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Bedford No Fear Bridge Club
 
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First Mini Tournament

Thursday 27th October

 
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20th Oct 2016 15:56 BST
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20th Oct 2016 15:50 BST
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20th Oct 2016 15:46 BST
 
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Mini Tournaments

New mini tournaments (with prizes...) announced to provide improvers with a feel to see how great it is to play bridge in a club environment. 

These mini tournaments will be played in a competitive manner with a bridge Director present. 

Boards will be played under normal bridge club rules (i.e. no teaching notes or discussions) and importantly with time limits enforced.

The first tournament is set for 27th October 

Last updated : 20th Oct 2016 15:50 BST
About the Club
About the Club

Bedford No Fear Bridge Club is exactly “what it says on the tin”, a club for improvers and relaxed club bridge players who want to help pass on their experience.

There is no requirement to have a partner, although pairs are very welcome, we will find a partner for you! If you are not sure of the rules or etiquette, come along. We are there to answer your questions and help beginners.

We are primarily a teaching club, but about 50% of our members already play at duplicate clubs in Bedford and are keen to help beginners. We are a club that will provide improvers with a "stepping stone" to other duplicate clubs.

Our mission is to encourage the wider community to play and enjoy duplicate bridge. Our aim is to provide a friendly welcoming atmosphere so that anyone can come along and find a regular game of bridge. Bridge is a wonderful, social game that can be played at all levels of expertise and gives a club player a chance to play against experienced and higher ranking players.

The Club is based at the Aircraft Research Association Ltd. Sports Social Club Hall, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7PF. We meet every Thursday at 10 am to 1 pm. There is a safe car park with CCTV, adjacent to the hall (with no stairs to climb). Our numbers have grown from 3 to 16 tables, and all are welcome. Please arrive by 9.50 in order to ensure a prompt start.
We are a happy club and the more experienced players are always willing to help the improvers, there is no reason to fear playing duplicate bridge. Come along and see us! The boards are Duplimated, and printouts of the hands are available at the end of the session. Results with scorecards appear on the website.

We do not charge a joining fee yet. The table money is £2.50 per visit, coffee, tea and biscuits are included.

There are lessons for beginners and improvers on a Monday evenings, in Biddenham. Coffee, tea and chocolate biscuits are provided. 

The aim of our club is to prepare those wishing to learn or improve their bridge, through lessons and a daytime beginners club. These two activities complement each other and, will hopefully swell the ranks of club members throughout Bedford. We are hoping that the size and mix of club members will grow and encompass all ages.The club is a non-profit organization that once established and fully equipped will go on to donate to local Bedford Charities.We do not belong to the English Bridge Union now and all of our income goes into running costs and purchasing equipment. Our intention is to join the EBU once the club matures and membership grows.

Our Team is Louise Smith and Sue Ford (both committee members of Bedford Bridge Club, the premier club in Bedford), with many other volunteers and helpers.

Last updated : 29th Sep 2016 13:55 BST
Club Teaching Sessions
 
Learn How to Play
 
Sue Ford and Louise Smith are currently running a set of bridge courses for improvers.  These are held on Monday evenings in Biddenham.
 
Previously and potentially in the future they will arrange a set of courses for beginners.  They usually consist of 12 lessons, on Monday evenings in Brickhill, Bedford.
  
 Here is a list of how the beignners course generally works out:
  1. Interventions: simple overcalls, pre-emptive and weak jump overcalls, double
  2. Stayman and Transfers (further practice)
  3. Opener's rebid in a suit: strong (a reverse) or weak
  4. Uses of the Double
  5. Planning the Play: counting your winners and losers (revision)
  6. Declarer Play: finesses, entries and communication; developing tricks from a suit
  7. Vulnerability: whether to compete or not?
  8. Destructive Bids
  9. Bidding over Opposition Interference (The Competitive Auction)
  10. Defence: the opening lead; defenders play of the cards
  11. Higher Level Opening Bids: two notrump; two clubs; bidding strong unbalanced hands
 
