You don’t have to be a billionaire like Warren Buffett or Bill Gates to share the same pastimes. Buffett and Gates are some of the better-known players of the card game bridge, says Paul Porteous, general secretary of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (CBAI), the governing body for bridge in the Republic.

Although it’s already enjoyed by 30,000 people in Ireland, Porteous notes that times of recession tend to correspond with increased interest in bridge. “With the recession, people are looking for something that’s not that expensive to take up and bridge is one of the cheapest pastimes.”

A bridge game can cost from €3 to €8 a week and the most expensive club membership is €120. Membership of the CBAI is €10.

Porteous finds that new players are generally aged 55-plus; people who are getting ready for retirement or are retired. There’s approximately a 3:1 ratio of women to men throughout the 500 clubs in Ireland.

Some games are held during the day, but most take place in the evening. Although there are 30 purpose-built/bought premises, games mostly take place upstairs in pubs, in school halls, or GAA and golf clubs. There are a lot of regional and national events, with something on nearly every weekend between September and May.

“The primary objective for a lot of people is it gives them an outing where they can meet their peers and meet people locally, and it gives them an excuse to get out of the house.”

It is similar, Porteous says, to Whist, a Dublin card game called Don, and Solo. Four people play, two against two. The CBAI is mainly involved with duplicate bridge, “where people compete against one another at different tables around the room and against different opponents. They’re moving and there’s a constant flow and interaction with other people.”

A session of bridge can take around three hours, depending on how many boards or hands of bridge are played. A board is played every eight minutes or so.

While people generally join for the social benefits, Porteous says that many are aware of the fact that it can keep the brain active. Studies have even linked it to staving off Alzheimer’s. Porteous feels that playing bridge contributes to a good memory and has been playing bridge for four decades, since he was a teen.

Qualified teachers usually run two 10-week courses, before and after Christmas for beginners. “Then [beginners] should be ready to put some of the stuff into place. They are not by any means finished bridge players at that stage, but it’s no harm for them to put it into practice to see if they want to go any further or if they’re happy with the bit they’ve picked up so far. They’ll be with their peers that are in the classes with them and some who are a bit ahead.”