Why do you play bridge?

Dave Caprera, Denver CO

A fellow bridge player recently asked me, "Why do you play?"

It is easy to give a simple, "I like the game" response, but his question actually caused me to get introspective – to  really think about the answer to his question, and organise my thoughts systematically.

1.   Bridge is a great game. It has so many different elements to it. Among them are problem solving, probability and statistics, logical reasoning, partnership, language, strategy, memory, "vision", dealing with

      adversity, and ultimately the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

2.   Bridge is a social game. It lends itself to much personal interaction. That became most apparent during the COVID lockdown when we were relegated to playing online. I really missed the collegiality and social

      contact. I have been playing long enough that "these people" are my friends and family.

3.   I am a competitive person. My dad was ex-Army, an amateur boxer and a college football player. I was raised with a belief that "winning is good and losing is bad." Bob Hamman has said, "I play to beat people."

      For better or worse, I share that sentiment.

4.   Health. I know what you are thinking. Many bridge players are obese, cigarette-smoking alcoholics. The schedule of events, the venues where bridge is played and the need to relieve stress all contribute to

       bridge players abusing their bodies. On the other hand, my mother died of Alzheimer's, her sister died of Alzheimer's, and so did their mother. I am very afraid that I may meet a similar fate. To the extent there is

       some evidence that playing bridge may delay the onset of dementia, I am motivated to do things that stimulate my brain. So I do my daily Wordle, Octordle, Connections andStrings, watch Jeopardy! regularly and

       play a lot of bridge.

      China, France, Belgium, Italy, most US states and Canadian provinces, and many points in between. And it isn't just the travel. As a tourist you can see the sights but you are treated as an outsider, only there to

      contribute to the local economy. But as a fellow bridge player you are "one of them" where you can share a beer and a common interest.

       have derived much  enjoyment from working with young people who keep you on your toes. I  cannot recommend enough getting involved in working with juniors. If we don't, the game will die when we do.

7.    Filling a void as I have gotten older. I used to be a serious distance runner and an expert skier. Getting old sucks, and I can't do those things anymore. But I can still play bridge, even though my microprocessor

       isn't as fast as it used to be.

8.    Masterpoints. (Yes, that was intended as a joke.)

9.    I like to write. I used to have a monthly column in the ACBL Western Conference newsletter. The column was entitled, Sleeping on the Couch, the Adventures of Dave Playing Bridge with his Wife, Anne. I ultimately

       bundled them up and Master Point Press published them. The gist of the columns  was that I played, screwed up and ended up sleeping on the couch. It was self-deprecating humour, but my ego could handle it. I

       have subsequently published a second book, and I am working on a third. I am also an almost daily contributor to the Bridge Winners bridge site, where I am not afraid to bare my soul.

10.  Thinking outside the box. Bridge has been a vehicle that allows me to be creative. My ideas have found their way into _{The Bridge World} and a half dozen other bridge publications. Mind you, not all my ideas have

       been winners, but it is another element of mental stimulation that has brought me satisfaction. So, why do you play?