At what age did you begin to learn bridge?

[bridgeboy]

Started off at 17 in College.. only started playing "seriously" 2 years later though :)

[helene_t]

I was 8, couldn't find that option in the poll. I voted 10-15.

[kenrexford]

I was asked to fill in with Grant Baze's wife (cannot remember her name) and we won a bottle of wine (section top award).

My guess is that it was Shelly (Notaru?), I dont remember how she spelled her maiden name. They were married when he lived in Atlanta in the early to mid 80's.

It was 1987, so sounds right.

[Al_U_Card]

My mom taught me when I was 5, while I was turning cards for dummy (during their brb's) in her kaffe-klatch bridge club in our house. My brothers and I would play with her on occasion and I remember being on vacation at age 6 and picking up a 27 point hand. I ran to the other cottage to ask her what to do. She said to open 3NT which I did and played there making 7.

 

I played with friends and at school for years and only hit duplicate 20 years ago. It then took me 2 years to learn the game (1 year to unlearn the bad habits and 1 year to understand the fundamentals) It has been a work in progress since then. :)

[blackshoe]

You could have said something like, "If you ever criticize me publicly, or say anything to me in an insulting, disrespectful or abusive fashion, I will leave in the middle of the game, and never play with you again." In addition, there will be NO lessons during the game. Only afterwards and then only for 10 minutes, so you better carefully choose which of my mistakes to correct."

Leaving a duplicate game in the middle for that reason will likely get you in trouble with the Sponsoring Organization. It might get you banned. Other than that, I agree.

 

Some years ago a local expert approached me. He wanted me to teach him how to use his computer (he was completely computer illiterate). In return, he offered to play with me and help me improve my bridge. I figured it was a good deal, so away we went. First couple of sessions he was okay. Then he started dumping on me. For example, I made a defensive error, and he said "I guess you didn't want me to take my king" - when I had no idea he had the damn thing. (This was one of his milder comments). Anyway, after a couple of these, I simply said, very quietly, "you do that again, and the deal's off." Never had a problem since, and I still play with him occassionally, when he isn't off seeing the world - he's in Africa at the moment. :D

 

I learned a lot from him - one of the first lessons being that if I didn't have a headache after a session, I wasn't working hard enough. :)

 

As for first learning, I probably picked up the rudiments from my parents when I was a kid, but I didn't really get into it until college. Then, after grad school, I didn't play for some 20 years. Got back into it in my last Navy tour of duty, in England. That was about 17 years ago.

[jchiu]

I learned duplicate bridge from a friend at 15. I was finishing high school and needed a hobby to replace competitive debate, one that would have me staying at home and getting my competitive thrill without being distracted from academics by the rigours of travelling. I started playing at the MIT Draper Labs Bridge Club, a club with the image of the Tuesday Zoo. Soon thereafter, players asked me to go to tournaments and I have been addicted ever since. I have played a regionally rated or higher tournament in 17 states and one foreign country.

[kenberg]

I grew up in Minnesota with its long winters, where everyone played cards. Even the Methodists :( . Canasta. Casino. 500. Hearts. I Doubt It. Poker. But somehow, as I was growing up, not bridge. I started in 1962 as a graduate student, needing a suitably cheap entertainment for a graduate student with a wife, a child, and no money. But I didn't really get much into it until my mid thirties or a bit later.

 

It can be a time consuming game and we have to make choices. When my older daughter was in college she phoned to tell me that someone had offered to teach her bridge. I suggested she wait until she graduated. She took my advice and doubled it. Maybe when her kids are grown she will give it a try.

[mikegill]

Played spades, O Hell, pinochle, etc. since I was about 8 since my whole family plays them. Got interested in bridge in college, a few friends of a friend were playing casually (and badly). Went and read all of my dad's bridge books (including just about everything by Victor Mollo) before I ever played a live card of bridge. My dad played seriously in his youth but gave it up when he had kids. I couldn't really find anyone to play with at college, which was healthy for my grades, I suppose. Eventually I started playing duplicate with my dad in very late 2002. Didn't really get into it until 2004.

[Quantumcat]

I learned june last year, at the ripe old age of 19!

 

I played 500 in high school (friends taught me) and on Market Day (where all the clubs and societies of the university try to gain members) on my first day at university, the keeper of the Bridge stall looked so depressed since the two stalls on either side had about 20 people crowding around each of them and his was empty so I went and talked to him. And I ended up playing bridge, but didn't go to any meetings of ANUBC until 2nd term.

[Fluffy]

Wow, I am surprised at how many started playing at an early age.

I was in my 30’s when I first learned the game, far too late!

I am surprised as well, forum posrters do not mach the real stadistics.

 

I know I played my first pool at 13, but before mom kidnaped me to play an evening, I had wasted hours playing against computer without knowing much of the game (maybe started before)

[zasanya]

I was a very keen chess player when I was a teenager (30-40 years ago).I used to borrow chess books from the local library. One day picked up a book by Gerald Abrahams a chessmaster without looking at the contents.Turned out to be a bridge book (Brains in Bridge if I remember right).Was surprised that books are written about'mere card games' but got interested enough to learn the rules.

Still learning.

[sceptic]

I started at 40 and I doubt I will ever stop playing

[OliverC]

Hi All,

 

Sorry - you need to adjust your Poll. I was 5 when my Father and 2 elder siblings got fed up playing 3-handed kitchen bridge and my father taught me not thinking I would get into it, necessarily, but just so I could make up a four. Needless to say, I became an instant fanatic, far more than any of them.

