♠ ♥ Welcome to my website! ♦ ♣ 

Here you can find my class schedule, helpful links to improve your bridge, past recordings and many other useful tips.

Please write me if you have any question at the email

mjhammill@rogers.com

Looking forward to hearing from you !

Josée Hammill Bridge

2026 Winter Schedule
IN PERSON LESSONS

Location: Armour Heights Presbyterian Church
 105 Wilson Ave, Toronto

Basics Beginners Bridge Series
with Josée Hammill

Discover Why Millions Around the World Are Captivated by This Game!

Ever wondered what all the excitement is about? Bridge is more than just a card game - it's a mental workout, a social adventure, and a lifelong passion all rolled into one! Whether you're looking to keep your mind sharp, make new friends, or simply try something intellectually stimulating, bridge offers it all.

Each lesson is hands-on, and fun!  Emphasis will be on understanding the logic behind the decisions made at the table, not about memorizing all the rules. You'll be playing hands from your first real lesson.  By the end of eight weeks, you won't just understand bridge - you'll be excited to play it with your new friends!

Enroll now to secure your spot, and let your bridge adventure begin!

• DATES: Wednesday, January 7^th to February 25^th (8 weeks) – 10 am to 12 pm
• PRICE: $289. Includes taxes, Barbara Seagram Basic Bridge textbook, PDF of PowerPoint presentations and online recordings.

Intermediate I (advanced beginners) Bridge Series – with Barb Black

Ready to Take Your Game from "I Know the Basics" to "I'm a Confident Player"?

You've learned the fundamentals, you understand the basic concepts, but somehow when you sit down at the table, things don't always click the way you hoped. Sound familiar? Maybe you learned bridge years ago, and the game has changed since then. Or perhaps you completed a beginners course, but still feel hesitant when it's your turn to bid or play.

Here's the thing: there's a world of difference between knowing the rules and truly understanding the game. That gap, that's where frustration lives. It's where you second-guess your bids, wonder if you're doing it "right," and sometimes feel like everyone else at the table knows something you don't.

This course is specially designed to close that gap!

If you're returning to bridge after a long hiatus, or you've recently completed a basic course and want to strengthen your foundation, this is where everything starts to make sense. Barb Black will help you move beyond just following rules to understanding WHY you make the bids you make, and ensure partner always understand clearly what you are describing.

Think of this as your bridge confidence-builder. By the end of seven weeks, you won't just be playing bridge - you'll be playing with authority, conviction, and real enjoyment. That's the change we're after!

• DATES: Wednesday, January 7th to February 18th (7 weeks) – 1 to 3 pm
• PRICE: $259. Includes taxes, Barbara Seagram Intermediate I textbook, PDF of PowerPoint presentations and online recordings.

Introduction to Declarer Play
with Barb Black

This Is Your Moment to Become the Hero at the Bridge Table!

Imagine you and your partner have just bid your way to game. The auction was lively, the points lined up just right, and everyone at the table is paying attention. The opening lead hits the table, dummy comes down, and every eye shifts to YOU. This is your moment - your chance to prove you're not just a good bidder, but a skilled player!

Bidding gets you to the contract, but declarer play is what brings it home. You can hold great cards and bid like a pro, yet without solid declarer technique those makeable contracts can slip away. Few things sting more than going down when you had the tools to succeed.

This is the difference between casual players and strong competitors. This is what earns respect at the table. This is what makes bridge so compelling.

Join Barb Black for this dynamic 4-week course based on Eddie Kantar's Introduction to Declarer Play. This course is particularly great if you're a newcomer eager to master the fundamentals but will also help any advancing playing solidify playing techniques.  You'll learn counting your losers or your winners depending on the final contract, reading the meaning behind the opening lead, planning your strategy before playing to trick one, when to pull trump or postpone this, the art of finessing, establishing long suits, and so much more!

Don't let another contract slip away because you didn't have the tools to make it. Sign up now and become the declarer everyone wants to watch in action!

• DATES: Thursday, January 29th to February 19th (4 weeks) – 10 am to 12 pm
• PRICE: $189. Includes taxes, Eddie Kantar's Book Introduction to Declarer Play -- New edition revised by Barbara Seagram, PDF of PowerPoint presentations and additional supporting documents.

ONLINE LESSONS

Intermediate II Bridge Series
with Josée Hammill

Ready to Play More Strategic bid ?

You've got the basics down.  Your bidding foundation is solid. You can bid and play a decent hand. But you know there's more to bridge - you see it when you watch experienced players at the table. They seem to know easily how to look for slam, what convention to use, how to interfere in the bidding by showing some very distributional hand (5-5 or 6-5), when and how high to preempt, or counteract a preempt when made against them. That’s only in the bidding. Then you see them as declarer, and again watch a level of sophistication that you haven’t been exposed to. You know how to count your losers and winners. You know when to ruff in the dummy, or how to find extra winners in the dummy. Need to establish a suit, you have done that and yes you also understand when and how to take a finesse. But you’ve heard about a cross ruff.  Do you really know what ingredients we need to do one?  What about the `sexy` Strip and Throw in Play or the Loser on Loser play.

