[pbmango]

I think most of Bridge's barrier to entry is perception. Before I learned the basics and started playing with friends and family I had the understanding it was extremely complex, on the order of playing a new instrument. This turned out to not be the case and anyone with a basic grasp of cards, probability, and betting can figure it out.

There is also the social perception that is a game older people play, specifically older women. Without fail when I suggest a game or someone to learn it they reference "Its what my grandma plays". This is driven more by just how popular cards used to be, bridge one of the most popular. Something on the order of 3 of 4 were in a regular card playing group mid century I remember reading. As that population retained the habit the average age of bridge player is now in their 70s whereas it used to be much lower.