The Microsoft founder was on hand this weekend for the championship bridge event along with his partner, former world champion Sharon Osberg, attempting to mimic the success he had with computers, The (Nashville) Tennessean said Sunday.

"I've played for most of my life, but it's been about seven years that I've been coming to tournaments," Forbes magazine's richest man said Saturday.

Gates added that he and Osberg have played "really well" so far in the Tennessee competition.

When asked the unavoidable question of whether he takes his love for bridge into the world of computers, Gates said he does sometimes with friends.

"Even when you play online," he said, "you're playing with humans on different sites."

The Tennessean said Gates is not the only player who can live without the event's prize money as the computer entrepreneur's other partner is another multi-billionaire, investor Warren Buffet.