Wednesday 16 January 2019

Do You Play Bridge?


My Rare One and I love to play cards -- Cribbage and Hand-and-Foot Canasta are our personal favourites, although we have been known to play other games on occasion as well, like Euchre and Rummoli. When I was a kid at home, we played Whist almost exclusively -- it was my Mom's favourite. She was also a menace at Gin Rummy, although I could defeat her occasionally at Crazy Eights.

My Rare One and I have just taken on a new challenge -- we have signed up for beginners' Bridge lessons at the Edmonton Bridge Centre! I am feeling a bit of trepidation about it, given Bridge's reputation for difficulty, but I'll give it my best shot.

Why Bridge, you ask? We are good friends with another lesbian couple -- let's just call them the Valhalla Valkyries -- who are avid Bridge players. They have encouraged us to take up the game. I'm not sure what it's going to be like playing Bridge whilst screaming through the skies of battle on horseback but how bad could it be?


46 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

Valhalla Valkyries - LOVE THAT! not a card player myself. have fun learning something new!

^.^ said...

I don't play games, table games or any other games, friend D … as I am a very sore looser, always have been and always will be … but I like sudoku … smiles … says this Alberta cat and her cat Theo.

mxtodis123 said...

I used to love playing cards. I've got no one to play with anymore.

Rommy said...

That name sounds like they take their bridge playing seriously! Are you and your Rare One going to come up with an awe-inspiring moniker as well?

I don't know too much about cards in general. I just learned to play Texas Hold 'Em at a company party last week. Well, learned may be too strong of a word. I drank an alcoholic beverage named after Jon-Luc Picard while someone told me what to do with my cards.

Linda d said...

Never played. I’m looking forward to see how it goes for you. Sounds like fun.

Marie Smith said...

Lol. My MIL lives for bridge! Good luck with it.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

my mom had a bridge club when i was a little girl. i have always hated cards...sort of like math!

Fundy Blue said...

I'm betting that you and your Rare One will have fun playing Bridge. I played it years ago, and I'm considering taking it up again. My parents were avid Bridge players and derived a lot of pleasure from it. I've played most of the games you mentioned. Playing any card game is lots of fun. Right now I'm brushing up on Blackjack and Texas Hold 'Em, because we're meeting my brother and s-i-l in Vegas soon. Enjoy your Bridge lessons ~ just relax and have fun. It's only a game ~ LOL

holli said...

Wow! Good luck to you guys. I know nothing about Bridge or any card games except Go FIsh and Old Maid. :)
That name of the other couple though sounds awesome and fierce. I bet they will bring yall up to speed in no time.

Harry Hamid said...

Hey, that sounds... epic, actually, somehow.

My family all used to play cards all of the time, until I started stealing cards out of all their decks to use as bookmarks.

None of them are Valkyries, though, so I got away with it.

Leanna said...

My favorites are Spades and Canasta. I kill at Spades. I love going nil and scaring my partners. It wakes them up and takes them out of their comfort zone. Let us know how to play bridge too. It could be a weekly series for your blog. The Valhalla Valkyries, that kills me.

Miss Val's Creations said...

I am sure you will have fun playing bridge with friends. The lessons will help! Enjoy!

Rain said...

Neat! I think you'll have fun playing Bridge. Alex and I don't socialize so we wouldn't play, and we aren't much into cards, but we do love board games. I remember Crazy Eights when I was a kid, it got pretty heated at times lol!

Kirk said...

War and Go Fish are the only two card games I know. Oh, and Uno, if that counts.

Mistress Maddie said...

I have never been a card player. Except for strip poker...which isn't really cards, and I dont need a game to get naked.

DEZMOND said...

Loved both bridge and canasta especially as a kid! Haven't played any cards in decades... too much work to do :( Canasta is super fun as it can be played for hours and hours.

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

My grandfather taught me how to play rummy and I have never looked back. Although crib takes a close second! Looking forward to hearing how your bridge experiences go!

This N That said...

I haven't played cards for a very long time. My sister plays bridge with some serious bridge players. Nasty women..... not my thing..Avid bridge players are dangerous..good luck..

Parnassus said...

