Driving down 21st Street in Camp Hill, you may have noticed that the parking lot at the Harrisburg Bridge Club often seems to be filled to capacity.
Is the card game that enjoyed its heyday in the era of “Mad Men” still that popular? The answer, according to Harrisburg resident and Club Manager Bob Priest, is simply “yes,” and so much so that they recently tore down the old structure and built a new one, with a larger parking lot.
Dating back to 1948, the club has the distinction of being the first member-owned bridge club in the country, holding its kickoff tournament at the William Penn Hotel in Harrisburg. A year later, the club organized its first charity event, a community bridge party at the old Penn Harris Hotel benefiting the Harrisburg Council of Girl Scouts. Charles Goren, the late world champion American bridge player and best-selling author, came to town to address the group.
As the years passed and more individuals developed an interest in the game, the facilities at the William Penn Hotel became inadequate. So, in 1951, the club moved to its current home at 349 N. 21st Street in Camp Hill.
Referred to by members as “The House of Bridge That Friendship Built,” the club has grown from a mere five members to more than 400 enthusiastic competitors who cultivate their game skills, as well as their friendships, at the newly modernized facility.
Priest, who manages operations, said his love of the game goes back to his childhood.
“I was in the hospital for a month with a kidney infection when I was 9, and my mother caught me teaching poker to the nuns and thought I needed a more respectable game,” he said with a laugh.
Young Bob looked forward to the rare nights as a child when he was allowed to stay up late and play bridge with the family. He explains that he didn’t learn duplicate bridge until college.
“I joined a bridge club on campus and the bug bit,” he said.
Duplicate bridge is the only game played at the Harrisburg Bridge Club and is widely used in tournament play. It’s called “duplicate” because the same set of cards is played at each table, forcing players to rely on skills, rather than chance.
“You can’t pick up a book and learn it within an hour. I’ve been playing bridge since 1958, and I’m still learning the game. It’s relatively easy to learn, but extremely difficult to master,” said Priest.
For an afternoon or an evening out, however, it’s a bargain at a mere $5 for a three-hour session for members, who pay $15 a year to join. Non-members who want to “try before they buy” can play for $6.
Mechanicsburg resident Tim Trissler and his wife Judy play bridge several times a week, often as partners.
“I’ve played duplicate bridge for 15 years,” said Trissler, who said he enjoys the camaraderie and competition. “I wanted to continue to be competitive and stimulated after I retired. Bridge is a game of reasoning and calculating odds.”
For those who find all this daunting, but are nonetheless intrigued, the club offers 20 hours of lessons for $60.
As time passes and members grow older, Priest is hoping that new generations will “catch the bridge bug.”
“When kids play bridge, their grades improve in every single course they take. It’s applied knowledge and includes the math of evaluating the hand, the psychology traits of reading your partner and a foreign language in learning the terms,” he said.
To learn more about the Harrisburg Bridge Club and to view the game schedule, you can visit the website at https://mysite.verizon.net/vzeq5ujk/harrisburgbridgeclub, the Facebook page or call 717-737-4461.
