Links to Other Bridge Sites

On-Line Partnership Desk

Unit 512 is developing an on-line partnership desk for bridge tournaments.  The current version was available for use by attendees at the 2022 Reno NABC, and may be viewed by clicking on this link.  It utilizes an inexpensive commercially available program, "SignUpGenius" originally intended to manage volunteers.  (Unit 512 is using SUG for Tournament volunteers, as well.)  For more information, on Partnership use, please contact Anne Wilson (650-533-4645; wilson@plusfive.com).  For either application, contact Roger Bohl (707-933-6836; rhbohl@gmail.com).

Bridge Game: Description and History

ACBL Game Description

Youth 4 Bridge – How to Play Bridge in simpler terms

Introduction to Duplicate Bridge - The American Contract Bridge League provides a description of what duplicate bridge is.

Insightful TED talk by twelve-year-old Mumbai resident, Anshul Bhatt, highlights his passion for the game. Fun Video Introduction to Bridge. 

Jeff Tang’s History of Bridge - on BridgeBum website.

History according to Bridge Conventions website.

Contract Bridge – Wikipedia: Description, History, How to Play, Scoring,

ACBL - American Contract Bridge League is an excellent source of information about current events in the bridge community. The league can help you find bridge clubs throughout the country as well as locate local and national tournaments all over America. At times it even offers sanctioned bridge cruises at sea. ACBL also maintains a fabulous website with a wealth of information for new players.

Voluminous Bridge WWW Sites

Bridge Depot has long list of articles.

Bridge World – Excellent. Good starting place for academics.

Bridge Bum – Probably not for a beginner.

Bridge Encyclopedia by Michael Nistler, part of BridgeHands website.

BridgeHands by Michael Nistler

Bridge Winners - New columns by experts (and others) virtually every day plus scores from major events.

Great Bridge Links - An amazing resource. Articles, news, and stories of interest for bridge lovers. Lots of links to everything Bridge. Check out their article on bridge apps.

Link libraries on one web page

Whidco Bridge Site

La Jolla bridge Club has list of links.

ACBL District 8, (IL, Mo, Ky) has list of links.

For Beginners - Start playing Bridge

Learn to Play Bridge - An interactive, learn-as-you-play web-based program powered by BridgeBase robots. LTPB online proves a safe environment for players to test and learn new skills. LTPB online can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.

Intro to Bridge Online Course – join ACBL’s new online course today! Each 90-minute lesson – 10 in all – features hands-on learning with plenty of practice for your new skills. You can expect to begin playing shortly into the first lesson for just $50 and includes a free 90-day trial of the Shark Bridge app.

ACBL Learning Sessions – Single 3 or 4 hour online sessions with a teacher, $20 each.

Best EBridge – browser-based bridge play for learners. Bidding, online lessons, hand play. Free account with limited access. Basic account $15 US/mo.

The Bridge Doctor – online bridge club for beginners. Includes lessons for ACOL (British basic system) and Standard American bidding systems. Play against Robots. No app, but mobile friendly.

Begin Bridge – Improve beginner bridge players’ skills and teach bridge in an entertaining, and an easy way. SAYC system. Works on phones.

Tricky Bridge - Tricky Bridge makes it fun (and free!) for absolute beginners to learn bridge: rules, bidding, and strategy. Learn solo, at your own pace through 37 lessons, competitions, and challenges. Tricky Bridge has no pop-up advertisements, so you’ll enjoy uninterrupted learning. You can also play offline.

Planet Hool – Innovative new way to learn bridge from scratch. Starts with play, not bidding. US Hooligans/Planet Hool is a free online program teaching the principles of bridge to kids (and adults too) in the US. We play our own games: Kida and Hool.

Bridge Bears – beginning bridge site developed by public school teacher designed to start slow and take small steps in learning.

Online Games

Social Bridge Online – Online app for social bridge players by ACBL Educational Foundation.

Bridge Base Online – Largest bridge club online. Earn ACBL Masterpoints. Large worldwide community. The homepage contains links to the following play bridge resources: Just Play Bridge (an infinite stream of bridge hands), Bridge 4 (sets of 4 deals), Just Declare (no bidding, just play), and Bridge Master (deals with solutions provided for beginner to world class levels

Fun Bridge – Free and subscription levels. It’s an app or can install on your computer. Hovering over the bids will tell you what they mean. Nice set of free lessons. Play solitaire with robots.

OKbridge – the original online bridge club and still one of the largest and most popular. 14 day free play then annual fee, $100/yr. for base rate.