That could be you!

This 8-week course introduces some more strategic bidding tools,  as well as exposes you to more sophisticated declarer play techniques. You'll learn competitive bidding weapons like Unusual Notrump and Michaels Cuebids that give you power in the auction.  You will refine your slam bidding techniques with the use of Roman Key Card Blackwood and Control cuebids. You'll discover declarer play techniques like cross-ruffs, loser-on-loser plays that allow you to make your contract when all hope seemed lost.  And much more! 

Perfect for: Players who feel they have the basic bidding and playing foundation, and are ready to take their game to the next level.

• DATES: Wednesday, January 7th to February 25th (8 weeks) – 4:00 to 5:30 pm – Live on Zoom with full recordings available.   
• PRICE: $289. Includes taxes, Barbara Seagram Intermediate II textbook, PDF of PowerPoint presentations and online recordings. Add $7 if book needs to be mailed.
• REGISTRATION: By email to mjhammill@rogers.com
• Payment  : E-transfer or PayPal to mjhammill@rogers.com

Book Pickup: Available at 1717 Avenue Road, Suite 418, Toronto (two weeks before class starts) or by mail (add $7 postage, allow 2 weeks for delivery).

HOLIDAY PAUSE – GENTLE BRIDGE NIGHTS

A quick heads-up: Our Gentle Bridge evenings will take a short break for the holidays.

Novice Gentle Bridge

Final 2025 Game: Wednesday December 10th

Resumes: January 7th.

Beginner Gentle Bridge

Final 2025 game: Thursday December 11th

Resumes: January 8th.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at the table in the new year! 

Two new friendly evening games at Armour Heights
Presbyterian Church located at 105 Wilson Avenue

$15 per person/session (coffee, tea, and cookies are provided)

NOVICE GENTLE BRIDGE

0-99 masterpoints: Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Starting October 8)

Play 18 Boards!
To prepare for Club games and beyond, ACBL rules will be observed and table etiquette will be introduced

BEGINNER GENTLE BRIDGE

0-20 masterpoints: Thursdays 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Starting October 9)

Play 12 Boards!
Ask questions on bidding, consult cheat sheets, learn the basics of playing duplicate bridge

Location: Armour Heights Presbyterian Church: 105 Wilson Avenue (TTC – York Mills Station)

Each game has a 15 Table Limit. Reserve with Director Douglas Jordan (douglasgjordan@yahoo.ca)

Douglas will also take partnership requests and try to fulfill to the best of his ability

Gentle Bridge Nights provide a welcoming, respectful space for everyone.
Kindness and good sportsmanship are expected.

JOSÉE’S PRE-RECORDED LESSONS

Available for Purchase - Learn on your own time!

All courses are complete, with all recordings, slides, and handouts, so you can watch them in your free time, at your convenience.

Contact me at mjhammill@rogers.com for pricing and additional details. 

Splinter Bids – Apr 2024

My brand new recorded lesson on Splinter Bids is finally ready! Splinters are very descriptive bids that promise excellent trump support, shortness and a game going hand - all in one bid!

What to Expect:

• A very detailed PowerPoint presentation on the mechanics of this bid and the follow ups.
• How to revalue your hand after a splinter bid.
• When slam should be a good proposition and when a game is the maximum you can hope for.
• Then we move to BBO to bid and play 12 hands.

Let’s Recap EVERYTHING You’ll Get!

1. You will receive a handout of all 12 hands with commentary on bidding and playing.
2. Plus, my 2-hour video, that you can watch on your own time, and follow every deal along with the handouts.
3. A copy of all slides used during the presentation in PDF
4. Finally, I'll be available by email to answer anything that may come up during the lesson. Reach out to me with all your questions - even the wildest ones!

And the best part is: you’ll be able to apply everything you learn right away.

Bidding and Playing Shapely Hands – Nov 2023

In this lesson you’ll be ready for a thrilling journey through 12 meticulously crafted, shapely hands boasting big shapes and distribution that will redefine your approach to the game.

What to Expect:

- Let's bid and play 12 hands with unique shapes and distribution that will challenge and elevate your bridge skills. Think 6-5 hands, 6-4 hands and such!

- Uncover strategic insights on bidding and playing these shapely hands to enhance your overall gameplay.

- Learn from the comfort of your own space with this

pre-recorded lesson, allowing you to master the material at your own pace.

Price: $25, in any currency and form of payment.

