FOR ACOL BRIDGE PLAYERS As a general rule – you will make an opening bid of 1NT if you hold a balanced hand (no void or singleton, only one doubleton) and have 12 – 14 high card points. The Exception – A 5 Card Major Suit Every good rule has an exception. If you have […]
It’s tempting for declarer to draw all the trumps when on lead, but is this always the best approach? Imagine this is declarer’s combined holding (with dummy) in trumps: Once declarer gets on lead, s/he will usually play A & K hoping that trumps have broken 2-2 and that two rounds will draw all the […]
That’s an interesting question. It’s a bit like asking “how long does it take to learn to play the piano?”. So how long does it take to learn to play bridge? Learning the basics shouldn’t take most people more than a few months. The big question is “what level do you want to reach”? Many […]
Bridge Finessing The art of making an extra trick by taking advantage of the favourable position of a high card held by the opposition. This article will help you with understanding finesse in bridge. What does that mean? Finessing is done by declarer playing either from hand or from dummy (ie you need to be […]
Did you know that you get jumbo index playing cards? If you have visual difficulties, are partially sighted or finding that your sight isn’t as good as it used to be, these jumbo index cards might be the answer to helping you continue playing the game you love. Or helping you to learn a new […]
Every day thousands, if not millions of players around the world enjoy a game of bridge and. They know and understand the basic rules of the game and they practice and play regularly. Many find that regardless of how long they have been playing, their play stops improving. Their level of expertise has reached a […]
We all know that playing bridge regularly helps keep the brain active. Memory is an all important part of playing bridge. You need to remember which cards have been played. Forgetting who has played key cards can cause you to lose a game you might otherwise have won. Good memory is also helpful for remembering […]
A while ago I wrote about the health benefits of playing bridge. Could weight loss be one of them? Can playing bridge really help you lose weight? We all know that exercise, in conjunction with a healthy, calorie controlled diet can help you lose weight. There are many reasons why not everyone can take part […]
You probably think I’ve gone daft in the head for even asking. What can be more innocent than sitting round the table in your local bridge club playing a few friendly hands of bridge? This isn’t the view that police in Thailand took a few days ago. In Thailand there is a law that states […]
The Rule of 7 is an interesting and little known rule. Why am I writing about a rule that no-one has heard of? Because someone requested that I write about it. I had to do some research because, I have to be honest, I’d never heard of it. It seems there may be a good […]
One of the most commonly used bridge bidding conventions is Stayman. This is used in the initial round of bidding if partner has opened the bidding with 1NT. You can read more about the Stayman bidding convention HERE. Bridge players love numbers! There are several conventions whose names include numbers. Here are some of them: The […]
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably decided that you want to learn to play bridge. It’s a fun, sociable game played by millions of people worldwide. Confusingly, there is more than one system of bridge bidding and before you start learning it is helpful to decide which system you want to learn. There are two […]
Bridge players seem to love rules with numbers. The Rule of 7 is one of the least know rules, yet it is easy to learn and easy to apply. You might wonder why I’m writing a whole post about a rule that almost no-one has heard of? Someone asked me about the Rule, so I […]
Every bridge player, or prospective player, knows how popular the game of bridge is. It’s a great, fun way of having a full social life and helps keep your brain working at its best. Older folk will often decide to retire to a new area or to move into a retirement complex. Sometimes this can […]
It’s only a couple of weeks since I wrote about bridge being recognised by the International Olympic Committee as a “mind sport”. (See this post) Today comes news that a High Court judge has granted the EBU (English Bridge Union) leave to bring a case that will decide whether or not bridge can be recognised […]
One of the first topics that beginning players learn is the use of Stayman after a 1NT opening by partner to ask if partner holds a 4 card major. Don’t forget that you can also use Stayman after a 2NT opening. A 2NT opening shows partner holds 20 -22 points (Acol bridge) or 21 – […]
