The Finesse in Bridge

Finessing is a way of making a trick with an honour card that would be a certain loser if it was led.

Suppose you are playing as South and you have the following cards in the suit you want to finesse.

Is it possible to win a trick with the King?

If the King is led it will always lose regardless of which opponent holds it. Remember, bridge is played clockwise, so both East and West will play after North - and play the ace on the king if the hold it.

Can you prevent this from happening?

What will happen if instead of leading the King you return to the South hand and lead a low card? Can the Kind win now?

You have a 50-50 chance that the King could win. If the King is in West's hand you can make a trick with it.  If it is in East's hand then the King will lose. 

An Example of Finessing

Here's that hand again

This time you are going to lead a low card from hand and see what card West plays:

• If W plays the Ace, you can play the low card from dummy, knowing that the King will win next time the suit is played.  
• If W doesn't play the Ace you play K. If W also holds the Ace, then your King will win the trick.   If the Ace is with East then there is nothing you can do, as E will play the Ace after you have played King.

Finessing Summed Up

Lead a low card towards the honour you are aiming to make.  50% of the time this will win. 

Leading the honour card will always fail.

You can increase your chances of making the finesse by studying the bidding and the play.  If, for example, East opened the bidding and West passed, then you know that W didn't have enough points to respond to East's opening bid.  How many points has W shown before you start finessing?  Would holding the Ace mean that W actually had enough points to respond?  If this is the case, then West's failure to respond to the opening bid would place the Ace with East and your finesse will fail.

Marked Finesse

Unlike a regular finesse, which may fail, a marked finesse is guaranteed to win.

What is a marked finesse?

With a marked finesse we know which opponent has the remaining card(s). 

How can we know?  Because one opponent has already discarded and so is out of cards in the suit.

An Example

Suppose you have the following cards in the suit you are finessing:

Is it possible to make all 4 tricks?  (We are assuming trumps have been drawn or this is a NT contract so that the opponent who has shown out can't trump you.)

If the cards break 3-2 between East and West, you will make 4 tricks and no finessing will be needed.  The same is true if the cards break 4-1 with one opponent holding the Jack as a singleton.

But the singleton might not be the Jack, or the cards might be breaking 5-0.  Now what should you do?

This is the Marked Finesse is used

As an example, supposed you've played one round of the suit, in which W played 9.  You decide to play a second round, but this time W discards.  This means that the outstanding J and 7 must be with West.

Using the Marked Finesse

Just as with a regular finesse you lead low towards the honour you are hoping to make. 

Look at the cards.  You have already played 2 rounds of the suit, so the King and Ace have gone.  If you now lead the Q, East will play the 7, keeping the J to win if the suit is played again.

However, if you cross over to dummy (you did make sure you'd preserved an entry to dummy so you could play the finesse, didn't you???), then you can lead a low card, knowing that East has the J and 7.

Once you've led your low card, one of two things will happen:

• East plays 7.  You can win with 8, knowing your Q will win next time.  Y
• East plays J.  You win with the Q and your 8 will win the next round.  y

Now that you know what finessing means, you can head over to No Fear Bridge where you will find lots of hands where you can practice the technique along with tutorials to help reinforce what you've learnt.

Acol bridge players join HERE for your trial membership (no financial details taken unless you decide to continue)
American Standard bridge players join HERE for your trial membership.

Gerber Bidding Convention

The Gerber Bidding Convention

Most bridge players know about using the Blackwood bidding convention if you are considering bidding for a slam. 

Once you know you have enough points to bid for a slam bid and have decided which suit you will bid, you might need to know how many aces or kings partner has.  To do this you bid 4NT to ask partner how many aces they hold and 5NT to ask how many kings.

This works because 4NT isn't a natural bid UNLESS it is in response to an opening bid of 1NT or 2NT, in which case it is in invitational bid with a special meaning.  It tells partner that you have a narrow range of points that would achieve the points needed for a slam IF they have the maximum number of points for their NT bid - and asking them to bid 6NT if they do.

But suppose you need to know the number of aces or kings held by partner after their opening NT bid?  You can't bid 4NT as they will assume your bid is invitational and bid on points.

