Local club invites the community to learn about the game of bridge

IDAHO FALLS — A local club hopes to grow its membership and interest in a game by inviting the community to an open house this weekend.

The Idaho Falls Bridge Club is hosting an open house on Saturday, Jan. 20, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 1421 Benton Street. The club wants to introduce the game of bridge. If people are interested, club members want to offer classes on Saturdays.

“For me personally, I am a competitive person. Bridge is a game that people can remain competitive in their later years as well,” said Kevin Swanson, who is on the board of directors for the Idaho Falls Bridge Club.

Bridge is a card game for four players that are in two partnerships. Bridge is played with a standard 52-card deck with four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

Here are the basic rules of the game according to the American Contract Bridge League online:

• Taking turns, say the number of tricks you think you will take and what you want the “trump” suit to be. This is called bidding, and bidding ends when everyone has passed. The last bid made is the winning bid.
• Each person plays one card, and the highest card wins unless a card from the trump suit is played. Then the highest trump wins. This is called a trick.
• During the trick, you must play the same suit as the first card that is played; if you have none in that suit, you can play a card from the trump suit or any other suit.
• The winner of the trick plays the first card for the next trick.
• If the pair that won the bidding got the number of tricks they said they would, they win the hand. If they don’t, the other pair wins the hand.

Click here to read more detailed rules.

“We have a very, very nice group of people,” Swanson said. “We are all friends, and we joke around. It’s a fun thing to do.”

He estimates there are about 50 people who are members of the Idaho Falls Bridge Club, but some don’t play anymore. Members are primarily in Idaho Falls, but others come from Jackson, Pocatello, Blackfoot and Rigby.

“We need to grow,” Swanson told EastIdahoNews.com. “Every Wednesday, we get people showing up. They arrive at 1 p.m. and leave at 4 p.m. It’s a three-hour time commitment. It’s not for everybody, but the people who like it really like it.”

Swanson said bridge is an excellent game for people of all ages. He learned it when he was a young boy.

“Many of our members are in their 80s and a few over 90. It is great brain health, socializing, competition and fun!” Swanson said.

Some older members say the Idaho Falls Bridge Club has been active since at least the 1950s. Originally, the group played in local restaurants and other third-party locations that would accommodate their games. Now, the club is located at a building on 1421 Benton Street, and Randal Gentillon is the current owner and sponsor of the club, Swanson said.

He invites everyone to come to the open house this Saturday and learn what bridge is all about.

“There’s no other card game that’s like it because people who play bridge can play every day. You don’t get tired of playing bridge,” Swanson said.

He added that if people are interested in bridge lessons, the plan is to hold them starting on Saturday, Jan. 27. They will run for eight weeks from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and cost $75.