Update 2 – Sept 2018 The author of this article in the UK newspaper The Guardian has a rather cynical view of why he thinks bridge (and egames) might be considered for inclusion in the Olympics. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), he believes, were persuaded to include bridge by Michael Bambang Hartono, a 78-year-old […]
Bridge holidays are popular and it seems that everyone wants to go on a cruise. Why not combine the two? Enjoy a your favourite game whilst cruising in luxury and making new friends. Sounds perfect. Most cruises offer bridge as one of the many activities available for guests. Some offer a dedicated programme of bridge […]
If you hold two five card suits, or even two six card suits, which suit should you open with? The answer is that you should always open with the higher ranking suit (not the stronger hand). The rank of the suit takes precedent over suit quality. So, the example hand above should be opened with a […]
If you have opened the bidding, you visualise an imaginary “barrier” above your opening suit, but at the next level. So if, for example, you have opened with a bid of 1 Heart, the barrier is above 2 Hearts (ie between a bid of 2H and a bid of 2 Spades) If you hold just […]
Is it possible to learn bridge in a day? I’m sure you can’t become an expert player in a day, but it’s a great way of introducing the basics without the commitment of regular attendance at a course. It’s also a good way for a lapsed player to get back to playing bridge and revisiting […]
Are you married or living with a partner? Can you guess what playing bridge and attending a computer class have in common? At first glance the answer has to be “not a lot”. Let me give you some clues. I teach adults how to use a computer. Although I no longer run group classes, a […]
The Stayman convention is one of the first conventions that all beginning bridge players learn, but have you ever wondered how it got its name? (If you don’t know how and when to use the convention – click Stayman Convention.) It was named after an American bridge player – Sam Stayman. You might think from […]
How to work out the percentage scores in duplicate bridge If you take part in duplicate bridge competitions, either at a club or online, you will find each hand you play is awarded a percentage score. This isn’t directly related to the number of points you scored, but tells you how well you did […]
From the beginner to the expert. Play and discover how bridge becomes easy and fun with Eddie Kantar.
Introduction to simple finessing in bridge The most common form of finessing is leading a low card from one hand, hoping to win the trick with the high card in the other hand. (You are playing declarer and dummy) Example: Imagine the cards in the suit you want to play are distributed like this: […]
If you are just starting to learn to play bridge, you might want to find a local bridge course for beginners. It’s a sociable and fun way to learn to play and your class will be full of beginners just like you so there will no need to feel embarrassed by your lack of bridge […]
How Do You Play Bridge? If you’re asking yourself that question you have certainly come to the right place! At Blueberry Bridge we are dedicated to teaching you how to play this popular and fun game. In this post we’ll give you a very brief overview that should start to answer the question “how do […]
A bridge bidding cheat sheet is a very handy thing to have if you are a beginning or improving bridge player. It’s especially handy if you enjoy playing bridge online – either against robots or against real partners. Print out the bridge bidding chart and keep it with you when you are playing, then you […]
Are you looking for a new hobby? Maybe you want to make new friends and have more of a social life? If you do, then why not learn how to play bridge? Once you learn how to play bridge you will find you can enjoy an active social life. You can get together with friends […]
The Stayman convention is one of the first things you learn when you are starting to play bridge. It is used after partner has made a bid of No Trumps. As a general rule it is usually better to play in a major suit contract (spades or hearts) than to play in No Trumps, but […]
There are two basic types of bridge opening bids. No Trumps opening bids and suit opening bids. Deciding on your opening bid Once you have been dealt your cards, you should sort them into suits and sort the cards in order within those suits. Then you add up the number of High Card Points (HCPs) […]
Blueberry bridge helps you to play either of the two main bridge bidding systems – Acol and Standard American. The Acol system of bidding in bridge is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. Much of the rest of the world plays one of the Standard American bridge bidding systems. Acol bridge is […]