This is where you use the Gerber convention.

In response to an opening bid of 1 or 2NT  you use a bid of 4 Clubs to ask for Aces and 5 Clubs to ask for kings.

Partner's responses are the same as those used in for Blackwood.

In response to 4 Clubs:

• 4 Diamonds = No aces or four aces
• 4 Hearts = One ace
• 4 Spades = Two aces
• 4 NT = Three aces

In response to 5 Clubs:

• 5 Diamonds = No aces or four aces
• 5 Hearts = One ace
• 5 Spades = Two aces
• 5 NT = Three aces

If you'd like to practice using these conventions, join No Fear Bridge for your two week trial membership (no obligation, no financial details taken)
Acol bridge players join HERE.
American Standard players join HERE.

Improve Your Health - Play Bridge

Yes, it's true, there really are benefits to your health if you are a bridge player. It's even been the subject of research by Berkeley University.

There has been a long running debate about whether or not bridge counts as a sport and in June 2017 it seemed that the European Courts of Justice might rule that it is.  This wasn't to be as in Oct 2017 the Court ruled that although bridge "involves logic, memory and planning, and may constitute an activity beneficial to the mental and physical health of regular participants”, they clarified this by adding "“The court concludes that an activity such as duplicate bridge, which is characterised by a physical element that appears to be negligible, is not covered by the concept of ‘sport’”"

You can read more in the Guardian newspaper HERE.

Although the European Court has denied that bridge is a sport they have acknowledged that it has benefits to both mental and physical health - something that many bridge players will long have realised.

I mentioned above that bridge had been the subject of a study by Berkeley University. This study was carried out in 2000 by Professor Marian Diamond who showed that playing bridge boosts the immune system. 

How can playing bridge boost your immune system?  It seems that this is an effect of the concentration required whilst playing which stimulates the brain and so boosts the immune system.

Professor Diamond asked 12 ladies in their 70s and 80s to take part in the study. He started by taking blood samples and then asked the ladies to play bridge for an hour and a half.  At the end of this time he retested their blood.

Two thirds of these ladies showed an increase in the levels of T cells in their bodies - the cells used to fight infection.

There is a common saying "use it or lose it".  As we get older this saying applies very much to keeping the brain active and healthy.  People live longer and want their brains to remain active and alert.  Playing bridge is the perfect way of keeping your brain active and maintaining your ability to concentrate and focus.

As well as these physical benefits there are social benefits to playing bridge.  If you play bridge you will always be able to find a local bridge club or like minded people to enjoy a game of bridge with.  You will enjoy an active social life, meeting new people and making new friends.  Very important if you are getting older, but equally important for younger people as well.

Even if you are unable to leave your house, you can join online bridge rooms where you can play bridge against real people.  The internet is a huge benefit to anyone with an illness or disability, allowing you to make friends, chat and interact with people that you would otherwise never meet.

So what are you waiting for?  Join No Fear Bridge and learn or improve your bridge play today.  It can help improve or maintain your physical and mental health.

Join No Fear Bridge UK HERE (UK, Ireland and NZ players)

Join No Fear Bridge US HERE.

(Disclaimer, I'm not a doctor - so please do your own research before relying on any of the information here.  If you feel you may have a mental illness or disability, always consult your doctor.)

How to Use Statistics to Improve Your Game Play

Millions of people enjoy playing bridge and millions of players understand the basic rules of the game. They practice and play every day. Many reach a certain level of expertise and then plateau. Their game stops improving.

What's responsible for this plateau? For many the answer is statistics. Or to be more accurate, a lack of understanding or knowledge of how to use statistics when you are playing.
What do statistics have to do with playing bridge, I hear you ask? The answer is "a lot". They can be, and often are, the barrier to becoming a better bridge player.

Let's assume, for example, that you are declarer. Once the opponents have made their opening lead dummy's hand is exposed for all to see. You know which cards you hold and which cards dummy holds.

