When someone in a movie or conversation says “poker”, the conversation doesn’t need to come to a halt to explain the rules of poker first. The same is true for chess, blackjack, roulette and solitaire – and I hope that we get to a point where the same is true for bridge.

Bridge still needs some introduction outside the sphere of people who actually play it. But I’ve seen a spike in how bridge is referenced outside bridge clubs – and it’s clear that bridge is once again increasing in popularity.

Incorporation into mainstream culture is key: I’m glad to see more references popping up in movies and TV shows where bridge becomes more part of daily life, where it means something to people who don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of how to play it. 

Here’s how I’ve seen bridge on the increase. 

Talking to People About Bridge

I’ve talked to a lot of people about bridge and been confronted with a vast array of different answers. Answers like, “What’s bridge?”, “Isn’t bridge hard to learn?” or “I remember my parents playing this, but that’s all I know.” Sometimes even, “What, bridge like playing cards?” 

Answers have changed for the better.

Over the past few years, more people have been able to recognize bridge without needing explanation – and even more people have asked where they can get involved in a game. (Certainly a plus for the bridge world, and a good sign for every single bridge player who has been promoting the game in their own capacity.) 

There’s More Bridge Broadcasting 

Bridge broadcasting is another concept that I’ve also seen on the increase. (Platforms like Twitch.tv are great for this.) This invites more people to tune in to watch bridge games – and encourages more people to broadcast their playing.

There’s an Increase in Bridge Clubs

I saw archive news that a small village called Raibidpura, in India has its first bridge club. There’s a definite worldwide increase in the amount of people getting together to play bridge: There are more bridge clubs both online and offline now than there were a few years ago.

Bridge is Played at New Venues

Bridge venues have also changed over the past few years. I’ve suggested before that clubs work with casinos to host their bridge games, and I’ve seen an increase in clubs actually doing this. Bridge at new venues should be encouraged, as should “open games” every now and then where anyone can stop by and learn.

Bridge is Appearing in New Forms

Just Declare Bridge, Bridge Bingo and Video Bridge are just three forms of the game that weren’t available ten years ago. Bridge in new forms are great: Maybe not for traditionalists, but definitely for people who are only being introduced to the game now. 

Emerging Bridge Shows and Documentaries

In the past few years, bridge documentaries (and YouTube shows) have been on the increase too. I’ve even seen a petition to get a bridge-related show featured on Netflix. All of this is progress – good progress – towards more people playing more bridge.

No, Bridge Isn’t Complicated 

Bridge isn’t complicated – instead, it’s complex. There’s a difference, and the term “a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master” applies to bridge, too.

The record for the world’s most intricate card games goes to Magic: The Gathering, at least according to Guinness World Records.

So no, bridge isn’t complicated in the way that most people used to imagine it, and I’ve seen this myth become repeated less and less among people who are still getting to know how to play.

The basics of the game can be squeezed into a few pages at most. 

You won’t throw a first-time player with advanced bidding conventions during their first bridge game just the same way as you wouldn’t put a first-time chess player against Kasparov.