COMPETITIVE BIDDING (2023)

My brand-new recorded lesson on Competitive Bidding is ready! You'll learn how to use takeout doubles, overcalls, jump overcalls, and improve your competitive bidding arsenal.

Now let's see what's inside: In this new recorded lesson, we will play together 12 specially selected hands, some from prolific writer and accomplished bridge player Eddie Kantar and others I have dug out from my bottomless pit of practice hands.

Here's just a small sample of the 12 deals that we'll cover:

• Why you should avoid takeout doubles when holding a six card major. 
• What's the best strategy to play when looking around for a missing queen.
• When giving partner a ruff, which card you should return?
• When doing a jump overcall, what's the key factor you need to consider?
• If you pass a one level takeout double, what are you telling partner about the opponent's trump suit?
• Lots of Bidding, Play and Defensive commentaries, so you can study the hands from every angle!

AVOIDANCE PLAYS (Dec 2022)

Avoidance means just preventing (or avoiding) a particular defender from gaining the lead. And identifying who is the danger and safe opponent.

That means, after you learn this simple technique, you can open the door to think like an expert, in just mere hours! It’s an incredible valuable skill that anyone can learn and use during all future games.

So let's see what's inside: In this new recorded lesson, we will play together 12 specially selected hands from prolific writer and accomplished bridge player Eddie Kantar.

Here's just a small sample of the 12 deals that we'll cover:

• When your contract depends on one of two finesses, how you can decide which one you should take?
• How to identify the danger and non-danger hand (and why you should do it right before playing to the first trick!)
• When planning the play, see the reason for looking at the whole hand as a unit, rather than concentrating on only one suit. 
• Why it's sometimes a bad idea to play bridge by nursery rhymes (“Eight ever, nine never”, etc.).
• When dummy holds a king vulnerable to attack, how to identify who you should keep off lead as long as you can?

As an extra bonus, you'll also receive a PDF file with eleven additional hands commented by Easley Blackwood, featuring:

• How you could manipulate things so that the safe hand gets the lead while you're still establishing your long suit.
• Why avoidance will sometimes be the very good reason you finesse for a queen when you are missing only four cards in the suit. 
• When you have to take two finesses, it might make a big difference which one you take first. See one example where, even if both finesses fail, the contract still succeeds.
• Another hand showing that if you can't keep a dangerous opponent off lead forever, you’ll see how to keep him out of the lead until he can’t do you any damage. 

And sooooo MUCH more... This is the mini-video that was in my last newsletter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brubNfb0RB4 . Watch it to give you a bit of a sense of what the lesson will look like, and always let me know if you have any questions.

No Trump Defence (Sep 2022)

During this lesson, we will play together 12 specially selected hands from prolific writer and accomplished bridge player Eddie Kantar.

Here's just a small sample of the 12 deals that we'll cover in this live lesson:

• Which thinking habits you, as third hand, must have after the opening lead is made?
• What is a negative discard, and why they are so important at No Trump?
• Before returning partner’s suit, why and how to count declarer’s tricks?
• Holding 4 small cards, when you should lead the top one, and when lead the second highest?
• When declarer leads a suit, why we give count to partner.

The 90-minute lesson includes a handout of all the hands (with commentary from Eddie Kantar). This is an awesome opportunity to get moving towards better defence!

This is the mini-video that was on my last newsletter, https://youtu.be/zejs-4gtW_c.  Watch it to give you a bit of a sense of what that lesson will look like, and always let me know if you have any questions.

Ducking by Declarer in Suit Contracts (Jun 2022)

You know that, most of the time, the fate of the hand is determined by how you play to the first trick. That's why many contracts can be won or lost because of that first trick.

Some of the things that you will learn in this lesson:

• There's one outstanding difference with ducking plays in suit contracts, you need to know exactly when trumps must be drawn (and what happens if you don't do it!).
• What are the 3 main reasons for making a ducking play in a suit contract.
• Why some hands can be made if you duck the first trick and win the second, while strangely enough the contract cannot be made if you win the first trick.

And much, much more! We'll play each hand twice. One without ducking, and again, the same hand ducking. Then you can easily see what happens in each case.

The 90-minute lesson includes a handout of all the hands (with commentary from Eddie Kantar).

This is an awesome opportunity to get moving towards better declarer play!

Introduction To Defence

Have you noticed that you are defending at bridge 50% of the time? That is right! Did you know that being on Defence is the most fun you can ever have at the bridge table even when you do not have any points in your hand? Let me teach you how to have more fun and to gain respect from all players when you show them you know how to defend! 

• Opening Leads against No Trump and Suit contracts
• 2^nd hand play
• 3^rd hand play
• Signaling against No Trump and Suit contracts
• And much, much more!!

Includes Eddie Kantar’s book - 2nd edition, revised and updated by Barbara Seagram.

