For the love of the game, local Bridge group seeks players

According to Nancy Ballard of Cherokee Village, she and her group of Bridge players are looking for new members and are willing to teach anyone who is interested how to play.

“It’s a card game played with one deck of cards, a minimum of four people , a piece of paper and a pencil to keep score,” Ballard said. “It’s a wonderful game for people as they age, it keeps their mind very active. It’s challenging and a mind bender. It is challenging, it keeps your mind active..”

The game, which originated in England was extremely popular among families especially during WWII and the great depression.

“It was a very popular card game and I grew up playing cards, board games and that’s what you did. We didn’t have all the stuff that is available now. Our parents, the Greatest Generation didn’t have anything they maybe had a radio if they were lucky,” Ballard said. “So they all played cards and a lot of families played Bridge, but those people are all dying off and not being replaced.”

Ballard said the group meets each Tuesday at 12 noon at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village to play and over the last 12 years, has gone from 70 players, to approximately 20.

“We’re in the middle of a teaching session right now. This is our second round of teaching and we have a couple of students but we’d like to have more. There is no cost to join us or to play, and we will teach you,” Ballard said. “You can go online and learn the basics, but we will teach you how to bid, play out your hands. We have players with decades of experience who can really help.”

Ballard said the learning process can be time consuming, but it is worth the time and effort.

“There is a lot to learn but if you just stick with it, you’ll get the bug and you’ll love it,” Ballard said. “A session usually runs about three hours. There is no age limit, but because it is time consuming, it may be something retirees would be more interested in.”