To encourage bridge in the region

Bridge is a great game for children as young as eight to people who have passed their centenary.  Research has shown that Bridge is excellent for developing concentration and problem solving skills, especially in children.  It’s also a very social game, so a good way to make new friends.  You don’t have to be a card shark to start playing either.  Beginners can pick up the basics quickly, but there’s huge scope to develop over a life time for a truly rewarding hobby.

WHAT IS BRIDGE?

Bridge is a card game for four players, two against two.  They use one pack of cards at a time and the pack contains fifty-two cards.  Each player is dealt 13 cards, face down.

It is a trick taking game – namely four cards in each of 13 tricks – and thus has similarities with Whist, Oh Hell!, and Five Hundred.  The last of these (“500”) is the closest game to bridge, and expert exponents of 500 will find that they have a lot more opportunity to exercise their skills when playing bridge.

The game of bridge is often referred to as Contract Bridge to distinguish it from its predecessor Auction Bridge.  This was necessary in the early days of Contract (the 1930s) but today it would be difficult to find anyone who knows the rules of Auction let alone wants to play it.