Now assume that you are playing a trump contract. Dummy holds 5 cards in trumps and you hold 4, a total of 9 cards. That means that your opponents hold 4 trump cards between them.
You need to plan your play. Depending on which cards you hold in trumps you may need to try and work out how the trumps are split between the opponents. A 4-0 split may mean the game plays very differently from the way it would play if there was a 2-2 split.

You can't know for certain how the cards split in any given situation, but you can use statistics to give you a better chance. Then you can play for the most likely scenario - the percentage play. This won't always work, but over a number of games it will give you the better chance of winning more games.

As you might imagine, there are a lot of statistics associated with playing bridge. The best players will have memorised and will use all of them. Those of us who are more modest, home or club players will just remember a few - the ones that we think will be most useful to us and that we will be able to understand use.

So, back to our trump split. While we are planning our play it may seem to us that a 4-0 trump split between the opponents will need us to play differently from a 2-2 split, or a 3-1 split. We can't know how they split and we might not be able to plan for all 3 scenarios. So which should we choose as the most likely?

Statistics tell us that the probability of a 4-0 split is 10%. However, the provability of a 2-2 split is 40% and the probability of a 3-1 split is 50%. It probably doesn't make sense to plan for a 4-0 split - although if it becomes obvious early on that the cards split that way, you will want to rethink your plan.

In a scenario where a 4-0 split could have a major effect on the number of tricks you win, you may feel that you want to test the split early on in the game by drawing a round of trumps (or whichever suit is of concern). If one of the opponents shows out in the first round, then you know you are up against a 4-0 split and can replan your play.

If testing the split isn't possible, then you will probably want to make the percentage play and hope your approach pays off.

If there are 5 cards missing from a suit, the percentage chances change. The probability of a 5-0 split is just 4% (and the opponents may have helped you work out if that is likely to be the case by bidding that suit). The probability of a 4-1 split is 28%, but the probability of a 3-2 split is 68%. You will probably want to make your initial plan on the assumption of a 3-2 split.

Planning your play is an essential skill, and knowing some basic statistics will help you plan. But bridge is a dynamic game and you need to be prepared to rethink your plan if the opponents wrong foot you, or the statistics don't work in your favor.

You can find all the bridge statistics and percentages that you need to help you become a better player by joining No Fear Bridge UK or No Fear Bridge US - the perfect site for beginning and improving bridge players, where you can practice and learn online at your own pace. What are you waiting for??

Vulnerability

If you are playing contract bridge you will find that in 50% of the hands your partnership is vulnerable.  This isn't a reflection on your skill as a player, it is a bridge convention.

Tell Me About Duplicate Bridge Vulnerability?

Vulnerability is a convention that affects the scoring at the end of each game.  When a partnership is vulnerable there are positive and/or negative effects on the score.  If you bid for and make your contract, then the bonus you receive increases.  You also receive a greater bonus for bidding and making a small slam or  grand slam.

If you fail to make your contract when  your partnership is vulnerable then the penalty for losing increases.

Conversely a pair will lose extra points if they fail to make a contract when vulnerable.

In duplicate bridge, which partnership(s) is vulnerable is predetermined by the director when the boards are dealt.  The vulnerability will rotate and there are four combinations.

Both sides can be vulnerable.  Neither side can be vulnerable. E/W can be vulnerable.  N/S can be vulnerable.

Rotating vulnerability in contract bridge

Here is an example of how vulnerability may rotate around the 16 boards usually dealt at a contract bridge club. (This picture is courtesy of Leigh Harding who runs No Fear Bridge)

Whether or not you are vulnerable may affect how you bid.  Mostly the bidding will proceed as normal, especially in an uncontested auction, but there may be situations when you think twice about your bid.

For example: Be mindful that if you fail to achieve your contract when vulnerable the other partnership will gain extra point.

Remember that the other side will gain extra points if they are vulnerable.  There may be situations where you feel  you should outbid them when otherwise you wouldn't if you believe that the your penalty for losing would be less than their bonus if they won the contract whilst vulnerable.

If you'd like to learn more about vulnerability and how it effects scoring, head over to No Fear Bridge.  The vulnerability handout is in the membership area and you can join for a two week free trial  (There is no obligation and no forced continuity. No credit card or other financial details are required unless you decide to become a full member.  You can also read how being vulnerable might affect your bidding strategy.

