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Life Masters At

Bridge Share a Passion

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by Ubby Di mp Forrest The clocks strike 7:00 p.m., not always in unison with each other, hut the hour is nonetheless struck for What has become a familiar summons in Cape May — the playing of duplicate bridge at the home of Heien-joe and Robert Owens, of Kearney Avenue. For years the Frog Hollow neighborhood has observed the draperies being drawn at the appointed hour as Helen-joe goes about her duties as a certified director of the Cape May club where duplicate bridge is played Mohday nights under franchise of the American Contract Bridge

League.

There are those who say the playing of duplicate bridge is fun. And there are those who say a player plays for another reason.. "It’s a cerebral sport for me,” says Bob who likens bridge to a , game we arc all familiar

with the game of life.

All. TIIF INGREDIENTS that are needed in the game of life apply in bridge," says Bob, and while Helen-joe agrees with her husband’s point of view, her killer

instinct is less defined.

"Bridge has been very good to us,” Helen-joe acknowledges graciously "It gave us entree into the Cape' May community when we first came here and didn't know a soul. Over the years we’ve grown tremendously in the game and we’ve been able to offer encouragement to young people who’ve gotten hooked on the

game."

The Owens are so dedicated to the game much of their lives — and even their home — for a dozen or so years has been built around the game. Wheelchaired by a spinal problem, Bob designed an addition to the Owens home that provides a perfect playing environment, not only for his needs, but for bridge players who seek an accustically-controlled, welllighted and ventilated room. In other wordp, a place where conccntratiortcan be optimum for (he challenges of duplicate bridge. HELEN-JOE BELIEVES "anyone can play bridge", but Bob disagrees with his wife's theory. "People have spent lifetimes at the bridge table and^ never made Life Master,” accor-

ding to Bob.

In the cult of bridge playing, the rank of Life Master is the ultimate achievement realized only by about 28,000 people worldwide since 1935 when the non-profit American Contract Bridge League was founded, devising a complex point system that provides a method of competition for players. , The Owens each achieved their Life Master rank nearly simultaneously in 1978 after years of playing bridge three nights a week, competing in tournaments throughout the East coast and honing their skills against a crosssection of plavers who tested their stamina, bidding and level of con-

centration.

THERE ARE THOUGHT TO BE perhaps six Life Masters in

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BOB A HELEN-Joe slrlkf thflr lavnrltf pose — brtdRe cants In hand, ready for another trump and triumph.

Cape May County and the Owens are acknowledged as experts although they both admit they've made plenty of errors. They both enjoy a owd fight in their card playing, b» Helen-joe says they refrain from letting the game spill over into their marriage. According to the Owens, they like being partners at the bridge table as well as in the marriage game. "I’d rather play bridge with Helen-joe more than anyone else,” says Bob. “To me, the ultimate victory is playing with

my wife.”

But, still there is rivalry between them. “I made Life Master first,” Helen-joe said. “You made it playing with me,” Bob^serts. WHILE THE OWENS ENJOY an occasional game of “rubber bridge” such as is played socially by many people, duplicate bridge pits more serious players against one another. The Owens welcome any bridge player to their tables and they both claim a kind of

democracy prevails in duplicate bridge where players move from table to table, allowing players of even limited skills to bring down one of the pros. During the summertime attendance increases at the Owens bridge tables. “We’ve had people come here from all over,’ says Helen-joe. While the Owens say they now play for fun, it was different during the years leading up to their Life Masters. Their custom-built room which also serves as a living room, allowed them to oversee their daughter Patty, now a student at Penn State University, and their son, Robert, Jr., a sophomore at St. Andrews’ School in Delaware when they were in the diaper

stages.

,,'e had to create our own playing environment that allowed our children to be nearby and a place that is more conducive for Bob to move around in,” said Helen-joe. TO FINANCE THEIR TOUR-

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