Omar Sharif is one of the famous bridge players that I often revisit in memory.
From his games to his articles, there’s a lot of useful “bridge things” players can find throughout his work. There’s also Bridge With Omar Sharif, which is worth downloading an emulator for any day.
If you don’t know much about him yet, read on.
Here’s more about the basics of one of the greatest bridge players who ever lived, and some quotes about his take on the game.
Who Is Sharif?
Omar Sharif was born in 1932, and might very well be one of the most prolific actors who ever lived, too.
Lawrence of Arabia was his first English-speaking film role. We all know how that went. (Hint: Very well.)
If you want to know more about the man, watch his movies. But if you want to know more about his bridge playing, head to columns that contain some of his old games. You’ll be amazed at what he could do in 13 tricks.
3 Facts
Let’s start with 3 random facts about Sharif. Even if you’re a lifelong fan of his movies or bridge, you might not know this…
- Omar Sharif had his own circus – and it’s not what you think. In 1967, he got together a group of acquaintances and friends to start a bridge circle. Some were as famous as he was, others were not. It’s an obscure fact, but it’s true. https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/09/09/the-circus-under-omars-tent
- There’s an unaired film of Sharif playing rubber bridge against players Jeremy Flint and Jonathan Cansino in the 70s. Winning partially, but losing on a larger bet, the bridge movie has apparently never been seen before. (Come on, that can’t be entirely true…) See his WBF biography for this wonderful piece of Sharif trivia. http://www.worldbridge.org/2015/07/10/omar-sharif-1932-2015/
- In 2006, Sharif cut down on his passions. Wanting to spend more time with family, he spent some less time playing bridge – but his impression on the game had already been well imprinted. (That’s why we’re all reading this.)
3 Quotes
Next, here are 3 of the things Omar Sharif The Great had to say about the game of bridge. Add these to your bridge notebooks. (What? You don’t keep a bridge notebook? Well, here’s a thought, you should!)
I’d rather be playing bridge than making a bad movie.
Acting may be my business, but bridge is my passion.
I didn’t want to be a slave to any passion anymore. I gave up card playing altogether, even bridge and gambling – more or less. It took me a few years to get out of it.
3 Bridge Resources (By Sharif)
Okay, there’s one more short section to this article just to finish the thought on Omar Sharif.
If you’re interested in checking out more about his life, playing, and approach to the game, see these 3 bridge resources:
1. Omar Sharif’s Life In Bridge (1983)
Omar Sharif’s Life In Bridge describes Sharif in his own words, and is perhaps the most powerful text on his life as a result. It’s worth reading for any biographical fans, and recommended for anyone in bridge today.
2. Omar Sharif Talks Bridge (2004)
Written together with David Bird, Talks Bridge is a wealth of knowledge about the game and how to play it. It’s like walking into a candy store, and the candy in question is your bridge game. Read it, and you’ll see what I mean.
3. Play Bridge With Omar Sharif (PC)
Play Bridge With Omar Sharif takes his personal approach to playing and superimposes it onto a computer-generated table. It’s worth playing, even years later and in the world of online GIB-powered bridge games. Download a DOS Emulator such as DOSBox if you’re playing this on a modern PC – and have fun!
Ready to discover the bridge playing of Omar Sharif?