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001-014: Beginners - Evaluating your Hand

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  1. 001 - Introduction
  2. 002 - Definition of Terms
  3. 003 - Tricks To Make Your Bid
  4. 004 - High Card Points
  5. 005 - Long Suit Distribution Points
  6. 006 - Short Suit Distribution Points
  7. 007 - Total Points (TP)
  8. 008 - Trump Suits
  9. 009 - No Trumps
  10. 010 - The Ranking of Bridge Bids
  11. 011 - The Major Suits
  12. 012 - The Minor Suits
  13. 013 - Playing Bridge On Our Computer Game
  14. 014 - Quiz 1 Hand Evaluation
001-014: Beginners – Evaluating your Hand 001 – Introduction
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001 – Introduction

001

Learn to Play Bridge Online

Here, you can learn to play Bridge completely online. 60 SecondBridge is designed to give Beginners, Junior and Intermediate level Bridge players a learning and playing environment that includes practice hands and interactive lessons on bidding and playing. You’ll also find hundreds of Bridge hands (with expert commentary) to play, daily competitions to take part in, and self-assessment Bridge quizzes.
Beginners Bridge – Start Here

New to Bridge? – Start with the Beginner Lessons

A series of short Bridge lessons designed for absolute newcomers.  The lessons cover Bridge terms, minor suits, major suits, trump contracts, notrump contracts, and hand evaluation. You will also be introduced to the online Bridge game which includes hints you can use to assist you with bidding. Most lessons includes practice games and many include full commentary on bidding and play.

Standard American or Acol Bidding Lessons 

After learning the basics of Bridge, you will then complete a series of Lessons with practice hands to play (there are more practice hands on our ‘Hand of the Day’ pages). After completing your beginner lessons, you’ll move onto bidding lessons. These lessons are divided into Standard American or Acol’. 
NOTE: If you live in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, we recommend you start learning Acol as that is the standard Bidding System in those countries. Other countries should choose the Standard American lessons. 

By the end of this series of lessons, you will be able to bid, understand your partner’s bids and play Bridge on the computer.  



After learning Standard American or Acol bidding, you can then move on to more advanced lessons:

 On Defense – Bidding & Play Lessons

Competitive bidding  When you find yourself on defense there are many bids still available to you. Standard American or Acol competitive bids are the same and are system independent.

Defensive Play lessons for when you are the opposition and want to attack the opponent’s contract and take the contract light for points for your side. 

Declarer & Dummy Card Play Lessons

Declarer Play for when you have won the contract and need to play your  hand; There are practise hands with hints and guidance about planning your play.

After completing the above series of lessons you will be able to play Bridge!



Instant Progress Quiz – Check the correct answer



   False

   True

Practice Playing Bridge

In No-trump contracts lose your losers before losing control

PLAY

Responses

  2. K October 6, 2024

    All four suits have to be developed – by driving out AS, KH, AC and KD. AC is taken care of by the first lead in Clubs which brings out AC. How is one to decide which of the other suits should be established first. I tried doing it with Hearts but could not make the contract. Is there any guideline or thumbrule to decide?

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The Acol Bidding System

*If you live in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand Acol is the most widespread system Acol has the following characteristics:
  • It is a natural system: most opening bids, responses and rebids are made with at least 4 cards in the suit bid, and most no trump bids are made with balanced hands.
  • It is a four-card major system: only four-card suits are required to open 1♠ or 1♥, unlike Standard American and many other systems where five-card suits are typically required.
  • It makes extensive use of limit bids: limit bids describe the hand so closely, in terms of high card points (HCP) and shape, that the one who makes the limit bid is expected to pass on the next round, unless partner makes a forcing bid.
  • Understanding and correct use of limit bids and forcing bids is fundamental to applying the system: all no trump bids below the level of 4NT are limit bids, as are all suit bids that merely repeat a suit already bid by the partnership; changes of suit may be forcing or not depending on the approach bids.
  • The level of the 1NT opening bid influences other bids: the normal choice is between a “weak no trump” (12–14 HCP) and a “strong no trump” (15–17 HCP).
  • All 1 of a suit opening bids then promise at least 4 cards in the bid suit
  • Notrump follow-up conventions include Stayman, Jacoby transfers Blackwood and Gerber Convention.
Change my Settings to Acol