7 NO TRUMP
Not a political statement - but the highest possible bid in the card game of Bridge if “re-doubled.” A re-double occurs when a player has enough confidence in their hand of 13 cards, combined with their part- ner’s, to make their contract and get even more points, after the oppo- nents expressed doubt that the contract would make by “doubling” it. This is one of many complexities and the intricate language of bidding that Zack Woodbury has mastered in a short 13 years, obtaining the rank of Bronze Life Master in the game. Realizing that “bridge” was a not a common name that most 30 or 40-somethings would associate with playing cards, he turned to his rolodex to craft a novel international first on many levels: a sequence of instruction leading up to the creation of the world’s first Gen X / Millen- nial gay men’s bridge group that has been thriving since its inception in January 2012. He just simply enjoyed the game and wanted to teach his friends, never imagining this would become a group having such a positive impact on so many lives. Woodbury used a distinct model for fostering the fledgling group. “I used to be in a fraternity and was always part of recruiting new mem- bers. I later owned a recruiting company so I knew a thing or two about persuading people to try something new. People like to be around their peers. I simply taught my friends how to play bridge, we post- ed pictures of ourselves playing and having fun, and then friends of friends wanted to be part of this.” Located in Portland, Oregon, Woodbury remembers back to his child- hood interest in the game. “My mom has played since she was nine, and I can remember her bridge parties where there would be tables throughout the house when I was a kid. I had to stay in my room when this took place so I was always curious but only could sneak glimpses of what they were doing,” he said. Self-taught from online sources, his family also has a long history with the game. The first wife of his great uncle, Betty Rossmann, had more master points than anyone in the City of Portland and recently died in 2021 as a “Platinum Life Master.” He also enjoys an occasional game at the Multnomah Athletic Club, of which his great-grandfather was pres- ident in 1947. Zack has competed against celebrities like James Holz- hauer and Joshua Donn: James, known as “Jeopardy James” for being the second highest all-time winner in Jeopardy, and Josh as one of the youngest Grand Life Masters in Bridge. “I played against them in a tour- nament in January with my friend Michael Pham and got first place!” Now 46, he is technically retired after a career in investment banking and acquisitions. He received a finance degree from the University of Oregon and MBA from UCLA. Bridge has had other benefits including meeting his life partner Matthew Dudley who joined the group as a new player in 2015. Between his parents Sid and Judee Woodbury, he is the youngest of a blended family of six children. The gay men’s duplicate bridge group lives on and has naturally spread its wings beyond a weekly game. Activities now include vaca- tions, birthdays, parties, dinners, hikes, trivia and other game nights. “I’ve seen people get new jobs from people they’ve met at bridge, new roommates, and occasionally a relationship,” he notes. The group has also earned national attention in the Bridge world, and was featured in the May 2016 Bridge Bulletin, which is the monthly magazine of the American Contract Bridge Leage (ACBL). Advice for aspiring bridge players: “You’re going to get beat up nu- merous times before you get good, but you’ll be glad you didn’t quit.”
Zack Woodbury with all the tools for duplicate bridge game play. PHOTO: Cameron Perkins Photography
BRIDGE PLAYING RESOURCES Beverly Hills Bridge Club www.bridgewebs.com/beverlyhills/ Palm Beach Bridge Club www.jourdanspalmbeach.com Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley Bridge Club www.duncanbridgecenter.com Portland Bridge Club
www.portlandbridgeclub.com San Francisco Bridge Club www.unit506.org Seattle Bridge Center www.seattlebridgecenter.net
American Contract Bridge League www.acbl.org Many private social clubs offer significant opportunities to play bridge. Consult a member services staff for additional information.
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