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Card players get lunch minutes before the games start.

"We also started a campaign to
bring new bridge players into the club
by giving classes for beginners and
providing several games for begin-
ners and novices so they could start
off comfortably playing with others at
their level," he says. "We want to keep
the game alive, and we're also looking
for ways to attract younger players:'
To support their efforts, an eight-
week course for beginners on how to
play bridge began in June.
With the advent of television and
then video and computer games, the
popularity of bridge has declined
in the last 50 years. It doesn't have
the spectator appeal of games like
poker because it's a bit too cerebral.
Moreover, the learning curve is steep
and requires a commitment.
Even so, the new owners and just
about everyone who plays at the
Bridge Connection are encouraged
that the new facility will motivate
others to join them.
"The Bridge Connection is the only
dedicated full-time bridge club in this
area; says co-owner Mike McDonald,
40, of Rochester Hills. "Other clubs
lease space one or two days a week at
community centers, churches, social
halls and private venues to which
you must be invited. Because of our
increased size we will also be hosting
several sectional tournaments this
year:'

Tough Competition
Brenda Jaffe of Farmington Hills
attended the Farmington Hills
Planning Commission meeting to
support the Bridge Connection.
"I took an introductory six-lesson
course in 1963 and learned by playing
with better players:' Jaffe says. "There
were no special classes for beginners
back then:'
Jaffe loves the game because of its
complexity and intellectual challenge.
She often plays six days a week at the
Bridge Connection.
"It's the only club open weekends

and evenings:' she says. "The com-
petition is tough; nationally ranked
players and Michigan's top players
compete regularly with the rest of us.
At the same time, if someone wants
to play in a game and doesn't have a
partner, the directors will help them
find one:'
Ed Bloom of West Bloomfield has
been teaching beginning bridge at the
Birmingham Community House for
more than 15 years, encouraging his
students to take up duplicate bridge,
where each table is dealt identical
hands and scoring is based on relative
performance as opposed to rubber
bridge, where random hands are dealt
each round. Bloom learned how to
play while attending the University
of Michigan, and he earned a place
on the college team in 1948 and
1949. His college teammates, John
Dreifus and Milt Seigel, also continue
to compete regularly at the Bridge
Connection.
"The two young owners deserve
a lot of credit:' says Bloom, who
worked as a bridge director for three
years before concentrating on teach-
ing. "I'd like my students to take
advantage of the weekly games geared
to novice players. Where else can you
play bridge and have lunch for a $9
fee?"
Evelyn Rosen, 61, of Bloomfield
Hills took a class from Bloom 15
years ago and never took up the game
until last year.
"I joined a group that takes bridge
lessons from Grant Petersen, but I'm
the only one who also plays dupli-
cate:' Rosen says. "It's such a chal-
lenging game, impossible to play until
you've studied and memorized some
basics. It's a game that you need to
study to be good at, which is probably
why there's so many books on bridge.
I even convinced my mother to be my
partner for a couple of games at the
Bridge Connection:'

Bridging on page 14

I Equal Rights for Women
' Bringing Jobs Back to Michigan
' Increased Funding for Education
I Maximum Healthcare Benefits
for Patients

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