Trading card games like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! were invented long after the first tricks were won in bridge, and yet these modern card games have managed to amass thousands of fans who devote their time to better play.

Whenever I meet a trading card player, my first instinct is recommending bridge. Bridge and TCG players have a lot of things in common – and least of all, that we like cards.

It’s a natural combination, even though we’re playing with different decks.

Here’s why I think TCG players might be the next frontier.

            1: We’re All About Cards

I don’t think I’ve ever met a trading card player who didn’t enjoy at least one other card game played with a normal card deck – even if they weren’t regular players of the game in question. We all share a love for cards in some or other form, and this means most TCG players transition well to bridge (and often the other way around).

            2: We Compete, Naturally

Both bridge players and TCG players have a natural love for competition that drives games, challenges, puzzles and duels. It’s the love for competition that keeps the board game industry as a whole afloat – and whether we’re playing an AI or human, we love doing it.

            3: We Share Industry Challenges

What do both bridge and TCG players need less of? There are many answers, but in-game dishonesty is one of the biggest – and what this says, is that bridge and trading card tournaments could potentially be facing much of the same challenges at the same time. Maybe we share some solutions, too.

            4: We’re Both Going Online

Tabletop doesn’t have to mean a table anymore – and there’s a movement for both TCG players and bridge to see an increase in online play. Playing online is taken just as seriously as sitting around a table, and the online aspect means players from both worlds are more likely to meet up from a game thanks to the internet.

            5: We’re Embracing E-Sports

We’re living in the right era to see the emergence (and boom) of e-sports – and bridge might be able to take full advantage of it in the near future, as TCG players already have. Broadcasting matches are big (and betting on matches are taking off, too). It’s something that both sides might be able to enjoy.