Real Bridge – Europe's equivalent to BBO. This site includes video conferencing and can be used by a director to run a virtual club game and also by teachers similar to Shark Bridge here in North America.

Shark Bridge – Made in Canada. Contains 3 modules: Play Bridge, Teach Bridge with teacher console, and working with ACBL to teach younger students with BridgeWiz. This program has become the dominant teaching tool for online learning in US. Now with video conferencing abilities.

Synrey Bridge – Developed specifically for phones for easier and more accurate clicking with improved visual display for phones. Use in China as teaching tool. Beginner Practice (Whist/Mini), Daily Pairs (MP/IMP), Practice in a group with your friends, Compete in friendly tournaments. Free and subscription-based levels.

Swan Games – Online club where you can win ACBL masterpoints.

Bridge Software for Your Computer

The Bridge Baron – Made in US. Now in its 29th edition with companion convention learning program. Buy new or upgrade our old version.

JACK – Made in England. Now in 5th version. Bridge software program won world computer championship several times. Learn and play modes. 80 conventions and can set player level beginner to expert. Get hints.

Q-plus Bridge – Free, downloadable to Windows platform. In 15th version. Just play bridge at Club level.

Suitplay - Freeware program that determines optimal play of suit combinations. Email authors to get a copy.

Deepfinesse -- double-dummy hand analyzer.

For Beginners: Books and Introductory Material

Karen Walker has set of lessons for beginners who want to self-teach and also a book you can purchase direct from her: Bridge for Beginners and Beyond, 18th edition.

Patty Tucker - The publication of the American Bridge Teacher’s Association recognized Patty Tucker’s induction into the ACBL Hall of Fame 2019 for her teaching. She developed the Learn Bridge in a Day program now taught online through ACBL. Congratulations Patty!

Audrey Grant is a prolific writer and program developer focusing on teaching beginning and intermediate players and has a Better Bridge website and Magazine. The 3 basic Audrey Grant books are good for a beginner:

(1) Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction,

(2) Bridge Basics 2: Competitive Bidding, and

(3) Bridge Basics 3: Popular Conventions

Baron Barclay – bridge supply company has page listing their recommended books for beginners. Other pages will have more books for mare advanced players. They offer discounts to teachers buying volume set of books for students.

Amazon - search on "bridge books for beginners" and "ACBL Bridge Books" and "Bridge Game + Best Sellers".

Bridge for Dummies by Eddie Kantar has been recommended by many players.

How to Read Your Opponent's Cards by Michael Lawrence

First Principles of Card Play by Paul Marston. A welcome reprint of what has been recognized as one of the best introductions on how to play Bridge. Also useful for club players and social rubber-bridge players.

Card Play Technique by Victor Mollo/Nico. An outstanding card play book.

A Taste of Bridge - Jeff Bayone’s Honors Bridge Club in New York is the largest in North America, perhaps in the world. This book is based on their beginners’ course, a series of six lessons that have started thousands of people on the road to enjoying the world’s most popular card game. In a recent Bridge Magazine, Jeff writes:  A Taste of Bridge is only half of the Honors Bridge Cub beginner course. The amazing Israeli online teaching site, bestebridge.com, is the other half. Teacher and student notes, all the example hands your beginners will ever need, are included in the program. If you email Jeff at honorsbridge@gmail.com he’ll send you a complimentary e-book, course materials, and two full-day free access to the Best e-Bridge website.

For Intermediate+ Players: Websites

Bidding Systems

Bidding Systems Described – Nice, short summary of most systems.

Kaplan-Sheinwold Updated – There was a time when this was THE system.

Bridge World Standard - A natural 2/1 system devised over the years by The Bridge World. It employs 5-card majors, 15-17 1NT, and a strong 2 opening. BWS is also the de facto system for The Bridge World's "Master Solver Club" bidding contests.

SAYC – Standard American Yellow Card System. Short concise summary by BridgeBum

Losing Trick Count – booklets by Jennifer Jones along with blog on BBO games.

Defense

Bobs Free Bridge Lessons – Five-Star. Go to his home page to get WORD and PDF downloads on Defense and Play of the Hand.

Signals

Bridge Defensive Signals/Leads – Excellent. Five-star. Pull down menu for list of signals, leads, and discards.

Conventions

The Convention Card - This video on YouTube is presented by Audrey Grant & David Lindop.

Conventions - Jeff Tang  - long list in BridgeBum

Conventions - Graeme Williams  - very long list in Bridge Bidding Conventions website

Conventions - Simon (Calgary) -

Mike Savage on Conventions – Mike moved his file to the Beverly Hills Unit web site and you have to click on link and request the file from him directly.

