RealBridge takes online bridge to the next level, with built-in video and sound, bringing the true face-to-face experience online.

• ♣  See and speak to other players—just like face-to-face bridge.
• ♣  Bid and play using a modern, intuitive interface.
• ♣  No installation required—click a link, sit down and play.

Most of us who’ve had the opportunity to try RealBridge have loved it! After seven long months of cryptic user names, cryptic typed chat, no faces, and no voices, it’s great to see and talk to your opponents and partner, and the user interface is excellent—more like, well, real bridge. Comments from our players:

• ♦  “It was wonderful to see and speak with opponents. It was so up-lifting. The format is easy to use. So very cleverly designed.”
• ♦  “Lots of fun.”
• ♦  “I thought it was awesome as a playing experience!! … My prediction is that you will be ‘wowed.’”
• ♦  “It’s great to play on RealBridge. Truly love it. Hope it will become a regular thing.”
• ♦  “It’s 10x more clever and interesting than BBO. The social piece is really valuable. And … the graphics are very well done, including the stop card that flies in.”
• ♦  “All the opponents were great, so I really enjoyed myself.”
• ♦  “Congratulations on your efforts to get RealBridge introduced to the US Bridge players. I think it has some wonderful aspects and I want to support it every way I can.”
• ♦  “I loved RB... I'd shift all my playing to it if my partners will do it or if I can get other partners to play.”
• ♦  “Like the social aspect of this game and the ease of playing!”

• ♥  RealBridge web site
• ♥  BRIDGE WINNERS article by RealBridge principal Graham Hazel.

Would you please take a couple minutes to help us figure out how we can serve you with RealBridge games?

Note that the contract between ACBL and BBO does not allow us to award masterpoints for online play that isn’t on BBO. 😤 We want to gauge your interest in playing on RealBridge without masterpoints.

Thank you!

Preliminaries: Please take a few minutes to check your setup before your first RealBridge session.

• Use almost any computer or large-screen tablet with camera, microphone, speaker(s), and a modern browser that supports camera and microphone input.
  • Phones don’t work.
  • iPads that are more than five years old don’t work.
  • Don’t have a camera? Click here. If you want to use your phone or tablet as a web camera while playing on your computer, see this article. (While you can play without a camera and microphone, we’d rather you didn’t—the experience is much better for you and other players if you do have them.)
• Be sure your browser is up-to-date:
  • Chrome on macOS: On the Chrome menu, choose About Google Chrome
  • Chrome on Windows: Click ︙in the upper-right corner, choose Settings, and click About Chrome; or go to chrome://settings/help
  • Edge on Windows: Click ⋯ in the upper-right corner, choose Settings, and click About Microsoft Edge; or go to edge://settings/help
  • Firefox on macOS: On the Firefox menu, choose About Firefox
  • Firefox on Windows: In the upper-right corner, click ☰, choose Help, and choose About Firefox
  • Internet Explorer doesn’t work—try Chrome, Edge, or Firefox
  • Safari on macOS: On the Apple menu, choose System Preferences, and click Software Update
• Test your camera and microphone:
  • Quit other applications that use them (e.g., FaceTime, Skype, Zoom).
  • Click here for RealBridge’s camera and microphone tests. (If it doesn’t work, please contact support@realbridge.online, and tell them what device and browser you’re trying to use.)
• Please use a headset if other players hear echos or background noise from your system.

Log Into RealBridge

• Arrive 15-30 minutes early the first few times
• Close any other video conversation apps (FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.)
• Click on the provided link. The link is different for each session and is posted the morning of the game at the top of this page. The link takes you to the session login form.
  • Name: your full real name (e.g., “Tim Hill”—not just “Tim” or “Hill” or a BBO-like cryptic handle)
  • ID number: your ACBL number
  • Click Login.
• After you log in, you’ll be in the “lobby.” You’ll see the tables with the names of the players sitting at them. The empty seats have Sit buttons.
• If you have a partner, Sit at a low-numbered table (by clicking Sit E, for example). Partners should sit opposite each other 🙄.
• If you don’t have a partner, Sit at a high-numbered table. If there are others sitting at high-numbered tables, Sit with them, talk to them, and decide if you want to play together. (To move to a different table, click Leave.)