Potential UK/Ireland/NZ members can sigh up  HERE
Potential US and Rest of the World members sign up HERE

A Playing Card Holder Can Help If You Have A Disability

Many bridge players belong to the older generation.  It's a fun way of meeting friends whilst keeping your brain active.

Many people decide to move when they retire.  It's an opportunity to move to that country town or seaside location that you've always fancied.  The downside can be that you leave behind family and friends and find that you don't know anyone in your new location.  If you play bridge you can a good opportunity to meet new friends.  Most towns have a bridge club and if you move into a retirement complex you might find a bridge group on site.  You will quickly find new friends and might find yourself in demand as a bridge partner.

One downside of increasing age can be stiffness in your hands, arms or shoulders which might make holding your hand of cards more difficult.  Many people have a chronic illness or disability that weakens their hands or makes holding cards difficult.  A neurological problem might cause shaky hands and a broken wrist or elbow could mean you temporarily unable to use a hand.

None of these issues need stop you from playing bridge so long as you are able to attend  in person.  This is where a playing card can help.  You don't have to hold your cards and you only need one hand to sort them and place them in the holder.  Simply place the cards in the holder and remove them one at a time as you want to play them.  You might find a curved holder helps you keep your cards private from the other players.

There are a few different types of holders, so take a look and see which one would suit you best.  Some hold the cards in a fan shape and many are plastic or wooden racks into which you slot the cards.  Some are straight and some curved.

Your illness, injury or disability doesn't have to be a barrier that stops you taking part in the game you love. Why not take this opportunity to learn to play bridge or improve your bridge bidding and playing skills at No Fear Bridge UK or No Fear Bridge US.

The Rule of 7

The Rule of 7 is an interesting and little known rule. Why am I writing about a rule that no-one has heard of? Because someone requested that I write about it.

I had to do some research because, I have to be honest, I'd never heard of it. It seems there may be a good reason for that: yes, it exists but hardly anyone uses it.

It's quite a simple rule and easy to learn and implement. Probably no-one uses it because there are other ways of achieving the same outcome.

What is the Rule of 7?
It is used in one situation only - when the contract is 3NT.

It is used by Declarer after the opposing partnership have made their lead. Do you want to win the trick, assuming that you can, or would it be better to lose the trick intentionally? If it is better to lose (duck or hold up) once, how many times should declarer do so, before playing a winning card?

The Rule of 7 is one of way of deciding this. It's simple. Declarer adds up the number of cards in the suit held in both their own hand and Dummy's hand and deducts the total from 7. The answer is the number of times that they should deliberately lose the trick.

The rule is usually used if you hold the Ace as your only stopper in the suit, although it would work if you hold the King and the opposition play the Ace in the first round.

It seems this rule was developed independently by two different bridge players. Robert Berthe from France, who is also the author of several books on bridge, and Gerald Fox from California. I'm not sure if two people developing the same rule shows that there was a need for it, or whether it shows that they were finding a way of putting into words a concept that many players use without realising.

Do Others Need To Know If I'm Using It?
The short answer is "yes".

If you decide to use the rule when you are playing, make sure that your partner is aware of it and also uses it. If you are playing in a club or tournament, then you should speak to the director to find out if it is alertable. If you are asked to fill in a convention card, then include the fact that you will be using the Rule of 7.

This is a fairly simple rule to learn and one that is probably most helpful for beginning and improving players. If you'd like to learn more about playing the game of bridge, and practice and learn online, go to No Fear Bridge

Duplicate Bridge Scoring

Is there a difference between contract bridge and duplicate bridge?  If so, is there a difference in the scoring?

Contract bridge is named because before each game of bridge is played, a round of bidding takes place to agree on the "contract" in which that game will be played.  For example, 1NT (one no trumps), 3H (three hearts).

Duplicate bridge is the same game.  It is generally played in a club setting where several pairs of bridge players meet.  The hands are pre-dealt.  At the end of each game the cards are replaced in their holders and passed to another table to be played.  Hence the name "duplicate".  Each table in the room will play the same hands, rotated around the room.

