HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- Though tennis, golf and hiking are popular pastimes in Hot Springs Village, with colder wintertime temperatures beginning to set in, many area residents will be looking for indoor recreational activities.
As one of the largest organizations within the HSV gates, the Village Card Club aims to meet those recreational goals, offering both duplicate and rubber bridge games every weekday and several weekends throughout the year. Bridge is played during morning, afternoon and evening hours, which helps accommodate almost any schedule.
The club celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015, with Teri LaBove serving as president for the year. Beginning Friday, new leadership will be introduced as Tony Hoffman becomes VCC's president, leaving the position he held in 2015 as vice president.
LaBove contends that leadership is not the only thing that keeps VCC ranked in the Top 50 of some 3,200 American Contract Bridge League affiliates in North America. She said, "Although the officers and board members make the decisions for the club, without the 21 committees of 80-plus members, and the more than 10 game directors, the club would not exist."
Her start in the game came via her husband, who learned to play during the 1960s. LaBove said when her children became teenagers, she took some lessons and "just fell in love with it."
She enjoys the competition and said, "Every hand is different." Though she plays mainly duplicate bridge, she also takes time for rubber bridge, which tends to be more social and relaxed compared to duplicate, offering an alternative to the competition-based play.
According to LaBove, players can spend as little or as much time developing their skills as they would like, but said a solid introduction is important. "If you don't have a good foundation, it's hard to build on that," she said, and advised newcomers to "learn the basics first; you can always add things later."
One way to get that foundation is by attending classes offered by the VCC. Beginners and those who have never played will have two opportunities early in the new year to take part in "Learn Bridge in a Day?" This one-day workshop is set for either Jan. 23 or 27.
For novice players who wish to broaden their skills, "Easybridge!" lessons will also be offered on mornings in January. Additionally, the four-week course, "Two Over One," will begin Jan. 12.
Once newbies get the hang of their basics, they can take advantage of a different learning tool -- a machine housed in VCC that can assist players by telling them what the bid is and what the lead was for a given hand. LaBove said directors often utilize the machine during mini-lessons, held before morning games begin.
For those interested in watching game play, or who want to keep their bridge activity more casual, membership is not necessary. Individuals are welcome to watch at any time, but to drop in and play, people should arrive in a pair, as partners are not always available.
Games played by the club's 640 members, up 9 percent in 2015, take place in Casa de Carta, located inside the Ponce de Leon Center at 1101 DeSoto Blvd.
The initial cost to join the club is $5, then $10 annually. Members play for $2.50, while drop-ins can play for $3.50 each game. The VCC offers play for every skill level.
As LaBove leaves her seat as president, she will continue as a director for both VCC and the Bridge House in Hot Springs. She realizes the importance of keeping her gray matter active and said bridge "helps the mind. ... The older we get, we want to exercise our brain, too."
Mirroring the experiences of life, she said every hand of bridge presents a new challenge, noting, "You try to do the best you can to win that day."
A complete game schedule can be viewed at http://www.villagecardclub.org. Class information and registration is available by calling Education Manager Suzanne Stofer at 501-226-5036, or by email at [email protected].
Local on 12/31/2015