BRAIN GAMES

ACES & SPADES

Card games are a fabulous way to have fun with friends and exercise your brain. So, how about bridge? Does anyone even play that anymore? There have been rumors about its demise, perhaps because it seems like there aren’t many people younger than 60 playing. (It is true that the average age of bridge players in the U.S. is in the upper 60s.) Bridge is still a relatively popular game, however, even though its popularity has declined somewhat in recent decades. It remains one of the most widely played trick-taking card games globally, with active player communities and regular tournaments. However, the game has faced challenges in attracting younger generations, who have gravitated towards faster-paced and more digital forms of entertainment. That said, bridge clubs, tournaments, and teaching programs continue to operate in many parts of the world, and dedicated players maintain the game's traditions. While bridge culture may not be as prevalent as it once was, it continues to have a dedicated following among those who appreciate its strategic complexity and social aspects.

According to a recent survey by the ACBL Education Foundation, about 15 million Americans age 45 and over know how to play bridge, and about 5 million of them play at least a few times a year.  About 2 million of those play at least once a month. Among those who don’t know how to play, almost one out of five said they are interested in learning. That’s a whopping 11 million people!

You might also be surprised to hear there are more than a thousand active tournament bridge players under 20 in the US (and Canada and Mexico and Bermuda which is what the American Contract Bridge League covers) and usually around 250 play in the youth summer nationals (which rotate where it is). Nationals happen three times a year for all ages (with youth play taking place at one of them) and generally around 5,000 people from all over the world attend each.

We do know that duplicate bridge (a more challenging form of contract bridge) is alive and well on St. Simons Island with the Golden Isles Duplicate Bridge Center. This ACBL-sanctioned member-run club located at 114 Skylane Court (behind Glynn Visual Arts) offers friendly and competitive bridge to players of all levels. Their Learn Bridge in a Day event held in February attracted more than 130 interested players. They were only expecting around 50! The Center offers Beginner’s Games on Thursday afternoons and lessons too. Regular games are held at the club every day but Saturday. An in-depth discussion of the game is beyond our capabilities (and space!) here, but take a deep dive into the Bridge Center’s website to find all you need to know: bridgewebs.com/goldenisles.

DRINKING FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Joyce Mattox credits the game of bridge, or more specifically, the Golden Isles Duplicate Bridge Center on St. Simons Island, with saving her mother, Joyce (or “Big Joyce” to her grandchildren and friends) Witherington. When the family moved Big Joyce here five years ago, she was despondent and struggling, and Joyce says that they were preparing themselves for the worst. That changed when a friend said she was taking her over to the Bridge Center. Now Big Joyce plays bridge every day except for holidays and hurricanes and she celebrated her 100th birthday last month. A celebration was held at the Bridge Center, where she had help cutting the cake from fellow Bridge Center members, 96-year-young Louise Grady and 99-year-young Eric Andreae. Joyce, the younger, told them that they have found the fountain of youth. The game has kept her mother’s mind sharp and her wit keen, and the social aspect revitalized her to a degree that was simply unimaginable five years ago. She calls it a true miracle.

On the occasion of Kathryne Joyce Tennille Withering turning “29 again for the 71st time,” the family has shared this gem, inspired by a familiar song about Maria from The Sound of Music.

How do you describe a person like Big Joyce?

How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?

How do you find a word that means Big Joyce?

A delightful daughter. A special sister. A loyal friend. And an even better mother!

Many a thing you know you’d like to tell her

Many a thing she seems to already understand

But how do you make her stay?   And listen to all you say

How do you keep a wave upon Saint Simon’s sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Big Joyce?

How do you hold a moonbeam in your “card” hand?

She’s a darling! She’s a Master Card Player…when she deals!

She’d out pester any pest…play cards with the best…She’s Kinston’s Real Dill….

Drive a hornet from its nest…Solve the Jumble or call Monnie for the rest.

She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl

She is gentle! She is wild! She’s a riddle! She’s a child!

She’s a headache! She’s an angel! She’s a Hand Full! still!

She is 100 and….she’s come so vary far.

She’s a miracle!  She’s our “Young” friend and now has her own Mount Olive pickle jar!

Why would you even want to solve a problem like Big Joyce…she is our super star!?

ENTER THE DRAGON

Another brain stimulating game that’s seeing an upsurge in interest here is mahjong. Once marketed as an ancient Chinese game, but actually created in the mid- to late 1800s, mahjong was first brought to the American public in the early 1920s. The game is similar to gin rummy, as it consists of players competing to form distinct sets or pairs but uses tiles to make those sets or pairs. According to historian Annelise Heinz the game was popular among Chinese Americans because it offered them a way to connect with both cultures. It also became popular among Jewish American women after World War II. Young mothers, in particular, forged American mahjong culture during the 1950s and 1960s, with regular weekly mahjong games helping them to build female-focused networks where they could simply have fun together. While mahjong has remained popular in these communities, it is now attracting new fans. Perhaps thanks to popular shows and movies like Crazy Rich Asians and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

St. Simons Island has groups playing mahjong on Sea Island, at Frederica, and within or springing from social clubs like the Shorebirds and Island Newcomers Club. It’s also been played on Jekyll Island for years. It sparked some additional interest here on the island when Donna McPherson, the owner of Golden Isles Olive Oil, asked on social media whether someone could teach her how to play. So many people commented that they would also be interested in learning, she decided to have a group meet at Golden Isles Olive Oil.

JoyceLouise

What they discovered was that the overwhelming interest exceed the ability to teach. Approximately two dozen people arrived to play, but most had never played. Mahjong is similar to rummy and is typically played in groups of four. So with only two people with enough knowledge to teach it and only a couple boards available, they decided to hold off on future meetings until they figure out the best way to proceed. Mahjong is complicated game if no one is teaching you how to play. It’s very hard to figure out by just sitting around watching others play.

Today, most people in the U.S. play American mahjong, which has slightly different rules than traditional Chinese mahjong. In American mahjong, you pick up and discard decorated tiles (which are based on Chinese characters and symbols) until you arrange 14 tiles into one of the approved pattern options. The patterns are designated in a rules card put out annually by the National Mah Jongg League and the card changes every year.

Mahjong’s appeal is that it is a wonderfully social game that is both challenging and aesthetically pleasing. You can enjoy a glass of wine and snacks with friends while playing, but your brain still has to remain active to play well. So, keep an eye out for a possible mahjong group at Golden Isles Olive Oil by following their Facebook and Instagram pages.

In the meantime, if you want more games to challenge your brain, there’s weekly Music Bingo at Golden Isles Olive Oil, as well as some other spots around town. For weekly Canasta and Hand & Foot games, you can head over to Ziggy’s on St. Simons Island. Of course, you’ll find pool tables there as well if you fancy a game involving that kind of dexterity and skill. Regular and music trivia is also popular at numerous locations and with several different hosts. Find what you like and grab some friends to go play! For game nights at home and puzzles for rainy days, we recommend a stop at St. Simons Drug Co. They have the BEST selection of puzzles and games for all ages, including classic favorites and popular party hits.