Biggest Competition In Bridge Vs. WSOP 2024
Card games are extremely popular across the world. The two most popular card games currently are poker and bridge. These two card games are so popular that they have mega tournament competitions. In 2024, we will get to witness the 16th World Bridge Games and the 55th Edition of the World Series of Poker. As these two major events take place card game enthusiasts may show support for either or both, but which of the two is the biggest competition?
Before we can compare the World Bridge Games and the World Series of Poker Festival, it is critical to understand the difference between the two card games.
Bridge Vs Poker
As already mentioned, both bridge and poker are widely popular card games; however, poker takes this popularity lead by far. Poker is arguably the most played card game worldwide. This is especially because of the availability of poker on almost every online gambling site. You can expect card games like blackjack and baccarat or a range of table games like roulette in any online casino. However, this is different for Bridge, as its availability online is limited to a few bridge-specific online clubs and apps. Moreover, as little as one player can play the basic poker game, while playing bridge requires at least two pairs of players.
The rules for engaging in poker are very simple and easily understood, even by beginners. The goal in poker is to create the best hand to win by combining your cards with those that have been dealt face-up on the table. The rules of bridge, on the other hand, start simple but get more complex as the game progresses. In bridge, the goal when playing is to take as many tricks as possible by either playing the highest card in the suit that was led or, if you have no cards from the led suit, winning with a ‘trump’ card. The basics of bridge is similar to Whist, or even Casino War.
One big difference between the two card games is in the prize category. While poker can win the player money for each hand and lots of money by winning the WSOP, most bridge tournaments do not involve winning money. Bridge winners are awarded medals and points and are ranked on national and global scales. It is possible, however, to become a professional bridge player when clients hire the player to be on their team, and this can be quite lucrative at the higher levels.
While the play of both card games differs greatly, the aspects of luck and playing the odds are similar. Players of both card games make decisions and plays using a combination of learned skills, intuition, and confidence in their gameplay.
Now that we have an idea of how both card games are played, let’s compare the biggest competitions and judge which is the biggest competition.
2024 World Bridge Games Vs 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP)
The 2024 World Bridge Games will take place at the Centro de Convenciones de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament will run from 21st October, with the opening ceremony having play start on 22nd October and conclude on 3rd November with the closing ceremony on the same day.
The World Series of Poker runs for considerably more days compared to the World Bridge Games. The 2024 World Series of Poker Festival will be held at the Horseshoe and Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, as usual. The competitions will run from 28 May to 17 July.
When it comes to comparison of competition categories, the World Bridge Games 2024 has only three main events (National Teams and National Pairs Championships, Pablo Lambardi Transnational Open Teams and BAM Transnational Open Teams). In contrast, the World Series of Poker has a whooping 99 categories that poker players have a shot at winning. Furthermore, in the World Bridge Games, only the 103 National Bridge Organizations (NBOs) who are members of the World Bridge Federation (WBF) can send national teams to compete although some of the side events are open to any pair or team. The national teams have to qualify through a series of playoff events in their country. Buy-in to a world event is typically under $5000 for an entire team.
For the World Series of Poker competitions, anyone can join and play. All you have to do is be at least 21 years of age and afford the buy-in cost, which begins at $10,000 this year, as well as your travel and accommodation during the festival. When it comes to the level of expertize of players, due to the qualifying nature of the event, only expert players compete in the World Bridge Games. However, for the World Series of Poker, players can range from novice to expert.
Players in the World Bridge Games battle it out in the card games to come out on top of their event and be awarded the coveted gold, silver, and bronze medals. On the other hand, participants of the World Series of Poker try their hand at winning the prestigious gold bracelets of each category and handsome cash prizes. The 2023 WSOP Main Event champion walked away with Poker’s World Champion title, a gold bracelet, and $12.1 million in cash.
While both the World Bridge Games and the World Series of Poker are the biggest competitions of the respective card games, the World Series of Poker is the biggest competition of the two. Bringing in scores of contenders, having numerous competition categories, paying out millions in prizes, and drawing the attention of hundreds and hundreds of fans every year is no mean feat to achieve. This is what the Word Series of Poker competition has and continues to achieve.