There is an interesting thread on...

[Vilgan]

A kids show that makes bridge "cool" would be the ultimate win. It certainly worked for Go in Japan with Hikaru no Go. Here is a quick BBC blurb on that:

[hotShot]

Bridge at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0pacJNspqk

 

Of cause there are more!

[Free]

Bridge at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0pacJNspqk

 

Of cause there are more!

Booooooring! No wonder nobody is interested... :rolleyes:

[benlessard]

Agree 100% with JLOL 2 posts. Exposure to cards, can really lead to the king of

cards games.

[jmc]

I have posted previously about how the ACBL could use the game of Spades to promote bridge. I even had some correspondence with the ACBL CEO Jay Baum about it at one point.

 

The ACBL needs players.

 

Spades needs a rating and organizational body.

 

Spades needs clubs and places to play.

 

Spades is a simple introduction to bridge ideas like, trump, tricks, etc.

 

Doesn't this seem like a natural fit? Add a spades game once a week at clubs and advertise it. Add a game or two to regionals and nationals. The promotion of spades would lead to thousands of bridge converts.

 

jmc

 

Below is the text of my main email to Jay Baum ACBL CEO:

 

Let me begin by talking about a card game called spades.

Spades is a trump based card game similar to bridge. The game is

played by 4 players who are seated and partnered as in bridge but

spades is always trump. There is no dummy and players can also bid

"nils" for taking no tricks. This game is thriving both on the

internet and perhaps more importantly among high school and college

students around the country. Spades has only two major tournaments a

year and has thus far failed at creating a national sanctioning body.

In many ways spades players are in a similar position to whist /

bridge players pre ACBL. They have no clubs. They play in coffee

shops and student unions.

 

Why am I prattering on about spades players you might be wondering. I

think that the acbl should consider stepping in and becoming involved

in spades. Many bridge players play in spades tournaments and the

game would be simple to learn. More importantly, the opportunity to

get spades players (did I mention many of them are young?) into our

clubs, perhaps even playing games for spade "points", would be a

chance to recruit them into OUR great game, Bridge. I am convinced

the acbl would benefit mightily. My father and sister have both

recently become interested in playing bridge because of how much they

have enjoyed playing spades.

 

Imagine if acbl clubs had a spades game on Saturday afternoon,

immediately followed by a bridge intro and minibridge game. Some

players would surely stay. They could then watch as the Saturday

Bridge game players trickled into the club. Maybe they would see the

intensity of play. Some might stay and kibitz. Imagine how easy our

members could invite family members who didn't know bridge to play

spades. The game is much easier to learn, but provides great training

for bridge in terms of play of the hand. It has to be easier to

recruit players for bridge among those who play cards than those who

don't.

 

The ACBL could test my ideas by running a pilot program. Persuade a

bridge club owner or two to publicize and run a spades game and offer

some bridge indoctrination immediately before and after. When the

players arrive explain the clubs main purpose is for bridge and

introduce the role of the acbl. ACBL score could easily prepare swiss

pairings or some other type of playing bracket. Post sheets just like

in real bridge. Following the game invite whoever is interested to

play a few hands of minibridge. Announce any upcoming bridge lessons

and emphasize how many bridge games the club has every week. If this

is at all interesting to you, I have spoken to club owners willing to

give it a try.

 

Even if none of these ideas about acbl and bridge are interesting to

you, at a minimum I think you should consider having the acbl sponsor

a booth or some kind of presence at the three large spades conferences

every year. It makes sense to market to our fellow card players. Two

conferences are held by The Spades Connection and information can be

found at http://www.thespadesconnection.com/news.php. The largest

tournament is the World Series of Spades and information can be found

at http://www.grandprixtournaments.com/ Currently there are 4000

spades players online at the Microsoft Gaming Zone. There are only

1000 bridge players.

[JoAnneM]

" Currently there are 4000 spades players online at the Microsoft Gaming Zone. There are only 1000 bridge players."

