Bridge Courses
Introduction
Bridge 101: Learn to Play Bridge is intended for people who have never played before. After this course, you will know how to play, you will have a good foundation in both the bidding and the play aspects of the game. But there is much more that you can learn if you want to continue getting better.
The 200 series courses help you improve from “beginner” to “advanced beginner”. There are 23 lessons in total in this series, spread over 6 courses. That's a lot of material. It would take an instructor 23 weeks, a long time, to teach this material at one course per week. It would take much longer if the courses were taught with a break between each course.
The Bridge 102 course was born out of a desire to teach people this material in a shorter time. It is like the “Cole's Notes” version of the 200 series of courses. It also covers the Bridge 301 2/1 Game Forcing system. After Bridge 102, you should be able to play in a duplicate bridge game at a club knowing 80% to 90% of the techniques that the others in the game are using.
The Bridge 300 series of courses cover a few “intermediate” topics. These are some of the remaining 10% to 20% of the techniques commonly used by duplicate players. There are many other “intermediate” and “advanced” topics. If you are interested, you can find these on other bridge related web sites.
Bridge 101: Learn to Play Bridge
After this course, you will have a good foundation and will be able to play a basic game of bridge. Click on any underlined text to view the information for that topic.
Lesson 1: The Basics: The players, the cards, the rules.
Duplicate Bridge Scoring
Rubber Bridge Scoring
A First Set of Practice Hands
Lesson 2: The Bidding System - Part 1 (hand evaluation, opening bids, responding to an opening bid, suit lengths).
Bidding System Handout: The bidding system in a nutshell.
Bidding System Summary (Cheat Sheet): Same information as above, in a smaller nutshell.
Bidding Quiz #1
Bidding Quiz #2
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: The Bidding System - Part 2 (your 2nd & 3rd bids, wide point ranges, narrow point ranges, captaincy).
Bidding Quiz #3
Practice Hands
Lesson 4: Bridge Strategy: The overall strategy when playing a bridge hand.
Practice Hands
Lesson 5: Bridge Tips/Tactics: Some simple tips to help you along, some good bridge tactics.
Practice Hands Practice bidding and playing
Lesson 6: Responding to NT Opening Bids: Learn the universally used Jacoby Transfer and Stayman conventions.
Practice Hands
Bridge 102: Improve Your Bridge Skills
The Bridge 101 course gives you a nice foundation towards becoming a good bridge player, but there is more to learn. This course will delve more deeply into how to play the hand, will cover the aspects of the bidding that were not covered in Bridge 101 and will show you how to become a formidable competitive bidder. After this course, you should be ready to play in a duplicate bridge game at a bridge club.
Lesson 1: Play of the Hand: Eliminate losers in a suit contract; set up extra long suit winners in a NT contract.
Opening Leads Against a Suit Contract
Opening Leads Against a No Trump Contract
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Other opening bids: Opening 2C with monster hands; opening 2D and higher suit bids with preemptive hands;
using the Blackwood and Gerber conventions to head towards slams.
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Competitive Bidding: Overcalls, takeout doubles, negative doubles.
Practice Hands
Lesson 4: Competing with Shapely Hands: Competing when the opponents open 1NT;
using Michael's Cue Bid and the Unusual 2NT to show hands with two 5 card suits..
Practice Hands
Lesson 5: 2 Over 1 Game Forcing System: Learn the system played by most intermediate and advanced players in North America.
Practice Hands
Lesson 6: Your first duplicate bridge game
Duplicate Laws, Ethics, Procedures
Bridge 201: Bridge Basics #1 - Basic Bidding
Learn the bidding sequences for the basic bidding situations.
Lesson 1: Opener Bids 1 of a Major: How the bidding should continue
Opening Leads Against a Suit Contract
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Opener Bids 1 of a Minor: How the bidding should continue
Opening Leads Against a No Trump Contract
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Opener Bids 1 No Trump: How the bidding should continue (Stayman & Transfers)
Practice Hands
Lesson4: Put it all together: more practice playing a mixture of the hands from the three lessons above.
Practice Hands
Bridge 202: Bridge Basics #2 - Basic Play
Learn the essential tactics for the play of the hand. After the Basic Bidding above and the Basic Play here, you should be comfortable playing in a beginner duplicate bridge game.
Lessons 1 & 2: Play of the Hand at a Suit Contract
Opening Leads Against a Suit Contract
Lessons 3 & 4: Play of the Hand at a No Trump Contract
Opening Leads Against a No Trump Contract
The practice hands for these basic play topics are taken from the book "Declarer Play at Bridge, A Quizbook" by Barbara Seagram and David Bird. These hands are not reproduced here so that we do not infringe on the authors' copyright.
Bridge 203: Opening Bids at the 2 Level and Beyond
Open 2 clubs with a monster hand (22+ points and/or 9 probable tricks in your hand). Open 2 diamonds and higher with a weak hand and a long suit.
Lesson 1: Open Big Hands with 2 Clubs
Bidding Slams - Asking for Aces and Kings
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Weak 2's (Preempts at the 2 Level)
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Preempts at the 3, 4 and 5 Level.
Practice Hands
Bridge 204: Competitive Bidding
Don't let the opponents have a simple uncontested auction. Get in the way. Compete for the contract. On the flip side, learn how to cope when the opponents interfere in your auction.
Lesson 1: Overcalls
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Takeout Doubles ... partner, I have support for the other suits ... bid something
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Negative Doubles ... partner, I have support for the other suits ... bid something
Practice Hands
Lesson 4: Competing When An Opponent Opens 1NT
Practice Hands
Lesson 5: Competing With Two 5 Card Suits
Practice Hands
Bridge 205: Defensive Signaling
You play the hand at bridge about 25% of the time but defend 50% of the time. When on defense, you can give signals to your partner by the choice of which card you play. The more you tell each other about your hands, the more you can play as a team rather than two individuals.
Lesson 1: Attitude Signals - Practice hands
Defensive Carding Handout (covers all three lessons)
Lesson 2: Discard and Suit Preference Signals - Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Count Signals - Practice Hands
Bridge 206: Defensive Play
Partner makes an opening lead. Declarer plays from dummy. Now it is your turn. You are in the 3rd seat. How should you play? Later, declarer leads from the closed hand (or from dummy). You are the next to play. You are in the 2nd seat. How should you play?
Lessons 1 & 2: Defense Against a NT Contract
Opening Leads Against a NT Contract
Lessons 3 & 4: Defense Against a Suit Contract
Opening Leads Against a Suit Contract
The practice hands for these defense topics are taken from the book "Defensive Play at Bridge, A Quizbook" by Barbara Seagram and David Bird. The hands are not reproduced here so that we do not infringe on the authors' copyright.
Bridge 301: 2 Over 1 Game Forcing
Learn the system played by most of the intermediate and advanced players in North America.
Lesson 1: 2/1 GF - Handout
21 GF - Ten Minute Tip
Practice Hands: 2/1 GF
Practice Hands: 1Major - 1NT Not Forcing
The 2/1 GF System was originally developed with 1Major - 1NT as forcing for one round. This forces opener to sometimes bid a 3 card minor. The pair often play in a 5-2 major suit fit or a 4-3 minor suit fit when 1NT would have been a better contract. Astute players no longer play 1Major - 1NT as forcing. Opener only bids again when opener has something else to say. This is the flavor in Lesson 1 above. But some players (and the BBO Robots) still play 1NT Forcing. If you want to learn how this is played, see Lesson 2 below.
Lesson 2: 1NT Forcing
1NT Forcing - Ten Minute Tip
Practice Hands: 1Major - 1NT Forcing
Bridge 302: Intermediate Bidding
Lesson 1: Reverses You must have sufficient strength if you force partner to the 3 level.
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Jacoby 2NT Show 4 card support for partner's major and an opening hand.
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: Splinters Show 4 card support for partner's major, enough value for game, and shortness.
Practice Hands
Bridge 303: Intermediate Play
Lesson 1: Cross Ruff and Dummy Reversal When to ruff with the long trump hand.
Practice Hands
Lesson 2: Play the Odds Should I finesse or play for the drop?
Practice Hands
Lesson 3: End Plays Get the opponents to break that suit for you.
Practice Hands
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