At the table: Click here for the RealBridge Player Guide.

What do I put in the ID number field?

Your ACBL number. (If you don’t have an ACBL number, you can leave it blank, but you can click here to get an ACBL number for free.)

Are ACBL masterpoints awarded?

Short answer: No. 😤

Long answer: Early in the covid era, the ACBL contracted exclusively with BBO to run Virtual Club Games, Support Your Club Games, and Online “Regional” and “National” Tournaments. That contract prohibits awarding ACBL masterpoints for play on any other online platform (except for the grandfathered “unpigmented” masterpoint games on OKbridge and Swan).

Although it is technically feasible to post results from RealBridge on ACBLLive and have them masterpointed, ACBL policy prohibits us from doing so.

If you don’t like this policy, please write to your representatives on the ACBL Board of Directors and Board of Governors.

Even without masterpoints, we think RealBridge has so many advantages over BBO that many of us will want to play on RealBridge, at least occasionally!

How do I use convention cards?

RealBridge doesn’t support convention cards at present. It’s courteous to give your opponents a one-sentence system summary at the start of a round, and of course you should make the normal alerts and announcements (see the next question).

How do I alert?

The same way you alert (or announce) in face-to-face play: when your partner makes an alertable (or announceable) call, click ALERT and either say “Alert” or make the appropriate announcement.

(RealBridge does have other alert modes—self alerts, screens, screens with self alerts—but for now we’re using the face-to-face partner-alert mode.)

Can I kibitz?

Not yet. Delayed kibitzing is coming soon.

What if my device stops displaying what it should or stops responding to clicks?

First, try leaving the table and returning (by clicking Leave and then clicking the appropriate Sit button).

If that doesn’t work, try reloading or closing your browser window (or quitting your browser altogether) and then logging back into our RealBridge room (via the link you used in the first place).

How do I find a partner?

Meet others looking for partners at high-numbered tables. Log in at least 15 minutes before game time. Click a Sit button at a high-numbered table and talk with the others at that table. To move to a different table, click Leave, and then Sit. When you’ve found a partner, Leave the high-numbered table and Sit opposite each other at a low-numbered table.

(Players in the “lobby” can communicate by typing “chat,” but you can actually see and speak to each other if you Sit at a table together.)

Do I have to be a Westwood, Puritan, Midcape, or Dennis-Yarmouth member to play? Do I need permission to bring a guest?

No and no. Our RealBridge games are open to anyone.

I thought STOP cards were banned. Why do I see STOP cards on RealBridge?

The ACBL gave up on STOP cards because they were abused and ignored so often. On RealBridge, players can’t abuse STOP cards, because they’re automatically shown for ten seconds with every skip bid. Players can’t ignore STOP cards, because they can’t call while the STOP card is showing. It’s all good!

What will you charge for RealBridge sessions?

$5 after November 6. (Less than the $6 we charge on BBO, because RealBridge charges us less than BBO, and because the ACBL doesn’t get table fees for games without masterpoints.)

How will you collect table fees?

We’ll bill you monthly by email. You can pay with a check or via an electronic payment system.

I’m having audio and/or video problems.

Try clicking  to restart the embedded audio and video.

Why am I hearing voices or noise?

Probably because a player’s microphone is picking up background conversation, radio, television, or other noise. You can figure out which player’s microphone it’s coming from by selectively turning down their volume (use the  button to the left of each player’s name).

Why am I hearing echos?

Probably because a player’s microphone isn’t suppressing echos from his speaker. You can figure out which player the echos are coming from by selectively turning down their volume (use the  button to the left of each player’s name). A player whose system isn’t suppressing echos should use a headset (or adjust the volume and placement of microphone and speakers).