Without a single silver hair on his head, you might not pick Sebastian Wright, 22, as one of Australia's best bridge players.
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Despite the "13 trick" card game's general association with those a little longer in the tooth, the Bendigo Bridge Club member wants to show it can be a young man's game too, and he is taking his mission to the world.
Mr Wright, with his partner in cards Damon Flicker, is heading to the Netherlands to compete in World Bridge Federation's 18th World Youth Teams Championship from July 31 to August 7.
The two make a fairly formidable duo, according to Mr Wright, putting their minds together to master the ever-changing game.
"Damon and I both question each other's logic and push each other to learn more," Mr Wright said.
"Bridge is one of those games that never stops challenging you: once you think you have mastered one bit, another problem comes up."
Mr Wright fell into the card game as a product of family games nights "ranging from classics like Monopoly and Risk to more complex games like cribbage and canasta".
Then, after a run in with a fellow bridge player in year 10, Mr Wright got hooked on the game's "perfect combination of strategy".
"You can make it as complicated or as simple as you want with different conventions and playing systems," he said.
Even though Mr Wright describes himself as a "very competitive person", the people he meets along the way seems to trump any trophies won.
"I played in the Australian National Championships last week and that was my favourite event I have played in yet," he said.
"Because the pair we played in the finals we just got along with so well and we were able to just have fun and play some good bridge."
And beyond the competition field, Mr Wright said the community surrounding the Bendigo Bridge Club was a constant source of knowledge and support, sometimes in the form of "cakes and brownies".
"To celebrate me going away, I have had everyone come and congratulate me and ask me every week when it is and when is my last week at bridge," he said.
"Bridge is one of those games that makes everyone involved feel part of a bigger thing."
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