Want to Play Bridge -- Your Pajamas?

Lovers of bridge, the modern descendant of whist, no longer have to lure three friends to their living room for a game. Players can indulge their passion on the Internet 24 hours a day.

A one-stop place to find all-things bridge online is Great Bridge Links. It has software reviews of bridge programs you can play on your computer, listings of travel agents who specialize in bridge holidays, and tutorials to teach you to play.

"I've tried all the major bridge-playing sites and my favorite is the Zone.com bridge area," says Kenneth Scotland of Los Angeles. Scotland, who has been playing cards and competing in tournaments for 40 years, plays bridge at least once a week online with people as far away as Australia, Indonesia, France and the Netherlands.

"Besides being able to play in your pajamas at 3 a.m.," says Scotland, "another of the many advantages of playing bridge online is that it allows you to focus intensely on the game and make mistakes without having to deal with people's reactions. It's a more neutral environment in which to perfect your game."

"For all-around good games, bridge history, playing strategies and biographies of bridge experts," Allison Menzies of Orlando, Fla., says, "I go to Bridge Guys, a site started by gay players. Heterosexual Menzies says, "This is a site for everyone that's friendly and upfront."

Review the history of the game, rules and scoring at the American Contract Bridge League. The most active forum to compare notes with other players online is the rec.games.bridge newsgroup.

Bridge aficionados require cards and a lot of other paraphernalia. You'll find it all at Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies. Tally Ho Laminated Bridge Tallies by Gayle offers laminated score pads and refillable score pads.

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