PLAYING BRIDGE ON BRIDGEBASE ONLINE (BBO) WITH THREE FRIENDS
NOTE: The instructions that follow may look complicated. Please be assured that BBO is very easy and intuitive to use so do not be put off before you begin!!!
NOTE: If you become aware of anything that is unclear or incorrect in what follows, please let James Killen know. Thank you!
- REGISTERING WITH BBO
In order to play as a foursome on BBO, each member of the group will have to register on BBO and create a Username. This costs nothing.
In order to register:
Go to http://www.bridgebase.com
Click on ‘Play Bridge Now’
Click on ‘Become a Member (free)’
Enter the four required fields i.e. User name, Password etc.
Click to highlight your skill level
Click to highlight your country
Click to agree the terms of service
Click to Register
If the username that you choose is not available, follow the instructions and create a different username for yourself. After you have registered successfully, keep a record of your username and password in a safe place.
- ARRANGING TO PLAY
The group will need to decide on the time at which play is going to begin. Choose one member of the group to set up the table. That individual will need to know the usernames of the other three players that will be joining the table.
- SETTING UP THE TABLE (Only for the person who has agreed to do this)
Approximately five minutes before the game is scheduled to begin:
Go to http://www.bridgebase.com
Click on ‘Play Bridge Now’
Enter User Name and Password (if the system has not saved them from before)
Click ‘Login’
Under ‘Play or Watch Bridge’ click on ‘Casual’
Click on ‘Start a Table’
Under ‘Privacy Options’, you might care to turn off the options ‘Allow Kibitzers’ and ‘Allow kibitzers to chat with players’
Click to activate the option ‘Permission required to play’. This will prevent other players from intruding on your game.
Click ‘Start Table – Relaxed Game’
Click on the position in which you are going to play and click ‘Sit’. Your name will appear on a white background in the relevant position. This indicates that you are sitting in that position and are ready to play.
Click on each of the other three positions in turn. In each case, click on ‘Reserve’, type the username of the player who is to sit there and click ‘OK’. The player’s username will appear in that position against a red background and with the word ‘Reserved’ after their name.
The table is now set up and ready to receive the three other players.
- JOINING YOUR TABLE (This is for the three individuals who are joining the table only)
At the time that your group has agreed to play:
Go to http://www.bridgebase.com
Enter Username and Password (if the system has not saved them from before)
Click 'Login'
As soon as you login, you will receive a message stating ‘A seat is reserved for you’. Click ‘Yes’ to go to your seat.
You will now see the table. The names of the players that have arrived there already will be against a white background; the names of the players yet to arrive will be against a red background with ‘Reserved’ after their name.
When all the players have arrived, the cards for the first board will be dealt.
On the left you will see a small diagram indicating the vulnerabilities for this hand and the dealer.
- BIDDING AND PLAYING
When it is your turn to bid, a bidding box will appear. Click on the bid you wish to make – level fist and then the denomination.
At the conclusion of the auction, the player on lead should click on the card that (s)he wishes to play. Each player in turn then clicks on the card that each wishes to play.
As the hand is played, the number of tricks currently won by each side appears on the left.
If at any point in the play, a player wishes to claim a certain number of the remaining tricks, (s)he clicks ‘Claim’ and then clicks on the number of tricks being claimed. The other players should then click on ‘Agree’ or ‘Disagree’ to accept or reject the claim.
When the hand is over, the system announces the outcome.
At any time during the game, the score in imps that a pair has achieved on the hands played so far is on the left. At the end of the session, the winning pair is the pair with the positive score; the bigger the score, the greater the win.
- CHATTING TO THE OTHER PLAYERS AT THE TABLE
At the bottom of the screen is a blank line with a ‘Chat’ button on the right. You may type text into the blank area and then let others see it at any time by clicking on ‘Chat’ on the right hand side.
The blue button on the left advises where any comments that you make will go. You will want to chat to the Table. Thus, if the blue button on the left does not say ‘Table’, click on it and then click on ‘Table’.
Now you can chat to your friends and see their comments as well as playing bridge with them!
- OTHER FEATURES IN BBO
BBO has many other features. For example, one can go online on one’s own and play with strangers. One can also watch (kibbitz) others who are playing.
ENJOY!
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