"There’s intellectual development involved and working as partners with people," Buffet says in an interview with the newspaper giant. "If a lot of kids are exposed to bridge, a number of them are going to benefit in a significant way."

Fighting memory loss
There is evidence to back up Buffet’s hypothesis. A British study of school children aged ten and eleven found that students who took a six week bridge course showed improved memory retention.

For older adults, the benefits may be even greater. "There is growing evidence that games, including card games, crossword puzzles, and other leisure activities have been associated with modest improvements in cognitive ability," says Dr. Elliott Kroger, medical director at Brooksby.

Memory loss as we age is due largely to altered connections between brain cells, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Keeping the brain active with cards games, puzzles, and other mental exercises may build reserves of brain cells and connections, and even generate new brain cells.

Trumping the common cold
Recent research indicates that bridge may have even greater health benefits. In addition to fighting memory loss, the game may actually combat the common cold! According to a study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley, bridge may boost your immune system, the body’s main defense against harmful infections and illness.

The Berkeley study, which monitored test subjects as they played bridge, found an increase in disease-fighting T-cells in the majority of players, proving for the first time that brain activity and the immune system are closely connected.

The study opens up a world of possibilities. Could humans one day learn to voluntarily fight illness? Is the best preventative medicine inside our heads? While the answers may be years away, long-time bridge enthusiasts like Cynthia say that they play for the love of the game. Bridge’s growing popularity and the numerous health benefits are just a lucky trump.

Brooksby knows bridge With 100 over people, the bridge group is the largest on campus At any given time, you can find a bridge game at Brooksby. And it’s not hard to find. Just follow the crowds of people. "I think it would certainly be over 100 people who play," says Cynthia Naugler. "I can’t keep track of all the bridge groups." Brooksby has well over a 100 hundred clubs and classes, but the bridge group is by far the biggest. There are actually five different bridge groups playing at various times during the week. "They are probably one of the most consistent groups here at Brooksby," says Mary Landry, Brooksby’s community resources coordinator. "You can see the crowds gather." "There are two different groups of duplicate bridge. One is on Monday afternoon in the McIntosh Clubhouse and the other in Towne Centre Clubhouse on Friday nights. Then on Thursdays, you have to have a partner. Yesterday it was very crowded. We’ve never had 11 tables playing all at once," says Cynthia.  "Then there are people who play on Saturday and Sunday—it’s just a small group of friends." Dorothy Millice and Cynthia run the Tuesday bridge club which plays from one to three. It’s so popular, people begin arriving at noon so they can be assured of playing. "I play only when I feel like it, during the day mostly. I like seeing the people and the atmosphere of Tuesday bridge. You don’t need partners and it’s a little looser."