The added "bonus" of playing duplicate bridge in a club session is the possibility of earning masterpoints.  Serious bridge players can work towards becoming a Bridge Master or even a Grand Master.  For more information on masterpoints, see the English Bridge Union website http://www.ebu.co.uk/masterpoints  or the American Contract Bridge League http://www.acbl.org/masterpoints-results/masterpoint-awards-chart/

Learn to Play Bridge - Rules and Tips

Bridge is a very popular game and is widely played around the world. It is played online, it is played in clubs, it is played in people's homes. It is so popular that virtually every cruise ship has a bridge card game room and many bridge holidays are run in a variety of venues around the world.

It is fun, it's sociable, it's a great way of meeting new friends and keeping your brain active. So it isn't surprise that each year many people decide they want to learn how to play.
Here are a few hints, tips and some basic rules to get you started.

Basic Rules
To play bridge you need four people, a table and a standard pack of 52 playing cards (you discard the jokers). The players form partnerships and partners sit opposite each other. Each player is assigned to one of the four points of the compass as they sit around the table. East & West are one partnership and North & South are the other.

At the start of a game, each player is dealt 13 cards. They sort the cards into suits and then value their hand. To value a hand the player counts 4 points for each Ace they hold, 3 for each King, 2 for each Queen and 1 for each Jack.

As an example, imagine you have been dealt this hand:
A, J 10 5 Spades, K Q 7 Hearts, Q J 6 5 Diamonds, K 2 Clubs.

You hold 1 Ace (worth 4 points), 2 kings (worth a total of 6 points), 2 queens (worth a total of 4 points) and 2 jacks (worth a total of 2 points). So the value of your hand is 16 points.

Bridge is a trick taking game and each trick comprises 4 cards - one from each player. At the start of each trick the player who won the previous trick plays a card. The other players must play a card from the same suit, if they hold one. If they don't they can play another suit. If a "trump" suit is being used, playing a card from the trump suit will win the trick, provided another player doesn't play a higher trump card.

Whether or not a trump suit is being used is decided before the card play starts, when the players make their "bids". The aim of bridge is to win at least the number of tricks that your partnership has said it will make if you win the bidding. The main aim of the bidding is to give your partner information about the content of your hand to help you decide how many tricks you think you can win.

In the bidding, players bid in a clockwise direction. A player won't open the bidding unless they hold at least 12 points in their hand. If all players hold fewer than 12 points then the cards are redealt, although the final player has the option to open with fewer than 12 points if they feel their hand merits doing so.

Once a player has opened the bidding, there are two main decisions to be made. The other partnership has to decide whether to bid against the opener and their partner, or whether to let the opener and partner continue bidding unopposed. Meanwhile, opener and their partner are trying to exchange information about the make-up of their hands to decide how many tricks they think they can win.

There are 13 tricks in each game of bridge. The first 6 tricks are not bid for, so a bid of 1 means that the player believes they can win 7 tricks (6 +1). Bids can be suit bids or No Trumps. If the game is being played with a suit bid then a player can win a trick by "trumping" with a card from that suit IF they don't hold a card in the suit being played. If the game is being played in No Trumps, then trumps are not played. (Note here that trumping is often referred to as ruffing by bridge players.)

Those are the basic rules that it is helpful to know before learning the intricacies of the bidding.

Hints and Tips
Practice. As with many things, practice is the best way of learning. If you enrol on a class or take lessons online, it is very helpful to try and play in between sessions. There are many websites or downloadable apps which allow you to play bridge against "robots" or dummy players. The great thing about the robots is they have infinite patience and really don't care if you make wrong moves. A great way of learning and having fun in the comfort of your own home.

Learn one thing at a time. Learning bridge bidding can seem daunting with many conventions and rules. If you try to learn too much at once it will seem overwhelming. Find a good teacher or online site and learn one topic at a time. Don't try to rush ahead - make sure you have understood each topic before moving on and trying to learn something new. As I have said to many of my own students: "It's not a competition. Learn at your own pace."

