How can bridge compete with this?
Todays FTOPS event #24 at Full Tilt Poker
Cost of entry : $129 USD (comparable)
Number of entrants : 9,832 (more than an ACBL Nationals ?)
Tournament Location : Wherever you happen to be (No travel costs)
Dress Code : Whatever you want, as much or as little as you want
Duration of tournament : between eight and twelve hours (Not 2 weeks !!)
(AFTER SIX HOURS THE FIELD WAS ALREADY DOWN TO 370 PLAYERS)
Prize pool : $983,200 USD (yes there are cash prizes !!)
First place prize : $152,396
Second place prize : $103,236
Third place prize : $72,757
Fourth place prize : $52,306
Fifth place prize $38,345,
90th place prize $1,003
541 st place prize : $295
1350 th place prize : $148 (Yes, they pay up to 1350 th place !!)
Plus, every time you knock someone out you make a $20 bounty; and if you knock out a pro, you get a $120 bounty
Okay, okay………Don’t get me wrong.
I much prefer playing bridge for no money, in fact, at my expense, to a game of No limit Hold ‘Em (NLHE) – but there are many who differ.
But NLHE has the attention of the masses; the enthusiastic embrace of the youthful; and it is easy to learn; easy to play; and luck plays more of a part in the final outcome.
I think as bridge aficionados we should be aware of what’s going on out there, but don’t think of competing with poker – there is no competition.
That’s like saying the National Hockey League is going to take on the NFL for supremacy in the TV ratings
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Ross, if we could figure out how to avoid cheating (a tough nut to crack) we could do money bridge online. I don’t think poker and bridge are competitors, but I’d sure like to introduce bridge to all of those young poker enthusiasts. Eventually they’ll tire of poker and want a different card game challenge.
Why post poker stuff on a bridge website? Let those who want poker go to poker blogs. Let’s have some bridge!
I think it is an interesting issue. Why do people prefer poker to bridge. I think it is exciting to play for money, bridge or poker but I confess I am not a gambler.
Bridge has this wonderful element of logical reasoning and of course partnership that is not there in poker. Poker has all the interesting betting elements and much more reading of opponents not to mention coffee housing.
I will never be a poker player but I can see why lots of people would.
Perhaps it is the complex bidding though that is the strongest reason why it is hard to interest young people. Bidding was much worse but much simpler in the 50’s and 60’s when bridge was popular.
Jim
The ACBL, and all its members, cares deeply about the aging bridge populace, and how difficult it is to simply tread water in terms of membership numbers.
In the past six years, poker has captured the hearts and minds of tens of millions of people of all ages all over the world, and it’s a game whose basis is a deck of cards, just as with bridge.
Poker’s popularity has exploded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
I respect your point that I should curtail poker specific blogs in this forum, but I can’t agree that it is better to pretend that the elephant in the room does not exist.