 

Oliver

[tbr]

I started playing with family at 11 but didn't play for masterpoints until 25. Dropped out of the League for about 20 years in the 80s and rejoined at 47.

[peaceman]

I was into games of all kinds in public school, tho had few friends (family lived on isolated island until 13). Was the 70's, before internet, too...sigh.

 

On holidays played hearts & 9-5-2 with my older cousins. Got "Scarne On Cards" for christmas, read the bridge section & decided this was the coolest game.

 

Went down to the local (small town Ontario) duplicate club & announced I could play because I "knew the rules". Was 14, but looked 11.

 

After a couple of weeks letting me kibbitz, regulars began to take pity & invite me to play. Came 2nd-4th for months, but got my name on a trophy within the year & was writing the local bridge column about 3 years later.

 

Was swingy & inconsistent player (still am 30 yrs down the road -- have won section tops at tournaments with as many as 13 zeroes.)

 

After playing about 4 years, was invited to "fill in" for a regular afternoon home game, & was completely disbelieved when i mentioned it was my first time playing rubber!

[h2osmom]

When I was 14 my mother had a motorcycle accident, and was in a wheelchair for a year. She said, "I can't do anything else productive; may as well teach the kids to play bridge." My brothers were 10 and 12. I played kitchen bridge for a number of years. No one else in my family was at all interested in competitive bridge, or even in playing kitchen bridge well. I played bad bridge with friends for a number of years. Along the line, my husband got a home computer. I had no interest in it, and refused to use it even for writing papers in college when I went back for a second degree. Then one day we were at a friend's house, and he showed me the bridge games on MSN. That day, I needed my own computer with a second online service, as we didn't know about wireless systems as yet.

[keylime]

I had recently left the Air Force and did a light maintenance job at Sun City Center just south of Tampa, FL (large retirement community). We had to set up their bridge game every Saturday that drew a large contingent of players. We also had to set up their sectional in the main hall every year that had a lot of tables.

 

Went to the local library in Ruskin, FL (rural part of Hillsborough County) and checked out a 10 chapter book that taught the basics of bridge.

 

First time I ever played was at a 0-300 game in Tampa; won it. Thought that bridge was an easy game - only to learn that bridge was its own language and art.

 

Been in it through sickness and despair, joy and blessing, ever since. I firmly believe that bridge has helped to mitigate the effects of my illness, and has directly contributed to the betterment of my overall being. It has been there through my private hell of 2002 and 2005, and been there in my times of joy in 2000, 2006, and 2007 (thank you Larry).

 

My most emotional memory relating to bridge? Sitting there in 2002 in darkness, staring at the walls with scripture toothpasted to the walls at some unknown hour of the day and working through a play problem I got in the mail to keep my sanity together.

[goobers]

Wow, this poll is really skewed toward the younger side... probably because you'd have to be on the younger side to be participating this actively in these forums :)

[han]

I think I was younger than 10, but I will check that with my parents. I didn't play duplicate bridge until I was 23 though.

[mike777]

16. Starting as a Frosh at the local school, it was a small college town, I wandered down to the Union and found bridge. Thought Ehaa was standard. Of the 4 local players who taught me, 2 went on to win WC, one has a family and works so only plays locally against JLall etc, now :) and the other disappeared but now seems to have refound bridge( newly divorced maybe? :)) and winning and making the Barry Crane race I see in the northeast.

 

I only play online but found debating/discussing in the forums is really improving my bridge with all the feedback from the great players here. Still harp and harp on myself about counting and visualizing the hands as the number one priority to improve my game.

 

Enjoy reading tons of bridge books and magazines from around the world for decades while playing almost no bridge.

 

I really enjoy playing the midnight and a few times the 10:15 ACBL game against some very good players such as Mark Lair. Enjoy playing very late pickup teamgames, the players are almost always better than me but patient for the most part. :)

[cade909]

I started when I was 15. I am now 17.

 

One day I decided to learn and I went online played on pogo without knowing a thing and was quickly dismissed by even bad players.

 

About a month later I decided to study read and I played constantly online. Once I felt somewhat comfortable I went to the local duplicate club and said I could play. I kibbitzed the first time and a nice woman gave me Watson's the play of the hand. Since that point I have been obsessed. Now I play duplicate regularly.

[mrdct]

I started when I was 18 right after I finished high school during the summer break before starting university. My parents had recently divorced which had left my mother quite depressed so my brother and I learnt bridge initially as something to do with our mother, but we both fell in love with the game and went on to enjoy quite a bit of success.

[Rossoneri]

Towards the end of secondary school, my friends were looking at the prospect of joining the bridge club in junior college, so we all started learning how to play proper bridge. (Instead of floating bridge!) I first tried yahoo, then MSN and finally a senior of mine who was from the bridge club introduced me to BBO. Most of us eventually got in and continued playing and playing...

 

So yeah I started when I was 15+. It's been nearly 4 years now! (Though much of my improvement probably only came in the past year or so...)

[ejfree]

I learned when I was 34 (about 4 years ago) I was generally bored with computer games and other activities, so I decided to to take up bridge. After 1 year, I moved away from it, not sure why actually, just lost interest. I never found anything close to a permenant partner, let along a temporary one.

 

Just started playing again after a 3 year hiatus, and I am loving it again. Trying to fine my bridge books I pack a while back and oil away the rust.

 

Next step is to find a real pd here in LA.

[greece]

I've started at 24 years old. Till now I've had 2 breaks (one of 4 and one of 5 years)

 

Now more than ever, I hope I will learn it :( I am in again since March this year

 

p.s. I am 37 now