Bridge is a partnership game, but it’s a lot more.

It’s a game of luck and skill, it’s a sport of the mind , it’s a great way to get together with other players and it’s a good excuse to insist that the seven of diamonds is called the whiskey or vodka card instead of the beer card and your fellow player owes you another type of drink.

Bridge is also a friendly family game, one that has helped to bring many families closer together.

Are you a bridge-playing family or household? Bridge used to be a family thing for many.

Here’s how you can rally up the whole family for a bridge game.

Pick a Date

It’s common for parents to settle on a specific night of the week and call it “date night.” Usually, other members of the family might call this “movie night.” Planning anything when you’re several people with a busy routine can be hard – and setting a date means that you make time for spending time together.

If you want to play bridge, it’s the same.

Families have different schedules, but just a little bit of careful thought about how your schedules fit together can “set a date” for bridge that suits everyone.

The ACBL’s Household Membership

Even though a year’s membership to the ACBL isn’t the most expensive thing you’ll pay for in the average year, it can be expensive if you have several people in the same house who would like to be members.

For this, the ACBL offers discounted Household Memberships that are ideal (and more affordable) for any families who want to play bridge as a group.

Look for a Local Club

Families who want bridge to be their pastime should also look for local bridge clubs, either offline or online: There are bridge clubs in most parts of the world (and if you have trouble finding one, refer to Google or the ACBL to help you track one down).

Local clubs can point you in the direction of teachers, tournaments and events.

Bridge Books for Everyone

if you’re a family who plays the game together, one of the first things you might want to have in your house other than a few sets of card decks is this: A small bridge library. It only needs a few books, placed within reach of everyone in the house.

It’s useful as an all ’round reference corner for the rest of the household, and at the same time it can help new and curious players.

Bring Friends

Encourage the teaching of bridge to people outside the family circle – and when you have the chance, invite friends of friends to join in. Ask the kids if they have any friends they’d like to introduce and point them in the direction of the right resources to learn.

Take Lessons

One member of the family might not be on the same playing level as the next. This makes lessons for bridge particularly useful – and of course, recommended. Different members of the family might have radically different ways in which to learn, though, and could likely each use their own bridge teacher or class.

Family Reunions…Online!

Online bridge makes it easier to have an instant bridge game with anyone across the globe. This is great, and family reunions don’t have to be the scary, dreary and boring events that everyone remembers. Consider holding your family reunion on BBO as a private game or tournament.

Everyone still gets together and talks, it just happens to be a lot more fun than your average reunion.