Let’s take a step back from bridge strategy and learning resources for a moment to talk about something else.

Bridge is an evolving game. Within the past few decades, the game has gained more respect as an esport, and more people are streaming their bridge games/tournaments with the help of sites like YouTube and Twitch.

But with its evolution, I think there are things in bridge that should best die off.

Unrelated bridge spam, gender division, a whole set of bridge myths, and online cheating are just some of the things that should be taken off the table for a better future bridge world.

Here are 5 things in bridge (that need to die out now).

1. Those bridge myths

Everyone reading this can likely name at least one myth they’ve heard about bridge before. What’s your personal favourite mythical bridge sentence? Bridge is hard, bridge is for older people, bridge is for bingo players…

That’s the thing about bridge myths: once you’re a bridge player, you’ll learn that the myths aren’t true.

Let’s just throw together all of the bridge myths in a hat, and then burn the hat.

2. Gender division in mindsports

Competitive mindsports should not be split by gender tournaments (or teams). Chess, GO, bridge, and other sports still divide teams or tournaments into gender categories in a time where I think we should have moved forward just a bit.

Simply, I don’t see the point of splitting up genders within mindsports. I imagine doing so creates a split between bridge players that doesn’t need to be there.

3. Unrelated bridge spam

I’ve seen a handful of emails about bridge that, well, really had nothing to do with it. As a copywriter, I can spot spam like this from miles away – and it was never really written for bridge players, but cobbled together to get readers to click on unrelated links.

Writers have a responsibility to write good stuff.

As a fan of bridge, I’m not enthusiastic about spam. Share the content you enjoy, and steer clear of spam that’s just there to gather your hits.

4. Online cheating

Just in the course of about two years, there has been a massive influx of online cheating headlines. It’s not exclusive to bridge, but also affected other games that get played with the help of computers and the internet.

Here’s the thing: people imagine that online cheating is easier to get away with, or contains less actual consequences than getting caught cheating in person. Neither of these statements are true!

Thanks to game revision, expert commentary, and algorithms everywhere, online cheating within esports is getting easier to moderate.

Online cheating attempts really have to die off now.

5. Partnership abuse

I’m convinced that the famous Bridge Table Murder was a display of an abused bridge partner who simply had enough of it. It’s a story that can be mirrored in a thousand bridge partnerships today – but it doesn’t have to.

Have you spotted a bridge partnership that shows signs of emotional or physical abuse?

Are you in a bridge partnership where emotional or physical abuse is happening? Seek immediate help, and resources in your area. When dealing with others, provide them with the best resources you can find.

What are some of the things you believe the modern game of bridge can do without?