Jan Hackett and Anna Castles (centre) with players from Yarrawonga Bridge Club, a game that intrigues the uninitiated and challenges even the most experienced players.
For more than 40 years, the Yarrawonga Bridge Club has been quietly bringing people together, proving that a deck of cards can create lifelong friendships, keep minds active and give people a renewed sense of purpose.
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The club began in 1981 when Yarrawonga Adult Education was looking for new classes. Masterpoint secretary Jan Hackett, who wanted to learn to play bridge herself, organised a teacher from Wangaratta.
Twenty people turned up to the first lesson and Jan said four of those original players are still with the club today.
About 35 members meet every Monday afternoon and Thursday evening, enjoying a game that’s both social and mentally stimulating.
Club president Anna Castles believes it's the people who make the club special.
"We've got a wonderful group; everyone is friendly and supportive,” Anna said.
“They enjoy the challenge, but they also enjoy each other's company.”
Bridge is a trick-taking game played by four people in two partnerships.
It’s often compared to 500, but with an added layer of strategy through its unique bidding system.
Partners work together to communicate the strength of their hands, plan their play and outwit their opponents, making every game a mental challenge.
It develops concentration, planning, memory and problem-solving skills.
Jan said many people take up the game after retirement, losing a partner or moving to a new community.
"When you're playing bridge, you're concentrating so much that everything else disappears for a while."
"It gives people something positive to focus on," she said.
"When you're playing bridge, you're concentrating so much that everything else disappears for a while."
“Bridge truly is a game for everyone, there are nine-year-olds and 99-year-olds playing bridge," Anna said.
"We've welcomed people with vision impairment, members using wheelchairs and others on oxygen; it's an incredibly inclusive game."
While the Yarrawonga club is primarily social, members can compete in regional, state, national and international events through the Australian Bridge Federation.
Bridge Club notes from the Yarrawonga Chronicle in 1993. Jan Hackett initiated the local club as a young mum in 1981.
Jan and her husband Tom have represented the club at competitions across Australia and overseas, combining bridge with travel.
For almost 30 years, the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club has generously supported the Bridge Club by providing a venue for members and hosting its annual Congress, which attracts teams and players from across the region.
For many members, however, the greatest reward is the friendships formed around the card table.
The club provides companionship, particularly for retirees and newcomers to the district, and continues to hold Thursday evening sessions to encourage younger, working people to become involved.
Beginners are always welcome, and lessons are offered when sufficient interest is received, and prospective members are encouraged to come along and watch before deciding if bridge is for them.
"It takes a little commitment, but you'll never know unless you give it a try," Jan said.
If you would like to learn to play bridge, contact Jan on 5744 1017.
Fun facts
• If you played a different hand every second of every day, it would take more than 20,000 centuries to play all the possible hands in bridge.
• Because luck is minimized through a scoring format called ‘duplicate’, the game has attracted brilliant minds like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
• The earliest documented version was played in 1886 under the Russian name Biritch.
• A popular theory claims British soldiers invented the name ‘bridge’ after playing it in cafés near the Galata Bridge in Istanbul during the Crimean War.
• A 2000 UC Berkeley study discovered that playing bridge routinely can stimulate the immune system, forcing the brain to use memory, visualization, and sequencing.
• Once the bidding phase is over and the cards are dealt, players are not allowed to verbally communicate with their partners. Strategy relies entirely on the cards played to convey information.
