QUECHEE — If you love playing duplicate bridge, the Quechee Club is the place to be in the Upper Valley at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoons.
There you’ll meet dozens of other duplicate bridge players whose dedication to the card game is matched only by their enthusiasm while talking about it, which is known as “being bitten by the bug,” according to longtime player Steve Randle.
Partners are required to play the game and a handful of people play with their spouses. They set up at a square table across from each other, the cards already in place. A typical afternoon draws 48 players, set up in groups of four at 12 tables.
It costs $8 per afternoon and lessons, taught before the games, are $10 per session. The club is sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League, which means participants can collect points that go toward a national ranking.
Duplicate bridge is different from other forms of the card game because each table plays the same hand.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with the luck of the draw,” Randle said.
Instead, it is more of a skill-based strategy game. On its surface, the game can seem a little intimidating, but once you establish a basic set of skills, it is easy to improve.
“A lot of people that sort of play a little bridge talk themselves out of it,” said Dick Tracy, who is the director of the weekly game. “They’re worried about being intimidated.”
But the club draws players of all skill levels.
“Call me the Johnny Appleseed of bridge,” said Tracy, who teaches the pre-game lessons. “I just want people to play.”
The club started last August after Chicago-style bridge players at the Quechee Club approached Tracy — a well-known bridge player in the Upper Valley — about starting a duplicate club. While many players live in Quechee, others come from as far as Ludlow, Vt. People do not need to be members of the Quechee Club to join the group.
“It’s been quite a year,” said Myrna Brooks, one of the founding members. “I think it’s gone way beyond our expectations.”
Originally, the members thought it would be seasonal and be suspended in the winter when many of its members go to warmer climates.
“As things played out, we didn’t stop for the winter,” Tracy said. “Many stalwarts of duplicate bridge have found us and they love playing here.”
A lot of the people who play duplicate bridge have played — and continue to play — other versions of the game. People still play Chicago bridge at the Quechee Club in addition to staying competitive with duplicate.
“You play duplicate to challenge your brain and you play party (Chicago) bridge to drink wine and socialize,” Susan Benson said with a laugh.
Karen and Steve Randle met each other at a bridge tournament, became bridge partners and later married. They are among the married couples that are partners for duplicate bridge in Quechee.
“There’re some married couples who shouldn’t play together,” Karen Randle joked.
Some people played bridge when they were younger and came back to it once they retired.
“As I age, I want to be able to stay active,” Brooks said. “I think my mind is a lot sharper. We’re quicker on our feet.”
Doug Carlson started playing after watching his parents play when he was a child.
“I finished last every time I played for three months,” Carlson recalled. “It takes a while to get the hang of it.”
For some, the Quechee group is the only one they play with, while for others it’s one of many. Tracy, for instance, plays bridge five times a week.
“I’m a competitor, so I love the challenge,” Tracy said, but the Quechee bridge club does more than feed his competitive spirit. “Really what keeps me coming back every week is the people.”
Editor’s note: For more information about the Quechee Duplicate Bridge Club, email randlebridge1430@gmail.com or call 802 225-6640. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com.
