New study shows playing bridge is mood-booster and stressbuster New study finds bridge players say the card game improves mood, reduces stress, strengthens cognition and broadens social interactions. Bridge players at an international tournament. Photo courtesy of the Israeli Bridge Association The four-person card game “bridge” is one of the world’s most popular social games, with afficionados including Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Because it’s time-consuming, bridge is often taken up by people in their retirement years. Now, the first academic study ever done about bridge reveals that the strategic team card game isn’t only a fun way to pass time.