Don't spend too long on each learning session. If you find yourself spending too many hours at one time trying to learn a topic you will stress yourself and start to get muddled. For beginners one hour at a time, if you are learning at home, is quite long enough. Take a break. If you try to learn too much at once you will simply forget it all.

Revision. If you enrol on a local bridge course, try to go through the topics you have learnt before the next lesson. This, along with some home practice play, will help you remember the topics that you learnt. Don't try to get ahead of your teacher. Take it slowly - that way you will learn more in the long run.
< Finally. Enjoy yourself. Bridge is fun and sociable. You will meet new friends and keep your brain active.

The best place I know for learning bridge online, practicing, having fun and revising between offline classes is No Fear Bridge, which you can join by going to Blueberry Bridge

Opening The Bidding With Equal Length Suits

How do you decide which suit to open with if your hand contains two equal length suits - with either 5 or 6 cards in each?

Take a look at this new post on Blueberry Bridge - which will tell you the answer.

http://blueberrybridge.com/which-suit-to-open/

Bridge Holidays For Beginners 2015

My ever popular, annual (or sometimes biannual) post with a round up of the bridge holidays for beginners that I find by trawling the internet.  (It's a fun way to pass half an hour or so with a good cuppa.)

HF Holidays run a range of bridge holidays in beautiful destinations around the UK.  This year, their Introduction to Bridge holidays will run in Brecon in April and in Dovedale in November.
Click Here

Bridge Overseas are running 4 day beginners courses in Basingstoke and at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Lancashire.  Click Here

Stockenbridge Breaks are running beginners courses in the glorious surroundings of the French Alps.  They claim they have 300 days of sunshine a year.

Bridge Holidays For Beginners - 2014

Time for the ever popular round up of bridge holidays for beginners.  Ever since I added the first selection of holidays, these have been the most popular posts on this blog.  So here we are - a selection of beginners bridge holidays that I have found by surfing the web.

Acol Bridge
HF Holidays are running a 4 night course for absolute beginners in October 2014.  It's in the glorious surroundings of Beddgelert in North Wales in the UK. http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays/introduction-bridge

Bridge Overseas will have beginners rooms on 4 night bridge holidays at the Bedford Park Inn in November 2014 and February 2015.  http://www.bridgeoverseas.co.uk/learning_bridge.html

Stockenbridge are offering beginners courses in the beautiful French Alps.  Contact them for full details http://www.stockenbridgebreaks.com/beginners.php

Begin Bridge offer a selection of bridge tuition holidays around the UK, including several for Absolute Beginners. http://www.begin-bridge.co.uk/events_list.html

Dordogne Bridge Holidays will run beginners courses if a group of players want to learn together.  Minimum 4 participants.  Take your friends and learn together. http://www.dordognebridgeholidays.com/bridge.php

St Ives Hotel - in Lytham St Annes (near Blackpool) offer breaks for all abilities including beginners.  Contact them for details. http://www.thestiveshotel.co.uk/breaks/bridge

Standard Bridge
Joan Butts is running two holidays for all standards of players, including beginners, in Australia. Full details on her website http://www.joanbuttsbridge.com/holidays/

Bridge Bidding Cheat Sheet

There's a lot to remember when you start learning to play bridge.  How many points do you need to open the bidding?  Can you open the bidding if you hold fewer points?  When should you make a major suit bid?  When to make a minor suit bid, or a No Trumps bid.  Should you support partner's suit or bid another suit?  Do you have enough points to bid for game, or maybe to bid for a small or large slam?

There's a lot to remember and it can be embarrassing and stressful if you forget or get it wrong.  The perfect answer is a bridge bidding cheat sheet.  Then you will have all the basic bidding facts in a handy, easy to read guide to help you to make the correct bid quickly and without embarrassment.

Where will you find a bridge bidding cheat sheet?  At No Fear Bridge, of course!  Members can download the crib sheet, print it out and have it handy whenever they are playing bridge online - or practicing their bridge bidding and play exercises.

