Introduction
The game of bridge is played by thousands of people and partnerships spanning the globe. It could be said everyone knows bridge – even when they imagine they’ve never heard of the four-player trick-taking game with roots that goes back to older card games such as Russian Whist before.
Even people unfamiliar with terms of the game such as “finesse” and “dummy” will know bridge by extension, through famous players like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Alex James or through the game’s use as a plot device in stories like Agatha Christie’s Cards on the Table or Ian Fleming’s Moonraker.
Social distancing restrictions tied to COVID-19 means that most bridge clubs have their hands tied. With members unable to play their favorite game at their usual club, there’s been a sudden exodus of players heading to the online sphere for their regular bridge fix.
The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) believes they have the answer to the longevity of the game in the form of Virtual Clubs.
Here’s how bridge clubs have responded to international COVID-19 restrictions by moving their game online – and what prominent bridge clubs and the ACBL themselves had to say.
Wuhan, China: The Epicenter of Disaster
According to the Chinese zodiac, the year 2020 was set to be the Year of the Rat – but the future seemed to hold something worse for the world when the seriousness of COVID-19 became clear.
The epicenter of Coronavirus is believed to be located in Wuhan, China. It’s here where the virus is said to have first taken root – and spread through the use of “wet markets” selling sometimes live animals to the public.
Unfortunately, the same epicenter was also the location of the 44th World Bridge Team Championships in 2019.
News of several bridge players dying from COVID-related causes in Colorado as the first virus-related deaths in the state sends shockwaves through the bridge community.
(Source: “NY Times; Bridge was their passion, then people started to die”, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/us/coronavirus-bridge-colorado-springs.html ).
Soon after, the cancellation of several big bridge tournaments are announced – but many club games are allowed to continue through the benefit of being online.
COVID-19 and Cards: The Evolution of Bridge?
It’s certainly not the first time bridge has experienced a drastic evolution.
Changes in scoring were introduced by Harold S. Vanderbilt in 1925 – and online platforms like Bridge Base Online (BBO) have been around since at least 2001.
While some poker rooms have responded to the Coronavirus with the introduction of transparent plexiglass screens, there are practical reasons why players think this might not work for bridge games.
A thread on website BridgeWinners suggests that the use of masks and gloves might not be enough to stop the potential spread of COVID-19 in a crowded environment even when combined with screens – and some studies support this theory, especially when tools like gloves and masks are used improperly.
(Source: Sacramento Bee – “Latex gloves won’t help prevent Coronavirus, experts say“, https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article241129091.html ).
A large deal of players, clubs and the ACBL seems to think that online bridge is the way forward.
From the (Bridge) Director’s Seat: Greg Coles, ACBL
Greg Coles serves as the ACBL’s Director of Bridge Services.
This means that he’s been tasked with introducing Virtual Clubs in the time of COVID-19 as an alternative to sustain the game.
According to Greg, the introduction of Virtual Clubs came as a necessity.
“When we realized that every single club In the ACBL was shutting down, we quickly realized that this would mean financial disaster for many of our clubs.” says Greg. “We wanted a way for them to be able to continue to bring in revenue in order to support themselves – and we know that players need a place to play with their friends.”
Greg says that the introduction of Virtual Bridge Clubs are one way to continue the sense of community bridge players are known for.
“Is it the same as playing face-to-face?” he notes. “No, but even though it’s not as good in some ways, it can actually be better in others.”
Real life doesn’t allow for some luxuries of online play, Greg says, such as going back and seeing every bid or trick. “In this way, playing online is a great way to improve!”
Greg says that most players and tournament directors have taken well to the new change.
“It’s a steep learning curve for some and we’re still working on making improvements to the technology, but there’s been a huge effort put forth by many club managers and directors. To see the way everyone is willing to help is really wonderful.”
Virtual Clubs allow for existing bridge clubs registered with the ACBL to continue their games and business as usual, except online instead of face-to-face. “The club’s shopping trip for snacks is certainly easier!” says Greg, noting that the introduction of Virtual Clubs looks to be far more than just a quick-fix but a longer-term solution.
“The Executive Team at ACBL Headquarters will be working with the Board of Directors and listening to feedback from players to decide where we’ll go from here.” says Greg. “I don’t know exactly what form that will take, but I am quite confident that online club bridge is here to stay in some manner or another.”
“Once trained and comfortable running games, it’s easy to do.” says Greg. “We’re playing bridge online, we’re keeping our players involved in the game that they love (and hopefully avoiding them deciding to take on another hobby). There are more things right than there are wrong – and this project is by far the coolest thing I’ve ever been involved in!”
“It would never have been possible without a huge amount of effort from many, many people and without the cooperation and support of our partners at BBO and the Common Game.” says Greg.
Honors Bridge Club, New York
Aviv Shahaf is the head Tournament Director for the Honors Bridge Club as well as the Cavendish and Aces Bridge Clubs in New York. In the online bridge world, he is also the head Tournament Director for the All-for-Online Online Alliance on BBO.
“Surprisingly, most players have adapted very well to the online environment,” says Shahaf, mentioning that only a small minority are having trouble with general computer literacy while transitioning to the Virtual Club scene.
“Virtual clubs are here to stay, but the challenge will be getting face-to-face games back – and to find a way to synchronize live clubs with online games.”
It might be early days for Virtual Clubs yet, but Shahaf says that the ACBL and BBO have been doing a great job to find practical solutions for making the game better for both players and tournament directors.
Atlanta Bridge Club, Georgia
Sam Marks heads the Bridge Club of Atlanta, located in Georgia.
Sam says that members have taken to the Virtual Club shift very well. “We had 666 tables in the month of April. A very appropriate number for a pandemic.”
Unfortunately, Sam isn’t as optimistic about their experience as an online tournament director – while still having to admit that it has some benefits at the same time. “It’s horrible. You totally lose the social aspect of seeing and talking to your club members – but on the other hand, you don’t have to deal with leads out of turn and revokes.”
On the future of the Virtual Club: “Certainly it will continue, but the future lies in integrating the social aspect of bridge clubs to online bridge. With audio/video integrated systems and breakout rooms for every table, we can bring the social atmosphere to online games.”
The Villages Duplicate Bridge Club, Florida
Janet Matthews is in charge of all games online for The Villages Duplicate Bridge Club located in Florida.
Bridge players from The Villages have taken to the environment particularly well.
“With excitement and gratitude, we have nearly 500 members playing – and nearly all of them have sent thanks in some form of another.”
“More and more players are joining, and we’re hoping that whenever we don’t have a ‘real’ game we can continue to run a Virtual one.”
There are still pressing questions regarding clubs from members, including when face-to-face games are coming back and if charity games are allowed – but Janet also hopes that the introduction of Virtual Clubs can help to ensure the longevity in bridge.