From today the Canadian Bridge Federation will be changing its playing cards to try to attract younger people to bridge. The cards will include famous Canadians, with the king being replaced on all cards by teen popstar Justin Bieber. Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson will replace the queen and actor Michael J Fox, famous for the Back to the Future trilogy, will replace the jack.
From now on Canadian players will need to ask dummy to ‘play the Justin please’. There will be no penalty for asking for the cards by their former name, but it is hoped that such terminology can be phased out by the end of the year.
First Officer of Learning, Avril Sot, believes that by including popular and well-known faces younger players will be more interested in playing. ‘My daughter loves Justin Bieber,’ she says, ‘and any game where he is involved will certainly get her interested in playing. It may not be popular with everyone, but I am sure they will get used to it and appreciate that it is being done for the long term benefit of the game.’
Do you think this is a good idea? Would you like to see the EBU introduce a similar change in this country, and who would you include on the cards to get younger players interested? The boys from One Direction? Cheryl Cole? Follow the link below to give your opinion and cast your vote.
April 1, 2014