Gates Will Join Buffett for Bridge

Billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates will be among the more than 200 people competing this week in the Sectional Tournament at the Clubs, a local-level bridge tournament that runs through Dec. 4.

Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., invited Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., to play in the event, tournament director Jim Nash said.

They will be joined by Buffett’s longtime bridge partner and two-time world champion Sharon Osberg, an executive vice president for Online Financial Services Group at Wells Fargo & Co. in San Francisco.

Nash said Bob Hamman of Dallas will play with Gates. Hamman has been the World Bridge Federation’s top-ranked player for 15 years.

Gates is a relative newcomer to bridge, and Hamman is playing with him to help promote the game, Nash said.

“Buffett has been playing bridge for a number of years,” Nash said, adding that the Omaha billionaire is an average player.

Nash said Buffett often plays on the online bridge club, OKbridge.

Most of the tournament’s games will be at the Omaha Bridge Studio and the Center Mall Bridge Club, where play begins Tuesday.

Buffett and Gates will play in a team with their partners Thursday and Friday.

Players will compete for master points instead of money, Nash said.