Contact Information: Louise,    Email: la.smith9@ntlworld.com               Telephone: 07941 856683 
                                  Sue,                   sue.ford@mac.com                                         01234 300218
 
Last updated : 23rd Sep 2016 16:20 BST
Picture Gallery
Picture Gallery
Last updated : 27th Mar 2016 12:43 BST
Bridge Terms

Alert

When your partner makes a conventional bid you must alert this to the opponents by displaying the ‘Alert’ card

Auction

Another term for the bidding

Balanced Hand

A hand containing no void, no singleton and not more than one doubleton.

Barrier

When planning your opener's rebid, imagine a ‘barrier’ just above your first bid suit at the next level up.  A new suit rebid below the barrier shows 12-15 points. A new suit rebid above the barrier shows 16-19 ( a reverse)

Contract

The final bid in the auction, which determines the trumps suit, or no trumps and the number of tricks to be won

Convention

A conventional bid is a bid that has a special meaning and is not natural.  e.g. A 2♣  bid after a 1NT opening is the ‘Stayman’ convention and does not show length in clubs. Other conventions include ‘Red Suit Transfers’ and an opening 2♣ bid (does not show length in ♣), which is the convention for 23+ HCP or 10+ Playing Tricks. All conventional bids are alerted or announced. 

Dealer

In Duplicate bridge the dealer is specified on the board.

Declarer

The person who plays the hand.

Defenders

The Declarer’s opponents i.e. the pair who are not Declarer or dummy.

Discard

To throw away a card of a different suit (when you can’t follow suit)

Double for Penalties

If you think the opponents have bid too high and will fail to make their contract you can double for penalties.  This doubles the number of points you will score for each trick they fail by, it also doubles the points they will score if they make the contract.

Doubleton

Two cards in a suit

 

Dummy

The Declarer’s partner.  The dummy’s hand gets placed face upwards on the table and is played by the Declarer.

 

Duplicate Bridge

The form of bridge where the same deal is played by a number of players.  Each of the four hands are put in a board or wallet which is passed from table to table.  Each board is scored in its own right and the objective is to make a higher score on the deal than others who played it.

 

Following Suit

Playing a card in the same suit as the one led by another player.

 

Forcing Bid

A bid which tells partner he must bid again.

 

 

 

 

High Card Points

Ace = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1

 

   

 

Invitational Bid

Invites partner to bid again if he has a maximum hand. 

 

Limit Bid

Has a small and precise point range including an upper limit to the number of points. A bid that tells everything in one bid.

 

Major Suits

Hearts and Spades

 

Minor Suits

Clubs and Diamonds

 

Opener

The first person to bid anything other than ‘Pass’.

 

Opening Lead

The first card played.  It is always the person on the left of Declarer.

 

Overcall

A bid made by the opponents of the player who opens the bidding. 

 

Penalty

Points scored by defenders when a contract is defeated.

 

Responder

The partner of the player who started the partnership’s bidding.

 

Reverse

Bidding a new suit above the barrier

 

Revoke

Failure to play a card of a suit led when it was possible to do so.

 

   

 

Ruff

To win a trick with a trump (when you can’t follow suit).

 

Shortage Points

When you have a certain eight card fit, you can count extra points for short suits.      

Void = 5, Singleton = 3, Doubleton = 1

 

Sign Off Bid

A sign off bid tells partner not to bid again

 

Singleton

Only one card in a suit.

 

Take-out Double

A bid of ‘double’ that is not for penalties but asks partner to bid their longest suit.

 

Trick

Four cards, one from each player, played in clockwise rotation.

 

Void

No cards in a  suit.

 

Vulnerable

When a pair is vulnerable it affects game and slam bonuses and undertrick scores.  In Duplicate bridge the vulnerability changes on each board.  The pair that are vulnerable are shown in red on the board.   

 

Last updated : 27th Mar 2016 12:43 BST