Sitaatti viikolle 36

In the Depression years of the 1930s, the card game contract bridge, first played in the United States in the late 1920s, blossomed. [...] Contract bridge is a game played by partners, who must cooperate – a social game that from beginning was frequently recommended as a way to make friends or even find a beau. [...] Contract bridge has only rarely been played for money. Yet in the first decade of the twenty-first century contract bridge is in serious decline, viewed as a game for the elderly, with few younger enthusiasts. In contrast, in recent years poker – and especially its twenty-first-century variation, Texas hold ’em – has surged forward. These games are played by individuals for themselves alone, emphasize a type of deception variously called bluffing and ”keeping a poker face”, and are generally played for money. (George A. Akerlof & Robert J. Schiller 2009: Animal spirits: how human psychology drives the economy, and why it matters for global capitalism)