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BridgeHands - Online Training, Instruction
helping you to learn Contract Bridge and
Duplicate Bridge with Computer-based Instruction
 

Visit our exciting NEW

 Bridge Blog for FREE

 hands-on lessons

"Polling You" Bridge Blog - Playing Duplicate Bridge and Contract Bridge is a game full of opportunities to make decisions.  So here at BridgeHands each week we now offer Bridge Instruction including bidding and play survey questions to help improve your Bridge game.  Here's how it works:
1. Go to our Home page or our Bridge Blog page
    Note: we welcome you to signup for our FREE Newsletter so we can EMAIL you a
    copy of the poll question and BridgeHands eMagazine newsletters.
2. Read the "Polling You" question, select the best response and press the Vote button
3. Immediately your response will be tallied and you will be able to see how your vote
    compared with hundreds of other Bridge players

Better yet, our Bridge Blog now provides high-level discussion about the polling responses.  But wait, this is just the beginning! After signing in to your FREE or paid Membership Subscription, you will have access to:

Online VIDEO instruction with animated card movement and audio commentary.
Here are a few of our recent bidding and play card animations with narration:

Poll #15: 3 Notrump Finessing with Flat Hands      Poll #17: 3 Notrump Promotion

       Written commentary with embedded links to our Encyclopedia, etc

        Downloadable files (in zip format):

        MS-Word, including commentary and links

        Adobe Acrobat PDF with hand diagram and card by card play

        Web pages with hand diagram and card by card play (HTML)

        Bridge animation/game files (PBN for Bridge Baron, etc, LIN for Bridge Base)

        Dealmaster Pro PBN and database files (load hand, read commentary, etc)

        Deep Finesse file (enabling animated card by card play)

        Automatic dealing machine file formats (Duplimate and Autodealer).

So hurry on over to our Bridge Blog, try our weekly polls, read our commentary, download our supporting files, and even read comments by your colleagues as well as write your replies!

 

Newcomer -  a great place to start.  The Newcomer module is designed for entry level players learning the basic fundamentals of Bridge.

Basic mechanics and strategy of the Rubber Bridge game
Basic hand evaluation
Bidding fundamentals without competition
Declarer and defender play fundamentals
 

Novice - moves beyond fundamentals.  The Novice module offers emerging players insights to improve their technique and tools to enhance partnership communication.

Appreciation of the Bridge ecosystem
Emerging hand evaluation in the ecosystem
Bidding conventions and in the face of competition
Declarer strategies to take your tricks
Defender leads, signals, and strategies
 

Intermediate - competitive players moving up.  Intermediate players have been playing Bridge for some time, perhaps having read a few Bridge books, read newspaper columns, or have used a teacher to improve their skills.  Intermediates who play Duplicate Bridge are at or near the Life Master category.

Understanding the Bridge Environmental Factors
Hand evaluation: Law of Total Tricks, Losing Trick Count
Conventions to handle many everyday situations
Declarer techniques - take playing tricks with thought and tools
Defender techniques - more on leads, signals, and strategies
Laws you should know: common infractions
 

Advanced -  For Duplicate tournament-level and serious money Rubber Bridge players.  Players at this level really know their stuff.  The Advanced player seeks new methods to further improve bidding accuracy, handle difficult bidding scenarios, and looks for new ways to squeeze out additional tricks.

Conventions to handle most every situation
Difficult play scenarios for the declarer and defender
Count, Count, Count - points, honors and intermediates, suits
Make the Laws your friend
Understanding your partner
Having fun with Bridge jargon