Cllr Contacts/News 10/11 Bridge/Canasta

What could be better on a dreich autumnal or winter’s afternoon or evening than playing cards with friends in a nice, cosy and relaxed environment? The card games of Bridge and Canasta are alive and well in

the area and new players are always welcome, writes Simon Sawers

BRIDGE

Bridge is a whist-based game played in pairs against another pair. There are 3 elements: • Firstly bidding, which is a codified way of telling your partner (and the opposition!) what sort of hand you have. The bidding results in a contract for one of the pairs. • The second element is the play: This is where the pair try to make their contract and the opposition try to stop them. A standard 52-card pack is used and tricks are won or lost. Often there’s a trump suit, just like whist. • The third element is scoring: There are a number of different ways of scoring depending on the type of Bridge you’re playing and if there are multiple tables.

Bridge is absorbing and fun! I’ve been playing for two years now and getting reasonably competent. It’s certainly given my brain cells lots of exercise and my memory has improved. Lessons are available online, in Aberdeen or locally. We currently play at the men’s shed in Alford on a Tuesday afternoon but are hoping to add an evening game one day a week. Players from Aboyne, Banchory and surrounding areas are very welcome too. If you’d like to join us, either as a novice or with experience, or have any questions at all, then please contact either Neil Dunford on 01975 562140 or Simon Sawers on 07785 762797.

Canasta is a rummy-based game and can be played with two, three or four players. It’s most commonly played by four people in two pairs with two packs of cards, including the jokers.

The main element in Canasta is the play where pairs, or individuals in the case of two or three players, attempt to lay down like cards, eg three 7s or four kings, sometimes using wildcards (2s and jokers) in order to make up canastas consisting of seven cards. Each player is dealt 11 cards (when four players) and each turn starts by picking up a new card and ends by discarding a card.

Each round ends once a player or pair has gone out, ie laid down all their cards making the agreed number of Canastas. A new round then commences once the score for that round is totted up.

The scoring is quite straightforward with the first pair, or individual, to get to 5,000 points wins. There are a number of nuances to the game, especially with regards the number of points required to initially lay down cards, which gets higher as the scores progress, and the ability to pick up the discard pile which often gives you significantly more cards.

The best way to learn is to come along for a couple of sessions to observe and then dive in! We’ll teach you everything you need to know. We take a break over the summer and plan to restart in September, probably in the Library at the Alford Community Campus.

New members are very welcome, either as novices or more experienced, and if you’d like to join us or have any questions then please contact either Sue Taylor on 01975 562184 or Simon Sawers on 07785 762797.

CANASTA

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