Contract Bridge BEGINNERS COURSE Introduction Welcome Duplicate Bridge Table Manners Online Lessons Bidding Guide Books and other Resources Key map Lesson 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ? ?
Subject Index   Bidding Guide   Deals 1 - 28   Play Technique   Score Calculator (Download)   Jazclass Links Play at home with your friends : Learn as you Play   Duplicate Bridge   How to score Duplicate Bridge NOW availalbe : Contract Bridge Course on CD or as Download

Hi, and welcome to the world of Contract Bridge. My father taught me the first principles of this marvellous game when I was only 12 years old, and I have been playing and teaching bridge to others ever since. My main interest in life is music, but I find playing Contract Bridge a good diversion, which keeps my mind fresh and always interested in both fields. Learning to play bridge is in some ways very similar to learning music. It takes time to become fully familiar with all the cards (like the notes in music) and to recognise card patterns (such as K Q J 10 9, or A Q 10) like scales and arpeggios in music.

Learning to play Contract Bridge also involves learning a new language to communicate with your partner during the auction period of the game.
There are a variety of languages (bidding systems) used for this purpose.
The main ones are :

• Standard American - also known as the the Goren System, after its inventor Charles Goren,

• Acol - especially popular in the UK, and

• Precision - developed by a Chinese business man, C.C.Wei in the late 60s.

Finally : I have checked and double checked all pages, deals and hands presented here. But it is quite an enormous amount of material and I am by no means perfect. Therefore if you find an error (however small) or anything you are not quite sure of please let me know.

Contract Bridge is played by four players, divided into two pairs who play against each other (North & South against East & West).
Although good players will always get more out of a game than novices, the cards you are dealt determine to a large degree the outcome. With good cards you win, with bad ones you lose.
Duplicate bridge, as played in thousands of bridge clubs around the world, takes this aspect of luck out of the game.

Each trick each player in turn takes one card out of his hand and places it in front of him on the table. When all four cards to a trick have been played this way each player turns his card face down in front of him. All tricks are played in this way. Therefore at the end of the game each player still has all 13 cards he was dealt at the beginning. When the game is completed the four hands are placed in four separate slots (marked N, E, S and W) of a plastic or aluminium duplicate board. The score is recorded on a score sheet (also called 'traveller') which is placed in a fifth slot on the board. After this the board is handed to the next table, where four other players will play exactly the same cards!

Each side does not compete against the opponent at their own table, but instead against all the other pairs at the other tables who play the same hands for each board. In other words each EW pair competes against all other EW pairs, and each NS pair competes against all other NS pairs.
This takes the aspect of luck with the cards completely out of the game, as all players compete while using the same cards.

Duplicate bridge has elevated contract bridge from an enjoyable 'gentleman's game' to a full blown and very exciting sport with large numbers of players participating in competitions and tournaments at local, Regional, National and International levels around the globe.

Contract Bridge requires quick thinking and decision making. What often appears obvious in hind sight, is not at all clear in the heat of the battle. Mistakes are therefore unavoidable and part of the game, even by the best players.

The better players know that maintaining a friendly atmosphere and providing partner with moral support when needed, are essential for maintaining good productive communication throughout the play.
Endless post mortems and blaming your partner (a regrettable habit by some lesser players) are not going to make any difference to the result, and only lead to further deterioration of constructive communication with your partner.

Therefore at all times be nice to your partner.
When your partner makes a mistake he/she will suffer and fret over it much more than you do. It usually also will affect his play negatively for the next few games. Therefore don't rub it in, but immediately put a positive spin on the mishap and try to erase it from partner's mind.
This will help partner enormously to get back on a positive track.
Furthermore he/she will be more likely to treat you in the same way, the next time you make a mistake !

In general be graceful in defeat and humble after your victories.
This will enhance the atmosphere at your table enormously. Contract Bridge may be a fiercely competitive sport, but this does not mean it can't still be played as a gentleman's game !

The online Beginners Course consists of 10 lessons. The Lessons 1 to 3 will stay online permanently.
Lessons 4 to 10 usually rotate at half-monthly intervals, but for a trial period I will have all lessons online simultaneously.

Online	Lesson	Subject
Permanently	Lesson 1	Making tricks without a Trump suit
Permanently	Lesson 2	Making tricks with a Trump suit
Permanently	Lesson 3	Hand Evaluation
Online	Lesson 4	No Trump Opening bids
Online	Lesson 5	One in Suit Opening bids
Online	Lesson 6	No Trump Responses after a Suit Opening bid
Online	Lesson 7	Responding with a New Suit
Online	Lesson 8	Suit Responses after a 1 NT Opening bid
Online	Lesson 9	Bidding by a Passed Hand
Online	Lesson 10	Handling a Trump suit

A Contract Bridge Course on CD-ROM (in preparation) will include a comprehensive range of bids and conventions to progress to a competent level of bidding and play.

Print out all pages of the Contract Bridge Bidding Guide listed below.
Print only on one side of the paper, so that you have plenty of blank spaces in the booklet to write down your own comments and reminders.

Cut the top and bottom edges of each page along the horizontal markers, then stack the 9 pages in numerical order.
Make sure you have sufficient blank space on the left side to allow for stapling.
Now assemble the Bidding Guide as follows.

How to use the Bidding Guide
Use the Bidding Guide for your study, or for checking and reference after you bid and played a deal.
Do not use it during the bidding itself !
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. These will in fact greatly speed up your learning process. Playing it safe by reading all your bids from the book will only hamper the process of you absorbing and learning the bidding principles.

The enormous quantity of Contract Bridge literature available can be rather daunting to the novice bridge player. The following books are, in my opinion, outstanding within their field. They will enhance your bridge skills and add clarity and focus to your overall understanding of the game.

Bidding Systems

1. Standard American
   Bridge Basics - An introduction to good bridge - by Ron Klinger
   Publ. by Modern Bridge Publications, PO Box 140, Northbridge, NSW Australia

2. Acol
   Basic Bridge - The Acol System - by Ron Klinger
   Publ. by Modern Bridge Publications, PO Box 140, Northbridge, NSW Australia

3. Precision
   The Precision System of Bidding - by Charles H. Goren
   Publ. by Robert Hale & Co., 63 Old Brompton Road, London, S.W7

• Duplicate Bridge Direction - a Complete Handbook - by Alex Groner
  With complete scoring instructions and Movement charts for any number of tables.
  Publ. by Barclay Bridge Supplies, Inc., Port Chester, NY 10573, USA
  
  
• BridgeDoctor - online lessons with Graeme Tuffnell and Tina McVeigh (Acol and Standard American), live interactive games and competition for Beginners