Challenge Bridge

A Duplicate Bridge Diversion

Challenge Bridge is a system designed to allow bridge players to play the same hands that were used in American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) tournaments. The game includes the results from the tournaments, so players can rank their play against that of the championship level players.

The key to the system is the "computerized deal cards". The deck of cards that comes with the game is marked. Literally. There is a pattern of markings on the back of each card. When the cards are placed in the "card selector" along with a "deal card" only one marking will be visible through the deal card. This indicates which player that card should be dealt to. There are 100 deal cards included with the game and discussions of the 100 bridge hands in the manual, which includes commentary by bridge expert Oswald Jacoby.

I admit, I'm not much of a bridge player, but I'm just not seeing this. Maybe if I was really into the game I might get a kick out of playing the same hands used in a major tournament, but I don't know. If the hands were designed to be some particular bridge "problem" (like the books of chess problems you can find in the bookstore) it might be more interesting but as it is you are just playing a hand that someone else shuffled and dealt.

Perhaps the game could work as a training aid since it would allow you to deal the exact hand over again and try a second time, but I'm not even sure about that. I guess I'm just not enough of a bridge fan to appreciate this one.