The Bridge Spot to Offer "Bridge Basics" Series

WOBURN – For about the price of a movie, many area residents are turning to learning and playing duplicate bridge for an evening (or morning or afternoon) of entertainment. Considered an institution among regional duplicate bridge players, Woburn’s Bridge Spot is the largest bridge club in New England and one of the 25 largest in the country.

Open seven days a week at 400 West Cummings Park, Suite 2900, The Bridge Spot maintains a schedule of about 15 classes and games each week, held at various times of the day. A “Bridge Basics” series, to be held four consecutive Thursdays, will begin October 30. It is open to new players as well as those wishing to brush up on the fundamentals of the game.

Bridge Basics will be taught by the club’s owner, Dean Panagopoulos. Panagopoulos noted that although bridge can be a competitive game, his club emphasizes fun, offering a welcoming atmosphere for players of all levels, with competition coming second.

“One of my goals from the beginning was to have a club that was very friendly. We don’t ever want grouches in our games,” said Panagopoulos.

This gentler approach to the game has paid off for The Bridge Spot, with an average of 2,400 visits per month by 400–500 individual players from all over greater Boston. According to Panagopoulos, many players hail from Woburn, Winchester, and surrounding towns, but he also has regulars from southern New Hampshire, the North Shore, and the South Shore.

“One of the reasons I picked West Cummings Park was its location at the crossroads of I-93 and I-95,” said Panagopoulos. “It allows us to draw people from many different areas.”

The Bridge Spot attracts players of all ages, including a handful of teenagers, but it is not surprising that the majority are senior citizens. With the aging of the populous Baby Boomer generation, staying sharp mentally has been a trending topic in the media. From NPR to The New York Times to AARP Magazine, numerous publications have touted learning and playing bridge as a way to exercise one’s brain.

“The media’s focus on this topic has played a large role in increased interest in the game,” said Panagopoulos. “We have multiple players in their nineties, and bridge has helped to keep their minds active.”

Panagopoulos added that a regular player recently marked her 95th birthday with a celebration at The Bridge Spot.

Panagopoulos first learned the game that has become his career from a high school physics teacher, but really honed his skills as a college student in the dorms of MIT. Opened in 2003, The Bridge Spot was his “side job” for eight years, until 2011, when he left his job in the high-tech field to run the club on a full-time basis.

Panagopoulos has earned the American Contract Bridge League’s fourth highest rank – Gold Life Master – indicating that he has accumulated more than 2,500 points with the League and is in the top 5 percent of players ranked.

Although he is an accomplished player himself, and the club serves many highly skilled players, Panagopoulos also caters to novices as well as those rediscovering the game after a 20- or 30-year hiatus.

“We work hard to bring people into the game. They can come by themselves or with partners, and they’ll receive a warm welcome,” said Panagopoulos.

More information about The Bridge Spot, including a schedule of classes and details about the Bridge Basics class, is available at www.bridgespot.com.