Professional experience
Bank branch manager, 30 years
Essex Savings Bank, Bloomfield, 1990 to 2020
Self-reported
All professionals
Board and card games in Montclair
Lucia Bell
Board and card games: Canasta, hand and foot, and gin rummy
Canasta and hand and foot teacher who keeps score so you can just enjoy the game
- 4.8 from 4 reviews
- Lives in Montclair
- All five checks passed
Ask a question before you book. Contact details stay private.
BridgeChess
- Bridge: Learn the bidding or sharpen your play with a patient partner.
- Chess: Someone to play a real game with, every week.
Credentials
Training or degree
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
Seton Hall University, 1990
Self-reported
About me
My mother and her sisters played canasta every Friday night in our kitchen in Bloomfield, and I was the kid who kept score from the age of nine. I never stopped playing. Through thirty years as a bank branch manager, Friday cards were the one appointment I never moved.
I started teaching about five years ago when a neighbor asked me to help her father learn hand and foot so he could join the game at his building. Now I teach canasta, hand and foot and gin rummy at dining tables all over Montclair. I bring a card holder for anyone whose hands get tired, a printed scoring chart, and a lot of patience for the rule about freezing the pile, which confuses everyone at first.
I live near Watchung Plaza and spend weekend mornings at the Montclair farmers market or wandering the gardens at Van Vleck. If your parent has a group of friends who want to start a weekly game, I am happy to teach the whole table.
What a first visit looks like
- 1
Minute 0 to 10
Set up the table, go over which games you know and how many players we will have.
- 2
Minute 10 to 25
Learn the basics of canasta: melds, wild cards and how the discard pile works.
- 3
Minute 25 to 55
Play open-handed practice rounds, then a real hand where I coach only when asked.
- 4
Minute 55 to 60
Total the score together and leave a printed rules and scoring sheet.
What to have ready
Nothing to buy before the first visit
- A dining table that seats four
- Two decks of cards
- A pad and pen for scoring
- Friends who want to play
Where Lucia goes
- MontclairLives here
- Bloomfield
- Glen Ridge
- North Caldwell
- Short Hills
- Verona
- West Orange
Where in the home
Dining tableCommunity room
Usual week
Mon
Off
Tue
9am
to 1pmWed
Off
Thu
1pm
to 5pmFri
Off
Sat
9am
to 1pmSun
1pm
to 5pm
What families say
“Very respectful of my father's routines.”
Kevin P.
“My mother won her first mahjong hand and called me right away.”
Rachel J.
“Patient and encouraging. My mother painted her first landscape!”
Chris B.
“Kind, punctual and so much fun. Dad is already asking about next week.”
Karen M.
Checked and vetted
- Online search
- A real conversation with our team
- Signed provider agreement
- Criminal background check
- National sex offender registry check
$65 per hour
Plus a $2.50 booking fee and 10% service fee.
Free cancellation up to 3 days before.