it is the most complex of card games
it is considered to be on a par with chess in terms of complexity and intellectual challenge

the grand masters can make millions of dollars and it takes a minimum of ten years to play well(on a national level)
only a few american universities offer full scholarships to great young players but that is more common in europe

many professional players make $100k a year or more playing and teaching the game
it does have a slightly snobbish reputation as others have referred to but one need not be a millionaire to play
it does cost about $12 a session for organied/ranked play

some older people do play it at home for free and that might be what HWCNG is babbling about
but the national events are generally won by men in their thirties and forties

it is actually much more like spades on steroids than hearts

for those who read newspapers, you will see bridge columns in the puzzles section

it would take too long to explain why a bridge pro/am is more analogous to what we want than a golf pro/am is

if you ever want to pick up an extremely complicated, absorbing and ultimately rewarding game that takes years of study to master, bridge is a great choice