In this course you will learn  how to value your hand in order to bid effectively, the difference between bridge and other card games, the rank of the bids, where you get your points from, trumps or NoTrumps, terminology and tricks you will play a game after each lesson as well as having a short progress quiz at the end of each lesson.

A brief overview of our lesson features and an introduction to Bridge. At the end of this course you'll play your first Bridge game. Lessons 015-019

The Standard American bidding system is a widely used method for communication in bridge games. It serves several purposes, including facilitating clear communication between partners,…

The Acol bidding system is primarily associated with bridge players in the United Kingdom, although it's also used in some other English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. While it may not be as widely used internationally as some other bidding systems like Standard American or Precision, Acol remains popular in these countries, particularly among social and club players. In bridge, the Acol bidding system is straightforward for beginners. It's called a "natural" system because most bids are based on the strength and length of your cards. Opening Bids: When you start bidding, you usually need at least four cards in the suit you're bidding. If you don't have a long suit, you might bid a balanced hand with no long suits. Responses and Re-bids: When your partner makes an opening bid, you respond based on your own hand. Again, you generally need four or more cards in the suit you're bidding. You tell your partner about your hand's strength and any good suits you have. No Trump Bids: If you don't have a long suit, you might bid "no trump." This means you have a balanced hand without a strong preference for any suit. Acol is a simple system that helps beginners communicate with their partner effectively during the bidding phase of the game.

Before Playing the Hand: Pause and plan. Count your tricks, review the opponents' bids (or lack thereof), and consider where the missing tricks might be. Formulate a strategy before touching any cards in the dummy. Declarer: The declarer is the player who won the contract during bidding. Their goal is to fulfil the contract by winning the required tricks. The declarer leads the first trick and decides which cards to play from their hand and the dummy's hand. Dummy: The dummy is the declarer's partner, whose hand is placed face-up on the table after the opening lead. The dummy does not make decisions or play cards but provides open information to support the declarer's strategy.

When you are on defense there are several ways (called systems) you can communicate with your partner. Of course you can only communicate using the cards you put down, your partner needs to watch carefully and try to watch for your signals. These lessons cover a few of the more commonly used systems and are intended as general guides for players and are not intended to be rigid failsafe rules.

A bridge convention is an agreement between partners to use specific artificial bids during the auction phase. These bids share information about card holdings, aiding better decision-making. Bids can be "natural," showing the suit bid or a balanced hand (notrump), or "artificial," indicating something else.

Defending Contracts: On defense, astute card play is crucial for preventing declarers from making their contracts. Defenders aim to disrupt declarers' plans, potentially setting them by taking tricks or establishing defensive tricks of their own. Effective card play can involve careful signalling, timely use of high cards, and coordination with one's partner. When playing defense in bridge, you and your partner have various communication methods, known as systems, to coordinate your efforts. These systems rely on the cards you play to convey information to your partner. Therefore, it's crucial for your partner to pay close attention and interpret your signals effectively to enhance your teamwork and improve your defensive strategy.