Every Friday afternoon, the back room of the Suffolk Museum becomes a card parlor – and the bets are rolling in.

&uot;They say playing cards keeps you sharp,&uot; said Sharon March, one of the group of senior citizens who gathers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to play bridge, &uot;and at this age, we need all the help we can get. I like to play here, because by the time you hit the door, no one even remembers who won. We take breaks for lunch, and every now and then we have a pizza party.&uot;

The group originally formed at the Suffolk Senior Center, then headed to Birdsong Recreation Center until it was torn down. For the past few months, they’ve been playing at the Bosley Street building, and will move to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, which is slated to open in March.

&uot;We’re too old to clean house,&uot; said Juanita Daughtrey. &uot;This is about all we have to do, aside from looking after the grandchildren.&uot;

At the next table – there’s usually three or four that fill quickly – Marjorie Copeland dealt a hand.

&uot;I love it,&uot; she said. &uot;It’s fun playing with the contemporaries. You’re never too old or too sick to play.&uot;