Bridge Blog 1150: Dual citizenship

I am now a member of two duplicate bridge clubs on the other side of the border -- the Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, where I've been on the roster for many years, and now the Niagara-on-the-Lake Duplicate Club, where my Canadian partner, Selina Volpatti, is directing for the next couple months. 

When I went to give Selina the $7 fee to play last week as I checked in, she remarked, "Why don't you join?" It took only a second to do the math. It's $20 Canadian to join and members pay only $5 to play. I'll make my membership fee back in no time. 

The Bridge Centre of Niagara is a similar bargain, although it's pricier. Membership last year was $50 Canadian, but you get two free plays ($7 a game) and a discount on the fee. 

Joining the Buffalo Bridge Center on this side of the bridges probably would be the diplomatic thing to do, but at $80 US, it's no bargain. Members play for $4 less than non-members, so it would take 20 visits to recoup, but alas, the only games I could play would be Friday (often only three tables, a topic of discussion at the club's annual meeting last week) and special once-a-month games on Saturday or Sunday. Playing Sunday would mean burning a vacation day