Katie Christie says she never stops learning about bridge, the classic card game that pits two teams of two against each other to score points by taking tricks and fulfilling contracts.
“Probably nobody really ever masters bridge such that they could say they haven’t made a mistake or error in judgement somewhere, even at the top levels,” she said. “It’s a game that you can learn forever.”
And indeed, Christie has been learning the game for decades. The North Okanagan Duplicate Bridge Club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, having joined the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) in March 1964, and Christie has been with the club for approximately 50 of those years.
Christie and other members of the storied club met for a game on Wednesday, March 27, to mark the milestone at the Halina Centre, where club members play three afternoons a week.
In the club’s early days, games were played in the Flamingo Room at the National Hotel on 30th Avenue. The annual membership fee was just $1 and another dollar to play. Today, the membership fee is $10 and $5 to play — a bargain deal for three hours of challenging and stimulating card play.
Club president Al Sheasby highlighted the cognitive benefits that a mentally stimulating and challenging game such as bridge can have as people get older.
“I think as you age you’ve got to maintain two things, the physical aspect of your body and the mental aspect, and bridge qualifies for the mental aspect,” he said. “It’s like a big puzzle, and you’re constantly trying to solve different things that come at you during the game with your partner, so I firmly believe it really does help your cognition.”
“It sharpens your focus,” added Maureen Sheasby, beginner bridge lesson instructor for the club. “It encourages you to work on your memory skills because you have to remember what’s been bid and what’s been played.”
Michael Vallis is a newcomer to the club, having joined last year.
“I kind of underestimated how complex the game is, so it really drew me in,” Vallis said. “It’s an ongoing learning experience; when you think you have the game figured out, it’s like an onion, there’s another layer to explore.”
All the players at the table on Wednesday agreed that the social aspect of bridge is what keeps them coming back. Maureen recalled competing in a bridge tournament in Penticton and the socializing that took place in the hotel room after the games.
“We all went back to our hotel rooms and had a glass of wine and some snacks, and we talked about the hands we played,” she said.
Christie added that she’s learned more about bridge by talking to fellow players at the pub after a game than during the games themselves.
“You learn from people that were better than you or had done something different,” she said.
Christie counts herself lucky that she was able to play the card game she loves with her mother before she passed away.
The club currently has 164 members, and it’s always welcoming new members with lessons for beginners offered in the spring and fall.
For more information about the club, visit bridgewebs.com/nodb
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