[h2osmom]

When I was 14 my mother had a motorcycle accident, and was in a wheelchair for a year. She said, "I can't do anything else productive; may as well teach the kids to play bridge." My brothers were 10 and 12. I played kitchen bridge for a number of years. No one else in my family was at all interested in competitive bridge, or even in playing kitchen bridge well. I played bad bridge with friends for a number of years. Along the line, my husband got a home computer. I had no interest in it, and refused to use it even for writing papers in college when I went back for a second degree. Then one day we were at a friend's house, and he showed me the bridge games on MSN. That day, I needed my own computer with a second online service, as we didn't know about wireless systems as yet.

[keylime]

I had recently left the Air Force and did a light maintenance job at Sun City Center just south of Tampa, FL (large retirement community). We had to set up their bridge game every Saturday that drew a large contingent of players. We also had to set up their sectional in the main hall every year that had a lot of tables.

Went to the local library in Ruskin, FL (rural part of Hillsborough County) and checked out a 10 chapter book that taught the basics of bridge.

First time I ever played was at a 0-300 game in Tampa; won it. Thought that bridge was an easy game - only to learn that bridge was its own language and art.

Been in it through sickness and despair, joy and blessing, ever since. I firmly believe that bridge has helped to mitigate the effects of my illness, and has directly contributed to the betterment of my overall being. It has been there through my private hell of 2002 and 2005, and been there in my times of joy in 2000, 2006, and 2007 (thank you Larry).

My most emotional memory relating to bridge? Sitting there in 2002 in darkness, staring at the walls with scripture toothpasted to the walls at some unknown hour of the day and working through a play problem I got in the mail to keep my sanity together.

[goobers]

Wow, this poll is really skewed toward the younger side... probably because you'd have to be on the younger side to be participating this actively in these forums

[han]

I think I was younger than 10, but I will check that with my parents. I didn't play duplicate bridge until I was 23 though.

[mike777]

16. Starting as a Frosh at the local school, it was a small college town, I wandered down to the Union and found bridge. Thought Ehaa was standard. Of the 4 local players who taught me, 2 went on to win WC, one has a family and works so only plays locally against JLall etc, now and the other disappeared but now seems to have refound bridge( newly divorced maybe? ) and winning and making the Barry Crane race I see in the northeast.

I only play online but found debating/discussing in the forums is really improving my bridge with all the feedback from the great players here. Still harp and harp on myself about counting and visualizing the hands as the number one priority to improve my game.

Enjoy reading tons of bridge books and magazines from around the world for decades while playing almost no bridge.

I really enjoy playing the midnight and a few times the 10:15 ACBL game against some very good players such as Mark Lair. Enjoy playing very late pickup teamgames, the players are almost always better than me but patient for the most part.

[cade909]

I started when I was 15. I am now 17.

One day I decided to learn and I went online played on pogo without knowing a thing and was quickly dismissed by even bad players.

About a month later I decided to study read and I played constantly online. Once I felt somewhat comfortable I went to the local duplicate club and said I could play. I kibbitzed the first time and a nice woman gave me Watson's the play of the hand. Since that point I have been obsessed. Now I play duplicate regularly.

[mrdct]

I started when I was 18 right after I finished high school during the summer break before starting university. My parents had recently divorced which had left my mother quite depressed so my brother and I learnt bridge initially as something to do with our mother, but we both fell in love with the game and went on to enjoy quite a bit of success.

[Rossoneri]

Towards the end of secondary school, my friends were looking at the prospect of joining the bridge club in junior college, so we all started learning how to play proper bridge. (Instead of floating bridge!) I first tried yahoo, then MSN and finally a senior of mine who was from the bridge club introduced me to BBO. Most of us eventually got in and continued playing and playing...

So yeah I started when I was 15+. It's been nearly 4 years now! (Though much of my improvement probably only came in the past year or so...)

[ejfree]

I learned when I was 34 (about 4 years ago) I was generally bored with computer games and other activities, so I decided to to take up bridge. After 1 year, I moved away from it, not sure why actually, just lost interest. I never found anything close to a permenant partner, let along a temporary one.

Just started playing again after a 3 year hiatus, and I am loving it again. Trying to fine my bridge books I pack a while back and oil away the rust.

Next step is to find a real pd here in LA.

[greece]

I've started at 24 years old. Till now I've had 2 breaks (one of 4 and one of 5 years)

Now more than ever, I hope I will learn it I am in again since March this year

p.s. I am 37 now

[sallyally]

I would have been 48 or 49 when I started to play bridge and that was kitchen bridge. We played every couple of weeks for a few months. Then I started right in to duplicate bridge at a club. When I look back on it I wonder that my partner and I stuck with it.

Some players were just incredibly rude. I could not even post here some of the comments. We were called for any number of infractions, hesitations, reneging, bidding out of turn etc. etc. That is a good way to learn the rules!

My favourite story involves Rolands favourite convention, Flannery. 2 Diamonds was opened and alerted and upon hearing that my p asked for an explanation. We were advised that it meant 5 hearts, 4 spades and 11 - 15 points, we looked at each other and laughed. We were quite sure that no such thing existed and that we were being set up for a joke. I expect it was the first convention we learned!

We are still playing bridge but mostly on BBO now. Club games are not nearly as attractive anymore but I must admit to missing the post mortem afterwards in some nice pub!