The Bridge Shop – A bridge over Doubled Waters

The Bridge Shop Shelves Are Full of Creative Ideas

The variety of bridge paraphernalia available at The Bridge Shop is truly fascinating. Real kudos to the clever designers of these items both in their artistry and style. But then of course, if you look at a deck of playing cards and the history and intrigue around these, you realise that it is not such a difficult thing to bring art into bridge or good design into all aspects of the bridge game, whether it be in bridge table napkins, bridge playing cards, golf accessories etc.  The jargon of bridge is in itself a creative lexicon.

In the shop’s book section, not only is there a fabulous supply of how-to bridge books, but you will also find some drama in the novels on offer.  Some of these titles and covers are art works in themselves. Take for instance, Murder at the Bridge Table or I Shot My Bridge Partner. Yes, indeed we have all wanted to do away with our bridge partner at one stage or the other. The best title I think is:  Death in Duplicate!  What a good present to give that old Cruella de Ville at the bridge tournament. Creative gifting at its best!

Art in Hearts 

When I played socially years ago in Germany, I made special bidding box cards for my partner’s birthday: Get me My Gun, Let’s Leave Now and Stop! This is not fun Anymore! Help! Was the one she used most, much to my delight and amusement, but sadly not to our Germanic opponents whom we used to play with.  They thought the game of bridge rather more serious than that. But hey, a little creativity in your bridge game can be good fun.

My dear partner loved them so much she commissioned me to paint some greeting cards that were copies of playing cards.  My hand painted cards, or bridge art as she described them, were sourced from the beautiful designs of playing cards throughout the centuries. I have to tell you here, that I only got as far as painting the King, Queen and Jack of Hearts.

Playing Cards are a Perfect Example of Good Design Principles of Symmetry

After all, your bridge cards should be attractive surely? We like symmetry both in art and in our surroundings. Think how clever playing cards are, in that there is no such thing as upside down. As you pick them up after the deal, you simply place them in your hand. Over the ages symmetry and functionality in playing cards have evolved, but they are still things of beauty and one should study them carefully to understand the subtle differences between the different suits and royal cards.

Your Collection of Bridge Art – Display it on your Bridge Table for all to Envy

There are some beautifully designed playing cards available from The Bridge Shop that you will be proud to display at your bridge game.  Copy of art works are available in the Picasso, Renoir, Bruegel’s Tower of Babel, Monet’s Lilies playing cards.  Do yourself a favour and start collecting them. Not many of us can afford the real art, only the bridge art.

Be The Jack of All Trades and Master of Them All with Clever and Inspiring Bridge Equipment

You may be a beginner bridge enthusiast or an old hack, but it you play your cards right – right from the go in your assortment of great bridge equipment, you will look like a professional. You wouldn’t go on the to the golf course looking like an amateur (even though you may well be), with golf accessories that aren’t up to scratch, so don’t let yourself down with minimal bridge equipment.  After all, the look and feel of the bridge table is a good start to getting the upper hand in impressing your bridge buddies and the same applies to the golf course.

Jack of Both the Game of Contract Bridge and Golf

If you, or your friends happen to play both games, show that you really have it all in hand by impressing your team mates and opponents with interesting golf accessories, like the fabulous golf tees that you can buy with bridge symbols on them.

Well Versed in The Game of Bridge

Playing bridge, no matter what your status in world ranking (of course my friends this is what you are aiming for after all?) is like going to an auction sale.  There is bidding, there are winners and losers, there are higher bids, false bids and many more words that are common denominators in both situations. The intention is to win the auction at the sale or at the table.

I have filtered out some jargon from bridge books that will increase your knowledge – particularly for those learning bridge.

• This explains the sequence for the contract in the bridge game. The dealer makes the first call, either bidding or passing. In a clockwise sequence the next player bids and so it goes on until it reaches the final contract after 3 players have passed. So the final contract is determined by the last bid, e.g., 4 hearts.
• The player calls a bid to make the contract for his side. The bid of 4 spades for instance will need to be 4 tricks above book, i.e. in excess of the required 6. In total then a bid of 4 spades will be 10 tricks made in total.

Game of Chance or Skill

Contract bridge, as you will read in bridge books is a complicated one. Beginner contract bridge players may be put off with the sheer amount of knowledge that is required, but don’t be. Enjoy it and realise that it can be a huge amount of fun – particularly if you have all the latest bridge equipment at hand to ensure it is a game of skill.