pops had played all forms of bridge from the days of bridge–whist and auction bridge. he wrote his first book on this game in 1906, "london bridge", which "started the bridge craze in all the fashionable clubs of that day" [beasley]. like many of the early contract bridge players, he had been an expert auction bridge player in the 1920s. in domestic bridge he was a leading organiser. he had been a member of almacks club since 1901, and later was a co-founder and chairman of two leading london card clubs – crockford's (in st james's street) and the hamilton club (in hamilton place). he was also a leading player in the 1930s, winning the gold cup in 1933, and playing in several international events. he was an author and bridge columnist, and the originator of a bidding system named after him.