On May 16th, 2024, we launched something new on IntoBridge—a simple but ambitious idea: what if every day, a well-known bridge player stepped into the spotlight, played a set of boards without seeing them in advance, and shared their thought process with the world?

Fast-forward one full year, and the Daily Celebrity Challenge has become a daily ritual for many. A shared moment of learning, laughter, and sometimes a bit of chaos. So let’s take a look back at what this journey has looked like—and say a big thank you for being a part of it.

A Few Numbers Worth Celebrating

• ✦ 365 days of Daily Challenges
  
  
• ✮ 75 celebrities from 20 countries
  
  
• ▷ 180 hours of video content produced, watched more than 130,000 times in over 20,000 hours
  
  
• ֎ 1,825 boards played by the celebrities and replayed by you more than 2,5 million times, giving you a chance to compare your game with bridge celebrities from around the world
  

From the very beginning, the charm of the format was clear: no pre-recorded polish, no edited-out mistakes—just real bridge, played and explained in real time by some of the world’s best.

Players tell us they love this raw format. Why? Because celebrities come in “naked”—no rehearsals, no prior knowledge of the boards. You get to hear their thinking, step by step. It’s honest, instructive, and often just plain entertaining.

Disasters Included (And Welcome)

Sure, you’ll see brilliant plays. But you’ll also witness the occasional slam missed, a doubled contract gone for 1400, or top players sheepishly realizing they’ve made a few too many tricks less than they could have. That’s part of the magic—it’s real, and it’s relatable.

And let’s be honest—there’s a special kind of joy in outplaying a bridge celebrity. It’s all in good spirit, of course. Everyone still respects the talent and experience these players bring—but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying when you spot the better line or make the safer bid. The challenge feels more personal, and more fun, because it’s human (even if Lia, our favorite robot, is always in the mix).

Some Highlights from Year One

• ⤴︎ Pete Hollands takes the crown for most appearances—thank you, Pete!
  
  
• 𓅸 The most played challenge so far?
  February 11th, 2025, featuring Pierre Franceschetti of France, with a whopping 1,874 participants.
  
  
• ♕ James Holzhauer, the latest Ranked Games champion, has been our celebrity six times—think you beat him? Check out the games from: 17 Jun, 25 Aug, 28 Oct, 7 Dec (2024), 7 Mar & 20 Apr (2025).
  
  
• ∞ Supporters (IntoBridge subscribers) can replay any Daily from the past—whenever they want, as many times as they like.
  
  

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, we want to bring even more variety to the Celebrity Challenge. That means:

• More countries represented
• More women in the spotlight
• More bridge teachers sharing their insights

Your feedback helps guide us—so don’t miss the survey at the bottom of this post. It asks two simple questions:

1. Who have been your favorite celebrities so far?
2. Who else would you love to see featured?
   
   

Infographic Time!

We’ve put together some visual highlights from this past year—scroll down to dive into the data and discover some interesting facts.

Thank You ♥︎

To everyone who plays, watches, comments, or just quietly enjoys the Daily Celebrity Challenge—thank you. This feature is what it is because of you. Your passion for bridge, your curiosity, your support—these are what keep us inspired and motivated to improve.

A huge thanks as well to all the celebrities who have generously given their time, and shared their knowledge, experience, and fun stories. You’ve helped make every day on IntoBridge more exciting!

Here’s to many more challenges, a few more 1400s, and lots more shared “aha!” moments.

– The IntoBridge Team

? Take the quick survey – tell us who your favorite celebrities are and who else you’d love to see:

Click HERE

After completing the survey, make sure to keep your streak: