The Basics

Playing bridge online is not difficult, but a little practice is necessary

After logging on the screen will offer a series of choices

We strongly recommend that, if you have not played online before, 
you should practice with a few hands in the Casual section of BBO
before playing in a competitive session.

To play a friendly game for practice, click on Casual. 
This will enable you and friends to create your own private game,
or to join in with another game and play with someone else online.

Before playing in a competitive event you should complete some information in your profile.
On the right hand edge of the screen there are a number of vertical headings.

Select Account: this will then enable you to enter information about you and your system.
The right hand column  will now be headed Account, with an underlined subheading saying Profile.
This right had column should be widened if necessary by dragging the margin.
Your User Name will be shown at the top left.
on the right there is a rather faint small heading saying Real name
Enter your First Name and Surname below this.
Below that, under Other, enter brief details of your basic system (this may be changed later)
There are a few other items to be completed.
Don't forget to click Save Changes before leaving this page!
 

Entering SBBC and Burnham BC Events

Registration for SBBC and Burnham events will be from about 1 hour before starting time
The event will not be listed before the time for Registration
Each session will play 20 boards and last for approx 2½ hours

There will be a charge of £3.00 for each session.
Players will receive in arrears a monthly email requesting payment.

To play in an SBBC or Burnham event, click on
Competitive
 All tournaments
the screen will now show a long list of pending games
The screen has a small box at top right. saying Search
In the search box type SBBC 
The screen will now show the pending SBBC event

Click on the event name
A message will invite you to nominate a partner (User Name)
Your partner, if online will receive a message inviting him/her to play, and should accept this.
Alternatively, if you were online when partner issued an invitation, you will receive this and should accept.
 

Bidding and Play
When you have accepted and the event starts you will be allocated to a table with four User Names, showing who is playing.

Every player will always see his/her name at the bottom of the screen, with partner opposite.
One of the names will be highlighted in yellow. This is the player whose turn is is to bid or play. 
The auction will appear on the screen as it happens. 
When it is your turn to bid, the bidding box with all available bids is shown for you to select.
When the Auction is finished, the final contract remains, together with the number of tricks taken, on the left of the screen.
After the opening lead the dummy will show and, if you are dummy, you will also see declarer's hand

At the bottom of the screen there is a "chat box"
This can be used to greet your opponents at the start of each round
and also to give a brief description of your system (e.g. Benji Acol, 12-14 NT, HELD discards)
on the right of the screen is a column which  initially has information about other events. 
Above the column are headers - select Chat  so that you can see chats from other players, and the Director

Alerting
Self-Alerting is used, i.e. you should alert and explain your own conventional bids before making them
When you are about to make a conventional bid you first press the Alert bid
and type a brief description and then make the bid.
This highlights the bid, which shows to the opponents, but not to your partner.

If one of your opponents makes a bid and you want an explanation,
click on the bid and the opponent will be asked to explain.
The explanation will show to you and your partner but not to the other opponent

The Play
When the auction is finished, dummy is displayed
If you are dummy, you will also be able to see Partner's hand, so can follow the play.
Declarer plays the cards from both hands, of course.
The contract  remains on screen, and the number of tricks won by each side.
Declarer can claim when it will be clear to all how many tricks will be won
and Opponents will agree or ask that play continues.