Pattaya Bridge Club – Thailand. Scroll down and you will see there are five sections.

Lessons Oriented Site

Michael Nistler Lessons – many videos through BridgeHands site. Michael lives in our local club area.

Mike Lawrence Bridge Clues

Don Rogers Lessons – teacher in Reno Nevada.

Larry Cohen – Use the tab that is headed Learning Center.

Bob’s Free Bridge Lessons – Five-Star.

Rhoda's Rules - Rhoda Walsh helped develop 2/1 system and is a world champion.

Quizzes, puzzles & practice

Bridge Clues - daily quizzes from Mike Lawrence.

Bridge puzzles & quizzes - Richard Pavlicek.

Bridge polls and contest - archive of Richard Pavlicek's contests .and analyses.

Double Dummy Corner - declarer-play problems from Hugh Darwen.

The Bridge World Master Solvers Club

It's Your Call - monthly bidding forum in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin.

Bridge Sites with Diverse Material

Chris Ryall’s Home Page – Very advanced.

Eddie Kantar – Good stuff for newer players. Loaded with tips, quizzes, books, travel plans, and even a section on bridge humor.

Howard’s Bridge Page – Five-star.

Jeff Goldsmith – Very, very advanced…interesting site.

JimmySez – Intermediate plus.

Marty Bergen – Well, we have to have Marty.

Richard Pavlicheck - Great place to start.

Richmond Bridge Club – Click on the heading Friendly Bridge.

Bridge with Larry Cohen

The Fifth Chair – One of those sites that seems almost too good to be true.

Bridge Winners – Forum for discussions. Kit Woolsey is a regular contributor. Five-Star.

The Common Game – This is the source for most of our game files.

bridgeblogger.com – Just what it says. You can easily waste weeks at this site.

For Intermediate+ Players: Books

Book Lists

Article on Earlier Prolific Authors

List of Authors with follow up reviews

Karen's Bridge Library - For bridge players . . . current and aspiring. Amazon linked list from Karen's Bridge Library. She also list of recommended books

Katie Cooper's list of favorite bridge books.

Current Prolific Authors (use search engine to find materials)

Audrey Grant

Barbara Seagram

Eddie Kantor

Frank Stewart

Larry Cohen

Michael Lawrence

For Intermediate+ Players: Bridge Magazines, Articles

Bridge Bulletin is the official publication of the ACBL and is worth many times more than the yearly dues. The magazine includes a special “New Players Section” as well as sections for intermediate and advanced players with monthly articles by various bridge writers

The Bridge World is the granddaddy of all bridge publications and is the most respected bridge publication in the world. Unfortunately, the magazine is aimed primarily at advanced players. However, don’t despair; The Bridge World offers information for players of all levels, including beginners, at its website.

Audrey Grant, a top international instructor, offers a bi-monthly 24-page magazine. Each issue is full of useful information brought to you by the world’s best players and writers. Many up-to-date tips will have you playing better bridge.

Some people who don’t even play bridge read the bridge columns because they’re amusing. A good column is informative, instructive, and entertaining. The major bridge columnists usually come through on all three counts. Here are four good bets, in no particular order (they’re all winners):

 “Bridge” by Frank Stewart

“Goren on Bridge” by Tannah Hirsch

 “The Aces on Bridge” by Bobby Wolff

“Bridge” by Steve Becker

Bridge Articles (links open in new page)

Eddie Kantar's 52 Bridge Facts

Eddie Kantar's Bridge Tips

Edgar Kaplan Nuggets

Larry Cohen Articles

Grant Baze's Rules of Bridge

Jeff Goldsmith's Home Page

Mark Blumenthal's Bridge Blog

Steve Robinson Bridge Round Table Articles

 For Teachers

Bridge Base Online Training Materials from Emerald Club website

The American Bridge Teachers Association (ABTA) has a website of great interest to bridge teachers, authors and more.

From the ACBL web site: 

Learn to Play Bridge -- Designed for those who have never played bridge, these interactive programs offer a great introduction to basic bidding and play. They're highly recommended as a first step for all learners.

ACBL Bridge Teacher's Lounge -- Teachers' newsletter, handbooks, online teaching tips and lesson plans for several different courses. Complete course outlines, teacher manuals and printable handouts.

Video Library

Many specialized resources are available if you're teaching children or teens:

ACBL BridgeWiz School Program -- Instructions, tips and lesson plans for teaching youth and setting up group lessons at schools.

