Bridge Exercise: History, Benefits, and How to Play

In recent years, bridge has become more popular among people, including in Indonesia.

This sport is quite different from other types of sports, which mainly rely on physical movement. Bridge relies on the intelligence and sharp thinking of its players.

This is the reason why bridge is known as a games which can train your brain.

If you are curious about how to actually play bridge, discover the tutorial and trivia regarding the sport in the article below!

What is a Bridge Game?

A bridge game is played with playing cards and is quite popular in Indonesia.

This game is played by four players, divided into two teams, each consisting of two players.

In this competition, the game of cards is played by competing against the other team.

A team consists of a pair facing each other, while the opponents sit opposite each other on their right and left.

Aside from being a game, bridge is also regarded as a brain sport that requires tactics and calculation during the game.

Players must combine the cards they own with their teammate's cards.

Similar to other strategy games, bridge also requires calculation at every step of the way, and the cards the players play must have sufficient value to maintain their advantage.

On the other hand, playing bridge can also improve communication, particularly between partners on a team.

Developments of Bridge Games in Indonesia

In 1928, the American Bridge League was established, and in the subsequent year, 1929, Ely Culbertson played an important role in the evolution of bridge by publishing the first edition of "The Bridge World."

In 1932, the men's Bridge Championship, the European Bridge Championships Open, was held for the first time in Scheveningen, the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the women's championship was held for the first time in Brussels, Belgium, in 1935.

On the other hand, there is no definitive record of when bridge was first introduced.

However, it was estimated that by 1880, this game had been introduced in Indonesia through the arrival of Europeans, particularly Dutch citizens.

According to a certain source, on 12 December 1953, the Indonesian Bridge Association (GABSI) was established in Surabaya by Willy Th. Roring, an officer of the Indonesian Navy, together with his colleagues.

GABSI initially consisted of only 8 national associations; however, nowadays, it has spread throughout Indonesia with 29 regional committees across the country's provinces, except for North Maluku.

Afterwards, the National Bridge Championship was held for the first time in Yogyakarta in 1957.

In 1960, GABSI became a member of KOGOR (Commando of Sport Association), which was then replaced by the National Sport Committee (KONI) in 1966.

In 1960, Indonesia joined the World Bridge Federation (WBF) and Far East Bridge Federation (FEBF), which later became the Pacific Asia Bridge Federation (PABF).

Nevertheless, compared to the WBF and PABF, GABSI is older.

Benefits of Playing Bridges

Aside from improving teamwork, communication, and calculation, there are other benefits of playing bridge as well:

1. Improving Brain Ability

Bridge games involve analysis, critical thinking, and strategy, allowing for improved cognitive abilities.

In addition, playing bridge regularly can improve logical thinking skills, memory, and concentration.

According to various sources, playing bridge can even reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease by 75%. The puzzles in bridge can stimulate a person’s mental skills.

2. Improving the Immune System

Bridge also has other benefits, such as improving the immune system.

The high level of concentration required during a bridge game keeps the brain actively engaged.

A study conducted in 2000 at the University of California, Berkeley, also shows an interesting result, suggesting that bridge can improve the immune system.

Researchers speculated that the parts of the brain which are active when an individual is playing bridge can stimulate the immune system, since the brain keeps concentrating throughout the game.

How to Play Bridge

Here are the steps for playing bridge, which are divided into several stages:

1. Deal

First off, the cards are dealt evenly to four players by a dealer, with each player receiving 13 cards.

Afterwards, the players are given time to arrange their cards based on rank and suit.

During the game, the highest rank starts with the Ace, followed by the King, Queen, Jack/Knave, 10, and spot cards consisting of 9 through 2.

The higher the cards held by the players, the higher their chance of winning the game.

2. Bidding

After the cards are dealt evenly, the players begin bidding. During this stage, the declarer will be determined, who is also the contract holder of the game.

The team which loses the bidding will become the defender, who needs to prevent the declarer from fulfilling the contract.

3. Play

A bridge game officially begins when the declarer plays the opening card. Afterwards, the defenders will try to play their cards clockwise.

Each player can only play cards with the same suit as the opening card.

However, if they don’t own a card of the same suit, the players are allowed to play another card as an effort to win the trick.

This concludes the explanation of bridge games, including their history, benefits, and how to play.

It must be noted that bridge games require full concentration during the game. Therefore, before starting the game, don’t forget to #AQUADULU to maintain your focus.

Opt for AQUA for your daily mineral water intake!