Feb. 7, 2021

Thank you for informing me about my new Sectional Leader status in ACBL. I will share a little about my experience with bridge, as bridge has been such a fun newfound hobby for me. I was a school counselor and retired in May 2017. Several of my friends play social bridge and introduced me to the game that fall. I had never seen the game played before.

I was happy when I found out that our local duplicate bridge club (the Bismarck Bridge Club) was offering lessons to learn bridge in the winter of 2018. Wayne Mattern was the teacher and was knowledgeable and fun. At the end of the lessons, he had us stay and play duplicate bridge with the club on a Thursday evening. It was a great opportunity for beginners like me, as they allowed people to ask questions on Thursdays, making it less intimidating and confusing for new members. The club also offered lessons every other week, taught by Mark Hanlon, an excellent teacher and player. In addition, Marj Mick, a club member, spent extra time with a few of us who were relatively new to bridge.

I encouraged my nephew Charlie to start coming as well and he took the beginning lessons from Wayne the next year, in 2019. Charlie and I became regular club players from then until COVID shut down the in-person playing. That was disappointing of course, but our bridge club started the online bridge sanctioned matches, which opened up more playing opportunities. I now play with other partners, as well as Charlie. I like to go over the hands that I didn’t play as well on the BBO site and take a look at how other people played them more successfully.

I have enjoyed bridge so much and am grateful to the many that helped me along the way. Everyone has been so kind. I have made new friends and feel like bridge is the best card game ever.

Thank you again,

Patty Dwyer