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015-019: Absolute Beginners - Play and Learn

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  1. 015 - Bridge Game - An Overview
  2. 017 - Play Your Second Bridge Game With Us
  3. 018 - How to Place a Bid
  4. 019 - The 'Play' Phase of a Bridge Game
  5. 016 - Features in Our Bridge Lessons
015-019: Absolute Beginners – Play and Learn 017 – Play Your Second Bridge Game With Us
Lesson 2 of 5
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017 – Play Your Second Bridge Game With Us

016

Bridge vs Other Card Games

This is your second lesson, and we know you want to play, so you at the end of this lesson, you will play another game.  

The bidding and the play

If you’ve already played Euchre, 500 or Whist, then the play phase will be very familiar: follow suit if you can, or, if it is a trump contract, you can play a trump suit.

Cards and hands

There are no Bowers in Bridge, and you will be playing with a full deck of 52 cards, with each player having 13 cards in their hand.

Use the hints to bid

While the ‘play’ phase may feel familiar, the ‘bidding’ phase in Bridge is very different. Bidding in Bridge is very formalized with a large number of rules. However, when playing online here, you’ll be able to use the built-in help to help you bid. In these early lessons, we recommend you always follow the bidding recommendations. These early lessons will focus on helping to to play better so you can play Bridge online here as quickly as possible.

Your turn to bid

 When it is your turn to bid, click on the ‘?’ beneath your cards (SOUTH) to find out what your bid should be. The recommended bid appears below your cards. In the example below, the recommended bid is ‘1NT’ (one notrump) so you would click ‘1NT’ on the bidding pad. You can even see the reason for your partner or opposition bids by clicking on their bids.

 The bidding hints are even available in our daily bridge competitions, so after a few short lessons, you’ll be playing competitively in our online Bridge game competitions.

Click under your username to see what bid you should make
Move your cursor and click on the suggested Bid. In this game 1NT
If your screen size is tablet or smaller you will have a slider below your cards to bid, just click on your desired bid use the to navigate

In the next lesson we look at the Bidding in more detail, but first try the instant quiz and game below.




Instant Progress Quiz - Select the correct answer



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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.
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