Bridge Teachers for Youth -- Lesson plans, handouts, promotional materials and the complete text of the "Bridge: A Path to Math" curriculum and lessons.   

WBF Youth  -- World Bridge Federation Youth website for players and teachers. Shows winners and articles on Youth World Championships.

Kitty Cooper -- Comprehensive lesson materials for teaching in schools and introducing students to Minibridge. She also wrote complete 116-page teacher manual.

More materials for teachers, learners and bridge clubs are available on these sites:

Karen's Bridge Library - Bidding summaries and handouts for beginners through experts.

Fifth Chair Foundation - An archive of articles, handouts and tutorials for beginner and intermediate-level players.

Discover the Fun & Challenge of Duplicate Bridge - Online booklet for new-to-duplicate players.

WBF Teacher Tools - Complete outline and lesson materials for the World Bridge Federation course (23 lessons).

Richard Pavlicek - Pavlicek offers a free package of tips and handouts for teachers of beginning players. Also on the site is a page of advanced lessons on a wide range of topics.

Eddie Kantar -- Hundreds of quiz hands to teach bidding, defense and declarer play. 

Northern Colorado and Richmond VA bridge clubs -- Topics, outlines and handouts for mini-lessons.

Easy Bridge Course with manuals developed for more fun way to learn.

For Directors

Software

ACBL Score for Windows - Director Game Software for ACBL sanctioned games. Comes with Manual.

Score Bridge – Europe based system for scoring club games and tournaments.

Dealmaster Pro  -- features for bridge teachers and club directors, including a deal generator, simulator and hand-record creator.

Bridge Composer – Create hands and bridge files like pbn.

The laws

ACBL Laws of duplicate Bridge, 2017 PDF, free.

ACBL Club Director Course

ACBL Club Resources - Has director courses, movements, etc.

ACBL Rule Changes. The ACBL Board of Directors unanimously approved a comprehensive update to the ACBL Alert Procedure which went into effect Jan 1st, 2021.

ACBL 2017 Rule Changes summarized

ACBL 2021 Alert Changes Summarized

Laws from the World Bridge Federation

International Bridge Laws Forum - If you like to study the laws and discuss the laws. Bridge Base hosts an interesting forum.

Movements

Patrick's Bridge Movements - PDF describing movements and how to set them up.

Home Duplicate Forms - from Richard Pavlicek. This page contains various printable forms for running a home duplicate bridge game of 2-4 tables for individuals, pairs or teams. Make your next bridge party special. Everything you need (except pencils and duplicate boards) is provided here, free. All of the duplicate forms are in PDF format, which requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print.

Duplicate Bridge Direction – book by Alex Groner on Amazon.

Downloadable Duplicate Bridge Forms - All travelers and table cards, and some reconciliation charts, are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PD.F), so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Wikipedia: Bridge Movements – extensive descriptions with rationales and recommendations.

Bridge Supplies

Travel and Play Bridge

Bridge instruction on cruise ships

Cruise ships offer an unequaled opportunity to immerse yourself in bridge activities. Many major cruise ships set sail with a bridge teacher on board. When the ship is at sea, you get a lesson in the morning and the chance to enter a friendly tournament in the afternoon. However, you can simply play bridge in the card room if you prefer. Check with the cruise line you’re interested in to verify whether it offers a bridge program.

Bridge tours

Bridge tours offer great opportunities to play bridge to your heart’s content at some really great places. There are several travel agencies that deal specifically with bridge groups, but you can type “contract bridge tours” into your favorite search engine for more options.

Liz Nixon’s World of Cruise and Travel, Phone: 800-548-2789, Email: cruzqueen43@gmail.com

Bridge Holidays with Roberta and Arnold Salob, Phone 800-807-7009

Alice Travel, Phone: 800-229-2542

Finesse West Tours, Phone: 800-548-8062

Be a Director/Teacher on a Cruise Ship

Sixth Star Travel - A Bridge Director must be an accredited bridge teacher and ACBL certified director who has achieved Life Master standing. The director must be proficient at both Standard American and Acol and be an excellent socializer with an outgoing, dynamic personality. The Bridge Director is responsible for teaching bridge lessons for intermediate/advanced players followed by an afternoon of duplicate and social bridge play on each day the cruise ship is at sea and on select port days. Depending on the cruise ship, bridge directors may be asked to offer lessons for absolute beginners. The Bridge Director is also responsible for submitting any bridge masterpoints earned by passengers who are ACBL members.