Across the world, players are clustered around small tables, holding handfuls of fanned-out cards, bidding for tricks. They’re playing bridge, one of the most popular card games.
In Atlanta, it holds special appeal for seniors, who embrace the game not only for its mental challenge but also as a meaningful way to stay socially connected.
The mental requirement
Sometimes, the game is even a conduit for travel.
Such is the case for Ted Cooley, a resident at Park Springs, a senior living community in Stone Mountain. He and his late wife, Betty, saw the world from the decks of cruise ships between bridge games. They taught and played duplicate bridge, a more competitive form of the game in which players dealt the same hands vie against each other for better scores.
Credit: Ted Cooley
Credit: Ted Cooley
The Cooleys, college sweethearts, saw places like Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Africa and Alaska together from the ocean. Ships that partner with bridge instructors, Ted told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, are typically on the smaller side with 500 to 800 passengers.
The couple taught in the mornings and ran games in the afternoons. Ted recognizes the level of acuity the game fosters.
“Bridge is a pure partnership game, and it’s all about being able to communicate with your partner,” he said. “There is an unbelievable amount of memory work, depending on how far you take the game.”
The social component
Sam Marks, founder of the Bridge Club of Atlanta, knows the bridge community well. The club offers lessons for all skill levels six days a week, along with ongoing games tailored to beginners and seasoned players alike.
Credit: Sam Marks
Credit: Sam Marks
All competitions, Marks pointed out, consist of pairs of players or teams, so there’s an automatic social component — which does not exist in chess. But, he said, bridge brings similar mental challenges that chess does because it’s a mathematical game.
“You don’t have to be a math whiz, but math whizzes or computer prodigies or people like that tend to do better over the long run at bridge because understanding logic and understanding probability at the higher levels can be very meaningful to your results,” he said.
Although participants run the age gamut and even include college students, he said, seniors make up a significant portion of club players because they have time to devote to the games, which typically run just over three hours. This group is well positioned to enjoy the social aspects, too.
The club, Marks said, shut down during COVID-19. And although about half its players continued online, he could sense the difference for them because they weren’t seeing each other face to face.
“To many of our players coming to the club, particularly seniors, this is their highlight of the day or the highlight of the week,” he explained. “They get dressed up, they maybe go have lunch or they bring their lunch and have it at their table before the game. To them, that social aspect — that community — is so important.”
Fostering growth
Today, Ted Cooley carries on the beloved pastime that once connected him deeply with his late wife, Betty — a shared passion that took them around the world. Now, just as they once did together, he welcomes new players and mentors those looking to sharpen their skills.
While the game has evolved — especially with the rise of online platforms — many of its core elements remain unchanged. Bridge still demands focus, strategy and steady growth — making it as mentally rewarding today as it has always been.
“What makes bridge so unique is you can keep it very simple or you can grow with the game,” he said. “And you grow with the game — you don’t learn it overnight.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