 

I am surprised there are that many. Why would you play through msn when you can play directly at bbo with much better graphics. I think most figured that out rather quickly.

 

As a former, and very happy, member of the MSN Bridge Club, which was a "fee site" (not the free zone), I welcomed the new bridge at MSN with a huge yawn.

[Hanoi5]

" Currently there are 4000 spades players online at the Microsoft Gaming Zone. There are only 1000 bridge players."

 

I am surprised there are that many. Why would you play through msn when you can play directly at bbo with much better graphics. I think most figured that out rather quickly.

 

As a former, and very happy, member of the MSN Bridge Club, which was a "fee site" (not the free zone), I welcomed the new bridge at MSN with a huge yawn.

 

I don't understand this answer to the previous post, did you read what he had to say about marketing Bridge to Spades players? If you are or were in a position at the ACBL (and I think you are from your previous post here) you should be 'lobbying' for this idea to go through.

 

I agree with some people in this and the rec.games.bridge post and I also disagree on a lot of stuff. I think my conclusions from what I have read so far are:

 

1. The Bridge playing population is diminishing due to several factors. I'm not sure at what rate but it certainly is worrying, 'cause it could lead to an eventual disappearance of the game altogether. Therefore something must be done by EVERY person interested in the game. It doesn't matter if you're ACBL or not, why don't YOU advertise bridge in a Spades game? Why don't YOU advertise bridge to your students? Why don't YOU teach bridge to your friends and relatives?

 

2. An important marketing strategy that should be use is in fact a very easy one: Publicity. Publicize bridge as much as you can, using any means available. Good publicity, bad publicity, it doesn't really matter whether the news talk about a young life master who just received his/her title or a team who denies having voted for the current president in their country. Drop pamphlets at universities/colleges/highschools, push sport channels/newspapers to cover stories (or plays) about/of bridge, advertise everywhere you can about classes and clubs and tournaments, etc. I was just watching this news bit about how the economic recession is leading the American families to play more board games; birdge is not a board game but, why couldn't it be mentioned? Just let people know that bridge exists and that people play it and have fun or drama with/in it.

 

3. Find sponsors. Some people should take care of this and even in the present economic situation find people/institutions willing to donate money for bridge. What about teaching in companies that would then compete amongst themselves? Can you imagine in the news "AMD bridge team beats Intel", or "Donald Trump's bridge team beats Bill Gates'". And guess how these teams will be trained? By bridge teachers and/or coaches who'd find a more interesting job than teaching old ladies in a country club (and leaving that job to someone else, of course).

 

4. Create a Universal Beginner's Bridge System. Let's gather teachers and theorists from all over the world and have them devise (or choose?) a system to be used in all beginners classes everywhere in the world. May the WBF impose all NBO's this system as the starting system for all new students. Let each NBO design and adapt it's present teaching program to teach this system adding some defenses to whatever is common at club levels. And then, let everyone play whatever system they choose according to the tournament level but let all beginners be able to play together, no matter where they're from. If, though I don't think it's possible, systems seem to begin to 'dissappear', create events where your inventiveness (or memory capacity for learning a new system) is rewarded, put beginners in the 'next level' by teaching them a new system (2/1 or Polish club to give examples, depending on the club).

 

5. Charge more money to those who can pay it, and less to those who can't. Let's face it, a teenager would rather spend his/her money in something else than in a bridge tournament or NBO fee. Lower the charges according to age! Or according to several factors, whichever they be.

 

I hope I have not forgotten any of my ideas, so these are my two cents.

[bill1157]

Fred is (as usual) dead on on his points. I do think though that bidding is what separates bridge from spades etc.

I am working with my wife and another couple on learning bridge. We have been bidding (natural altogether) and they can see how it works. After several sessions i made the remark that now the next step is to get to game when it is appropriate, i.e. develop bidding judgement. Maybe take-out X's next and later we will get into slam bidding.

Also, again i will say: simplify the scoring also: you dont need vulnerability to make the game enjoyable and rewarding.(and popular)

Bill