The Rule of 2, 3 and 4 is one of the more advanced topics that you can learn and practice at www.nofearbridge.co.uk. It is used when making a pre-emptive opening bid at the three level or higher. If you are still a beginner, make sure you understand vulnerability and the concept of playing duplicate bridge […]
Bridge flash cards are a fun and easy way to practice bridge bidding topics and help you to learn to play bridge online. Each card has just one question on front. You can take as long as you need to work out your answer. Then you look on the back of the card to […]
Until now, No Fear Bridge has been aimed at players who play Acol bridge – the system used in the UK, New Zealand and a few other countries. Now there is a brand new No Fear Bridge site aimed at beginning and improving players who want to play 5 card major/strong No Trumps. Just CLICK […]
A study by Berkeley University showed that there are significant health benefits from learning to play bridge. Back in 2000, Professor Marian Diamond showed that playing bridge boosts the immune system. Bridge requires concentration and while you are playing your brain is kept active and stimulated. It seems that this boosts your immune system. Professor […]
You are South and you hold this hand: South S K Q J 7 H A Q 6 5 D 8 C K 10 9 3 Your partner has bid 1S. As this is a minimum bid (at the one level) your partner could have a weak hand. The bidding has gone as follows: East South West North […]
If partner has opened with a bid of 1 of a suit and you have fewer than 12 points it is usual to respond with a bid at the one level if you hold a four card major suit that you can bid, even if you hold a longer minor suit. This is because you […]
We are West and we have this hand: Spades: J 2, Hearts: A Q 9 8, Diamonds: A 9 7 6 2, Clubs: 6 2 The bidding has gone as follows: North East South West Pass Pass Pass ? We only have 11 points. Should we open the bidding? It seems […]
After a player (“you”) has opened the bidding there is the possibility that the player on your left, who is part of the opposing partnership, might overcall. When this happens it can sometimes mean that your partner has to bid at a higher level when making a change of suit response than they otherwise would have. […]
The Rule Of 14 is a bridge bidding convention used in Acol bridge. It is used by the responder when they are replying to their partner’s opening bid. When the opener has opened with a bid of one of a suit and the responder has a weakish hand with a suit that can be also […]
What is Fourth Suit Forcing? Fourth suit forcing is a bridge convention. It is used to help you find the right contract, including finding 5-3 major suit fits and finding a stopper for No Trumps. It is used when you are responder and have 11+ points and: Three suits have already been bid (hence the […]
The Rule of 20 is one of the techniques you will learn when learning how to bid in bridge. It is used in just one situation – when deciding if your hand is suitable for opening the bidding. As a general rule, a hand should contain 12 or more high card points (HCP) if you […]
What is a Slam? There are two types of slam – a small slam and a grand slam. A small slam means you bid for and win 12 out of the 13 available tricks. A grand slam means you bid for and win all 13 tricks. Why Bid For a Slam? If you are learning […]
What is the Losing Trick Count? It is a more accurate way of valuing an unbalanced hand when you know you have an eight card fit. Without using this method you will probably have used shortage points when valuing a hand with a known eight card fit. To do this you count five for a […]
Last year, I added a selection of bridge holidays for beginners. It proved to be a popular post, so here is an updated list of bridge holidays for beginner’s and improvers. HF Holidays are offering two breaks for beginners. One in February 2012 and one in October 2012. Both are for four nights. Urchfont Manor […]
At first glance, this rule sounds rather complicated! Don’t worry, if you are the defending partnership it’s just a useful little technique to help you decide which card to play in the opening round of a game. There are several “rules” that the opener can use to help decide which card to play when opening […]
Learning how to score at bridge makes it easier to understand the bridge bidding system. Once you know how to score you will understand why it is better to play in hearts/spades/NT than diamonds or clubs and why players will continue bidding to the 4, 5, 6 or even 7 level instead of stopping at […]
If you are learning to play bridge it is helpful to find some bridge hands to play online. At No Fear Bridge you will find hundreds of bridge hands to play, covering a wide range of topics. Some hands allow you to play the whole hand and then show you what you have scored. You […]