Hello Debra, Sounds like most of your readers are not card players, and I am afraid that I'm not either. However, I know many people who make a regular social event out of bridge or other games, so when you learn you'll have something on the rest of us. Besides, bridge games are officially sanctioned by British novelists--I recall reading about the games in authors like Mrs. Gaskell and E.F. Benson.
--Jim

Magaly Guerrero said...

Anything that might involve armor and riding a winged horse (there will be winged horses, right?) has to be damned good.

Jenn said...

I like card games but have never played bridge. Crib and Scrabble were favourite games to play with my mom. My son and I play Uno lol!

Barbara said...

We were a game/card playing family. Dominoes was always my favorite along with Chinese checkers. My mother tried to talk me into learning Bridge. I always resisted because it seemed too hard. She was usually right so I'll be curious to hear how you like it.

e said...

I don't play Bridge, but I do play a card game called Oh Hell. I actually play several others, as well, but Oh Hell is a game that needs at least 3 people so I play it socially. I have a group of friends who regularly get together for cards. We also play dice games and occasionally a board game. Many Thursday evenings are spent this way!

Have fun with the VV's!

Adam said...

I don't even know the rules.

The Happy Whisk said...

Oh my gosh, this sounds like so much fun for you girls. Very, very cool.

jadedj said...

A word of warning. Don't take it, or what your partner does...or DOESN'T do too seriously. I've seen loving couples turn into raging maniacs toward one another over this game. Otherwise...

Lady M said...

Bridge is a fun game. His Lordship and I both play although not for years. Just remember to keep your wits about you - bridge skills deteriorate quickly with wine.

Ol'Buzzard said...

My wife and I use to play Canasta. We should get back into it. For now we play Scrabble two or three times a week with our lunch.
the Ol'Buzzard

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

From the looks of things, you got this!
Enjoy.
PS I don't have the patience or wit for bridge.

Guillaume said...

I think I tried once, when I was a kid. Without success: I could not remember the rules and thus make any kind of strategy, game plan or even knew what the heck was happening.

Joanne Noragon said...

I don't play bridge, but my pinochle partner does, and it's important to her, so it's important.

Martha said...

HAHA! Indeed. How bad can it be? Enjoy!

bj said...

My mama was a bridge-playing champ. She loved it and played about 3 times a week. I never learned....

Bea said...

I tried joining a beginning Bridge group last year and was struck by how difficult the game was for me to learn. To quote the great Thomas Dolby: My brain is like a sieve.

yellowdoggranny said...

no one in west plays cards..or if they do they hide it well..but we play the hell out of dominos and chickenfoot..

brewella deville said...

I like gin rummy and hearts as far as cards go, otherwise it's chess or boggle for me. The only problem I have is that my husband and son don't like getting their butts kicked. What I should do is go down to the senior center with a deck of cards, and stand there shuffling them with one hand, waiting until some old fart condescends to teach me how to play bridge. It's not the game I'm interested in, it's the martinis, cocktail nuts, and finger sandwiches I want.

Anonymous said...

Not sure what I like more: Valhalla Valkries or you playing bridge.

I played rummy 500 when I was in high-school. Almost every single day. Now we play Uno or other board games. Have fun with your lessons!

Elsie

Sandy B said...

My Ex and I were learning to play Bridge years ago and I loved it! Quite challenging but such fun. Good luck!

Moving with Mitchell said...

Nope. Not a bridge player. Tried it. Didn't like it.

Old Lurker said...

Be careful. I have heard that lesbian recruitment techniques are growing ever more sophisticated. This may be a plot luring you towards depravity and bridge mix.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Old Lurker -- Sounds good to me! Although, to be truthful, I've never been fussy about bridge mix.

Liz Hinds said...

Bad. As long as you and the Rare One have a very strong relationship you'll be fine. It's like when Husband and I learned to dance. Closest we came to divorce.

G.B. Miller said...

Let's put it this way: there was a reason why it was used as a side plot in most sitcoms of the 50's, and we'll leave it at that.

AntiquityTravelers said...

I always wanted to learn (along with Mahjong) .... lessons seem like a good idea!

Magic Love Crow said...

Deb, this sounds great! I love playing cards, but unfortunately, I have no one to play them with. Have fun!!

Magic Love Crow said...

You got me thinking about Canasta! I was always good at getting red canastas! LOL!