Bridge tournament

About 16 locals got their game on during a friendly card-game competition Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Advantage, an Odessa Regional Medical Center program for those 55 and older, hosted a luncheon and bridge tournament at the East Campus Auditorium as part of its effort to combine health education seminars and socialization for men and women in their golden years.

"Bridge is popular with the seniors, and it’s a good way to keep their minds active," said Susan Henry, Senior Advantage and Volunteer Coordinator for ORMC. "Plus, it’s a good way to make social contacts. Our goal was to get people out of the house and staying active."

The Tuesday bridge tournament was the first one Senior Advantage has hosted, Henry said, but get-togethers for bridge games will most likely become a regular feature in the future.

Participants broke up into tables of four players each and played five rounds of bridge before the winning couple progressed to the next table. At the next table, they randomly drew for new partners — a version of the game one participant called "party-bridge style" — and played another five rounds of bridge.

Players with the high score, second highest score and low score were awarded trophies and goodie bags. Phyllis White earned the high score for the tournament, Jean Pistole came in second, and Carolyn Camp earned the low score.

Pistole, 84, said she’s been playing bridge since she was about 10 years old.

"We learned on the ranch with our parents because we didn’t have TV," she said. "So, we learned to play cards."

White, 63, said she’s been playing for more than four decades and enjoys the game because it "sharpens the brain and keep the brain young."

"It’s fun and there’s fellowship," she said. "It’s a nice thing that they’re offering here."

Although some of the participants knew each other before the tournament, others were able to make new friends as they mixed and mingled during game play.

"Some came kind of potluck," White said, referring to some of the women at her first table who she knew before attending.

"Well, that’s the best kind," someone else at the table added.

"It’s a way to make new friends," White agreed, preparing to begin another round of bridge.

Upcoming Events

>> What: Keeping Your Balance.

>> When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 18.

>> Where: ORMC East Campus Auditorium, 515 N. Adams Ave.

>> Presented by ORMC Rehabilitation Center.

>> What: Grandparents Day Luncheon.

>> When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

>> Where: ORMC East Campus Auditorium.

>> Lunch will be provided.

>> Contact Susan Henry, 582-8796.