How do you become a member?  That's easy too.  If you want to learn to play Acol bridge just click here NOW. (Acol bridge is widely played in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand)

If you want to learn to play American Standard bridge, just click here NOW. (American Standard bridge is widely played online and in most of the rest of the world)

Whichever system you choose to play, the bridge bidding cheat sheet will help you on your way.

Bridge Bidding Cheat Sheet

Bridge Bidding Flash Cards

Bridge bidding flash cards are a simple and easy way of improving your bridge bidding.

How Do They Work?

The front of the card has a question on a bidding topic of your choice.  You just read the question and work out your answer.

You might find it helpful to use a real pack of cards.  Deal yourself the hand shown on the flash card, which will help bring the question to life.

When you have worked out the answer - or if you don't know the answer - click on the card to display the answer.

Here are a couple of Acol bridge samples for you to try.  (Unlike on the real site, these aren't clickable, just scroll down for the answers).

Sample 1
This sample is on the topic of Stayman bidding

Sample 2

This sample is on the topic of opening bids in Acol bridge

Here are the answers.  Did you get them right?

Sample 1

Sample 2

Now you can see how the flash cards work, why not join No Fear Bridge for your two week free trial.  Look in the "My Flash Cards" section and  you will find flash cards on a wide range of topics for you to practice.  You can see more samples at Blueberry Bridge.

Bridge Holidays For Beginners 2013

Each year I put together a round up of all the bridge holidays for beginners that I can locate online.

Here is the list for 2013.

HF Holidays - each year HF run short breaks for absolute beginners.  Good company, good food in beautiful surroundings.

Dordogne Bridge Holidays run one week courses for beginners on a 50 acre estate in the French countryside.  Courses can be in Acol bridge or 5 card majors, although much of the material taught is relevant to both systems.

Arbuthnot Holidays are running 4 night holidays in Spain, which includes provision for beginners.

Begin Bridge offer several weekends, including weekends for absolute beginners, at various locations around the UK.

** NEW ** - Site For American Standard Bridge Players

Until Jan 2013 this site has been aimed at Acol bridge players.  This is the system of bridge that is played in the UK and a few other countries.

However, most of the world uses a different system.  And there is now a No Fear Bridge website for beginning and improving players of American Standard bridge.

As well as being widely played across the world, this is the system used by most online bridge websites.  So if you want to play bridge online - this is the system for you.

You can now choose which site to join.

To learn Acol bridge - click here

To learn American bridge - click here

Christmas Special

The PERFECT present for a bridge loving friend or relative.   A GIFT VOUCHER for one year’s membership at No Fear Bridge. 

If your loved one is a beginning or improving Acol bridge player – give them a gift that will last all year. 

With this voucher your friend or relative will get one whole year’s worth of:

• Fun
• Interactive learning
• Practice between classes or club sessions
• Opportunity to improve their bridge skills
• Learning at their own pace in their own time on their own computer

CLICK HERE to purchase right now.  Your voucher and card will be delivered in a few short days.

Bridge Lessons: Online Bridge Lessons

Bridge Lessons: Online Bridge Lessons: Welcome to Bridge Lessons - A Publication of Blueberry Bridge . A series of 12 lessons for complete beginners wanting to learn Acol bridg...

Blueberry Bridge

I have a birth announcement.  My new site, Blueberry bridge was born today.  It's dedicated to helping beginners learn how to play Acol bridge.  You can see it HERE.

It's going to be a selection of fairly random hints and tips for beginning and improving Acol bridge players.  I'm not disciplined enough to give the site a real structure and a lot of the content has been moved from an old site of mine that no longer exists.

I should organise, but so far I haven't.  Maybe I will one day.  Look on it as an opportunity to browse at random through Acol bridge conventions, play and bidding.  

Blackwood Bidding Convention

If you think that you and your partner have enough points to bid for a slam it can be essential to know that you have enough aces (and kings) - to avoid the embarrassment of losing that vital trick to an ace held by the opposition.  It is possible to hold enough points and still be missing an all important card.

This is where the Blackwood bidding convention comes into its own.  It is a way of asking your partner how many aces (and/or kings) they hold, to ensure that you have enough high cards to make the contract.

You can read more about Blackwood and see how it works if you click here.