Annual bridge tournament approaches

Lynn Atkins/The Weekly Vista The Bella Vista Duplicate Bridge Club uses bid boxes (on left) so players can't use inflection to give their partners extra information about a bid. On the right is a computer for keeping score. It feeds the information into a nearby laptop so the room's high scorers are identified quickly and easily.
Lynn Atkins/The Weekly Vista The Bella Vista Duplicate Bridge Club uses bid boxes (on left) so players can't use inflection to give their partners extra information about a bid. On the right is a computer for keeping score. It feeds the information into a nearby laptop so the room's high scorers are identified quickly and easily.

Twice a week, one of the most active clubs in Bella Vista meets quietly at Riordan Hall. While it's a large group with enthusiastic members, their meetings are always very quiet because they meet to play duplicate bridge. Many of the club members have been playing for years.

They play with a language of only 15 words, Ray Lynch said. You need to know seven numbers, four suits and words like double and pass. With just a few words, you can describe in great detail what's in a hand. That might be why they now use a bid box. Rather than saying what your bid is, players now find the card that represents the bid they want and display it. That way they can't give their partners any hints with the inflection of their voice.

It's also helpful if you're playing with a person who is hard of hearing, tournament chairman Robert Gromatka said. He remembers when an opponent doubled the wrong bid because he couldn't hear.

Duplicate bridge is competitive and, since everyone plays the same hand, there's no random chance involved. When the game is over and scores are added up, the winner isn't the team that happened to get the most high cards, the winner is the team that used their cards in the best possible way.

Maxine McClain played social bridge for years, but when she moved to Bella Vista, she decided she wanted something a little more challenging, so she joined the club and never looked back.

Some married couples, like Bob and Sally Dunger, play as partners.

"They know each others systems and there are a zillion systems," Billie Herriott explained.

It's also nice to never have to look for a partner, Sally Dunger added. They've played together all over the United States and in several different countries. You don't have to be fluent in a foreign language for a bridge game, as long as you know the language of bridge.

"You meet people everywhere through bridge," Lynch said.

Some people chose where to live based on a good duplicate bridge club, Herriott said.

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates play duplicate bridge, Herriot said, and a recent cover on a bridge magazine featured Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer.

"It does a lot to sharpen your mind," Gromatka said. Bridge will help keep dementia and Alzheimer's at bay.

The idea of bridge can be intimidating, Herriott said. She's been to tournaments when a director was called to the table frequently.

Barb Fielding remembers her first sectional tournament. She credits a good coach for helping her come in second.

Doing that well was probably a fluke, she said, adding, "I was hooked."

All the players agreed that beginners are welcome into the club, even if they slow down play occasionally. It's important to recruit new members all the time.

In 2012, the Bella Vista Club put on a tournament, and it has now become an annual event.

The Bella Vista NLM Regional and Sectional Tournament will be held in Riordan Hall beginning on July 31. The tournament will bring bridge players from at least five states. Last year, 283 people attended.

Members of the American Contract Bridge League can earn points towards Life Master. There's also room for less experienced players who can play in the Gold Rush series.

During play, unlimited coffee, water and iced tea are available, along with both healthy and less healthy snacks. Door prizes will also be given away.

For the second time, the tournament will begin with a workshop put on by Karen Walker. This year's topic is "Unlock Your Trick Taking Potential."

To sign up for the tournament, visit www.bellavistabridgetourney.org.

General News on 07/17/2019