers that keep the club running smoothly. There is an emphasis on civility, and I have had the opportunity to play with many partners. Masterpoints are nice, but establishing bridge friendships is the real reward.
My much older neighbor told me I should learn to play bridge when I retire. So at age 60 I took my first bridge class. I liked it right away even though I had not been a card player and had to learn how to shuffle.
At 94, I am pleased that I finally made Bronze Life Master. My late wife and I took bridge lessons many years ago when the children were quite young. It was one of the best things we ever did. Not only did we keep our minds active, but got to meet a lot of nice people (also occasionally some not so nice).
My dad taught me the basics of bridge when I was about 16. I taught my friend, Billy Ullman and together we taught two others. From there the game grew to four tables at school lunch and from there Billy and I started playing duplicate at the Roger Smith hotel in White Plains. There were some very good players there (Ron Gerard, Dorothy Hayden, Allen Truscott to name just a few) but we were too inexperienced to be petrified. Eventually we began traveling to regionals (I can remember a section top in Asbury Park) but we just loved the game. After graduating from high school, I began attending Adelphi University in Garden City, New York where I fell under the thrall of a 25 year old sophomore, with a car. We were within an hour of a dozen clubs on Long Island and I found myself playing more bridge than studying and soon began missing classes and exams. After one semester, I flunked out of college because of my bridge playing. This became even more serious when I was drafted into the army (this was 1966 and Vietnam was my probable destination). However, I lucked out and wound up in an army band in Japan. After the army, I went to Syracuse university where I managed to keep my bridge playing under check enough to graduate in 1973.
This year I started working towards my next rank, always with my forever partner in my heart (my mother, Lila Gleitman), and new partners who she would have adored. For me, lessons with the great Joann Glasson, John Dickenson, and Lisa Mita were key to my success. Further, going over boards after club games with my partners (Bob, Carl, Emily, and Toysie) has been another incredible tool. As Bob says, “Play steady and avoid bottoms,” has made a big difference.