Introduction To Declarer Play

Bidding is great and winning the contract even better. But if you do not know how to make a plan to make your contract then what good is that! In this 4 week course you will learn :

• Counting Losers
• Counting Winners
• Ruffing losers in the Dummy
• Extra Winners in the Dummy or in Declarer’s Hand
• Long Suit Establishment (aka Taking Tricks with Tiny Cards)
• When and How to take a Finesse and much more! 

Includes Eddie Kantar’s book - 2nd edition, revised and updated by Barbara Seagram.

Thinking Bridge – Plan Your Moves!

Whatever seat you are in, you have to be planning your moves. Let’s spend these sessions where we explore what it feels like to sit in any and all 4 seats, and think like an expert. Only time you will be allowed to relax will be when in the dummy’s seat. Complete set of different hands for each of the dates. You will love them!

Basics Beginners Bridge Series

Learn the basic elements of the game of bridge: how to take tricks, how to work with a partner, how to open the bidding in a suit and in No Trump, how to respond, how to compete and more.

An 8 week course includes all recordings, PDF of presentations and practice hands for each week.

Intermediate I Bridge Series

For those who feel rusty and need a refresher and for those moving up from Basic lessons. Opportunities to play and practice online will be provided. Lessons are recorded and can be watched on your own time.

A 7 week course includes all recordings, PDF of presentations and practice hands for each week.

Includes Barbara Seagram Intermediate I book.

Intermediate 2

Weak Two Bids, Strong 2 Club Bids, Slam Bidding, Cue-Bidding First Round Controls, Preempts, Unusual NT, Michaels Cuebids, Opening Light in 3rd seat, Balancing, End Plays, Cross-Ruff, Loser-on-loser play, Introduction to defence, ...and MUCH more!!

An 8 week course includes all recordings, PDF of presentations and practice hands for each week.

Includes Barbara Seagram Intermediate 2 book.

Intermediate 3

Intermediate III is a full course on Defence and Conventions!

• DEFENCE: Third Hand Play, Second Hand Play, Suit Preference Signalling, Strategy on Defence, Lead Directing Doubles, Discarding. 
• CONVENTIONS: Negative Doubles, Jacoby 2 NT as a forcing raise, Jacoby Transfers, Texas Transfers, Splinters, Roman Key Card Blackwood, Cue Bids, Slam Bidding and lots more! 

Includes Barbara Seagram Intermediate 3 book.

Learn To Play Two Over One

Learn the system that most of North America now plays. It makes it much easier to get to a better contract, easier to find slams on fewer values and easier to know when to stop in a part score.   Learn the forcing No Trump bid.  

A two day course + one additional hour of practice hands.

Includes Barbara Seagram 2/1 Game Force book.

Bid And Play – The Convention Series

• Lesson 1 - DONT over 1NT Opening Bid
• Lesson 2 - Reverse Drury
• Lesson 3 - Jacoby 2NT and Splinters
• Lesson 4 - Reverse Bergen/Bergen Raises
• Lesson 5 - New Minor Forcing/Checkback Stayman
• Lesson 6 - Fourth Suit Forcing
• Lesson 7 - Four Way Transfers

All lessons come with recordings and PDF of practice hands. Purchase each lesson individually or all 7 for  the price of 6.

Email me at mjhammill@rogers.com for additional details and pricing.

If you enjoy a game of bridge, then the American Contract Bridge League is the place to be! Being an ACBL member gives you exclusive access to one-of-a-kind benefits that all bridge fans – from newcomers to advanced players – will love.

When you join this bridge-loving community, you’ll be able to experience all that membership offers, like playing with fellow devotees in clubs and tournaments across North America, winning masterpoints® to show off your success and reading a world-class monthly magazine.

You will start collecting masterpoints, that’s ACBL’s exclusive measurement of success. Call them Bragging rights! 

• You get to climb the achievement ladder, from Rookie to Life Master and much higher!
• You will receive in your mailbox the excellent monthly Bridge Bulletin, full of news, tips and games.
• Game results are sent directly to your inbox and cell phone with ACBL Live and Live for Clubs.

And so much more!!! 

The ACBL makes it easy for you as a new player to explore all the benefits of being an ACBL member. You can join for free for 120 days as a guest, at www.acbl.org/guest-join

Guest Member Benefits

• You will receive a weekly email with bridge tips from Patty
• You can earn up to 20 masterpoints – we give our Masterpoints at our Gentle Bridge game but they are only good when you are a member.
• You will have digital access to the Bridge Bulletin
• If after 120 days you are convinced this is a good deal, you can join as a full member with the special pricing of $29 US for the first year of regular membership if you are a guest member first.   Receiving a hard copy of the glossy monthly magazine at your home is worth the price of admission!  It is easy to join as a guest, try it now!