The Evolution Of Bridge From Salon Game To Global Phenomenon

Along with poker, blackjack, and gin rummy, bridge is one of the most popular card games in the world. It requires good communication, strategic thinking, and some ability to read your opponents. While whist, bridge’s natural predecessor, is hundreds of years old, bridge itself is only actually around 140 years old, having developed from Victorian era games rooms and salons.

Card Game Popularity

Bridge is a commonly played card game that is especially popular in China, Europe, and the US. It has been popular as a social game as well as a competitive card game, typically played for relatively low stakes. Most tournaments offer masterpoints rather than money, but there are still a few tournaments around the world that offer money prizes. Bridge is rarely found in casinos, unlike poker and blackjack, which are predominantly gambling games.

Card games like blackjack and poker are popular at crypto-friendly casinos with no KYC requirements. These sites do not require the submission of personal details during the registration process thanks to their acceptance of cryptocurrencies. According to gambling expert Matt Bastock, cryptocurrencies also offer instant payouts: another reason for their popularity.

Early Whist

In the grand scheme of card game history, bridge is a relatively new addition. Whist is a main forerunner to the contract game, however, and whist has a long history. It was first mentioned in the 16^th Century, although it was called Trump at the time. Another game called Ruff has similar rules and may have influenced the game we know today.

In early English, the term whist meant calm, quiet, and contemplative, which suggests the way the original card game was meant to be played. By the 18^th century, whist had become known as a game of the servant’s hall. It was not considered suitable for fine ladies to play.

However, during the 18^th Century, the game developed further. A group of players analyzed the game and its possible outcomes. They developed official rules, which had previously only been passed on from player to player and likely changed between playing groups. By the mid-19^th century, various rule books and manuals had been published, and several variants of the game had developed, including:

Long whist
Short whist
Bid whist
Straight whist
Bridge whist
Bridge Whist

Bridge whist, one of the variants of whist, was the main precursor to the game of bridge we know today. It developed first in the Mediterranean. In bridge whist, the dealer would declare a suit that would be played as trumps. The dealer also played their partner’s hand as a dummy hand.

Auction Bridge

Another early form of bridge was auction bridge. This form of the game developed in England, specifically in the city of Bath, in around 1908. In auction bridge, players would bid to name a trump suit, with the highest bidder being able to choose.

Although rules for the game were published by various bridge clubs at the time, they were considered unbalanced and it was only in 1920 that groups came up with fair, balanced rules. Royal Auction Bridge with the New Count was published in 1920 and was considered the standard for bridge games at the time.

Contract Bridge

It only took a few more years for the next popular variant of the game to emerge. In 1925, Harold Vanderbilt played his version of what we now consider standard bridge, on board the SS Finland. This was similar to auction bridge except that it included new scoring tables for vulnerable and non-vulnerable scoring.

The new rules were soon adopted by the Whist Club Of New York in 1927 and by 1930, it was the only variant being played at bridge clubs in both New York and London.

World Championships

Although the game had previously been played in parlors and some bridge clubs, The World Bridge Championships saw the game’s competition level ramp up. The first Bermuda Bowl was held in 1950, in Bermuda. Early championships pitted countries against one another with the first competition seeing the USA beating England and a team consisting of Swedish and Icelandic players.

The competition carried on in this format until the 1960s. In 1962, The World Pair Olympiad was held in Cannes. The event was held every four years and is still held today. Another competition, the World Bridge Games is held every four years on leap years.

The World Bridge Federation

The World Bridge Federation was founded in 1958 as the card game became increasingly popular. Today, it consists of more than 120 national bridge organizations and around 700,000 members globally. Many members participate in regular games, events, and tournaments in their local areas and the World Bridge Federation is responsible for major tournaments within the game.

As well as overseeing the World Championships, the Federation also heads the World Team Olympiads, which are part of the World Mind Sports Games, which started in 2008 but have not been held since the second organized event in 2012.

Bridge At The Olympics

There have been calls for bridge to be included in the Olympics. Proponents point to the emergence of e-sports and point out that bridge is competitive, requires effort on the part of players, and that it has a well-established player base, system of governance, and rules. However, hopes of the game being included in the Olympics were dashed in 2015 when the UK High Court ruled that bridge is not a sport.

They argued that while it was competitive, and met the criteria of a sport in this regard, it did not have enough of a physical element. In 2017., the European Court of Justice passed a similar ruling. With e-sports featuring, it is viable, although unlikely, that bridge could be played as an e-sports and find its way into the Olympics using that route.

Online Card Games

The modern game of bridge hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years. However, like many other card games, the way players can enjoy and play bridge has changed. Online bridge sites make it possible for players around the world to team up and take on other bridge pairs.

The World Bridge Federation arranges online tournaments and some websites offer daily games and tournaments. Local and national bridge clubs exist in most countries, too, and there are likely more than a million people who play the game across all continents.

Conclusion

Bridge has existed for around 150 years and in its current form for 100 years. It has been considered, although only fleetingly, for a spot in the Olympics. But, while it hasn’t achieved Olympic status yet, there are many tournaments, including major tournaments around the world, and the game is still enjoyed socially in countries around the world.