Certification
Accredited Bridge Teacher
American Contract Bridge League, 2015
Self-reported
All professionals
Board and card games in South Orange
Sam Okafor
Board and card games and Personal training: Beginner bridge, bidding and spades
Certified bridge teacher who makes your first rubber of bridge feel friendly, not fussy
- 5.0 from 9 reviews
- Lives in South Orange
- All five checks passed
Ask a question before you book. Contact details stay private.
BridgeCanasta
- Bridge: Learn the bidding or sharpen your play with a patient partner.
- Canasta: Needs 4 players. You set up the table, the pro brings the game.
Mahjong and Canasta are booked as at least 4 visits.
Brings a full kitBands, weights, mat and step
Credentials
Certification
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
American Council on Exercise, 2019
Self-reported
Professional experience
Staff accountant, 22 years
Ironbound Partners LLP, Newark, 1995 to 2017
Self-reported
About me
I learned bridge from my father in Lagos and kept playing all through my years as an accountant in Newark. About ten years ago I began teaching beginner classes at a club in Livingston, and these days I also teach in people's homes, one table at a time.
Bridge has a reputation for being hard, and the bidding can look like a secret code. I break it into small rules you can hold in your head, and we play practice hands face up until you can see the pattern. If you want something lighter, I also teach spades and hearts. I am a certified trainer as well, so some students like to end with ten minutes of seated band work to keep their shoulders loose.
I live in South Orange with my wife, and my two daughters are both better bridge players than I am. On Saturday mornings I walk the trails in South Mountain Reservation with a group of retired neighbors.
What a first visit looks like
- 1
Minute 0 to 10
Find out what card games you know and set up a table for four hands.
- 2
Minute 10 to 25
Learn how tricks and trumps work by playing simple hands face up.
- 3
Minute 25 to 45
Practice the first few bidding rules with a printed cheat sheet.
- 4
Minute 45 to 55
Do a short seated band routine for shoulders and upper back.
- 5
Minute 55 to 60
Plan next week's lesson and suggest an easy practice app or book.
What to have ready
Nothing to buy before the first visit
- A card table with four chairs
- A pencil and scorepad
- Good lighting over the table
Where Sam goes
- South OrangeLives here
- Livingston
- Maplewood
- Verona
Where in the home
Living roomAnywhere with a chair
Usual week
Mon
Off
Tue
1pm
to 5pmWed
Off
Thu
9am
to 1pmFri
Off
Sat
1pm
to 5pmSun
9am
to 1pm
What families say
“Patient with my dad, who can be a lot. Worth every penny.”
Ellen P.
“Mom can get up from the couch without the armrest now.”
Robert H.
“Left a note after each visit so I knew what they did.”
Omar W.
“Canasta night is back at Grandma's. The noise is wonderful.”
Diane G.
“Gentle but she does make you work.”
Lisa E.
“Counts out loud and keeps it light. Dad responds to that.”
David B.
“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.
“Easy to book and an absolute delight.”
David L.
Checked and vetted
- Online search
- A real conversation with our team
- Signed provider agreement
- Criminal background check
- National sex offender registry check
$80 per hour
Plus a $2.50 booking fee and 10% service fee.
Free cancellation up to 3 days before.