Help
I have played a few games of bridge online, but I don't really understand what I am doing half of the time. What's the best place online to teach me how to bid? I guess what I really need help with is: I don't really always understand what it means when my partner bids a certain way, and then there's hands where I am just completely not sure what to do.
I kind of wish there was a way where I could play a game and my partner would explain why they are bidding the way they are and what it means. And more so what I'm saying when I bid a certain way. Even in the "relaxed" bridge club, there are a lot of people that seem to be in a real rush.
I have a feeling what I'm looking for is already there, but I'm not sure where it is exactly.
Also is there a Junior BBO table or something?
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What's the best way to learn bridge online?
#2
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Posted 2011-March-22, 19:47
BBO has a number of things that can help you.
First, there is the beginner/intermediate lounge where people offer free lessons multiple times per day. There are also some people who will teach you for a small fee, and others for a large fee. Before paying anyone for lessons, ask for references, and ask a few people about the person offering you to teach you.
Second, there is a junior group that offer great lessons. It maybe that while you are a junior, you may not yet be ready for the lessons that they offer, but theirs is free, and you can learn something from them anyway.
Third, Mike Lawarence is offereing a series of lessons. His are 15 dollars per lesson. They are very focused lessons, and I hear quite good. However, again, you may not be ready for that level yet.
Fourth, there are "teaching tables" where you and a partner/teacher can play. You can ask questions to your hearts content, no one will get mad or in a hurry.
Fifth, there are partnership bidding tables where you can just concentrate on your bidding with a partner/teacher. You can even practice specific hand types as you can program what type hands are dealt.
Sixth, you can do self study. After you play, go to http://www.bridgebas...rary_points.php and enter you name. Find the hands you played. You can click on the "traveller" and find the way other people bid the same hand you held and how they plsyed it. Doing this will allow you to quickly determine what most people do with the hand you held. That can be helpful if you don't want to pay someone to tell you that same information.
Finally, find hands you get lost on, come back here and post the hand in the Beginner/interemeidate forum and ask how it should be bid, etc. People here will offer you advice for free. If you are lucky, you will get several different answers for the same question so that you can learn finer points of the game and see the different options that are available to you, and what they mean.
First, there is the beginner/intermediate lounge where people offer free lessons multiple times per day. There are also some people who will teach you for a small fee, and others for a large fee. Before paying anyone for lessons, ask for references, and ask a few people about the person offering you to teach you.
Second, there is a junior group that offer great lessons. It maybe that while you are a junior, you may not yet be ready for the lessons that they offer, but theirs is free, and you can learn something from them anyway.
Third, Mike Lawarence is offereing a series of lessons. His are 15 dollars per lesson. They are very focused lessons, and I hear quite good. However, again, you may not be ready for that level yet.
Fourth, there are "teaching tables" where you and a partner/teacher can play. You can ask questions to your hearts content, no one will get mad or in a hurry.
Fifth, there are partnership bidding tables where you can just concentrate on your bidding with a partner/teacher. You can even practice specific hand types as you can program what type hands are dealt.
Sixth, you can do self study. After you play, go to http://www.bridgebas...rary_points.php and enter you name. Find the hands you played. You can click on the "traveller" and find the way other people bid the same hand you held and how they plsyed it. Doing this will allow you to quickly determine what most people do with the hand you held. That can be helpful if you don't want to pay someone to tell you that same information.
Finally, find hands you get lost on, come back here and post the hand in the Beginner/interemeidate forum and ask how it should be bid, etc. People here will offer you advice for free. If you are lucky, you will get several different answers for the same question so that you can learn finer points of the game and see the different options that are available to you, and what they mean.
HarmonyOne, on 2011-March-22, 17:56, said:
I have played a few games of bridge online, but I don't really understand what I am doing half of the time. What's the best place online to teach me how to bid? I guess what I really need help with is: I don't really always understand what it means when my partner bids a certain way, and then there's hands where I am just completely not sure what to do.
I kind of wish there was a way where I could play a game and my partner would explain why they are bidding the way they are and what it means. And more so what I'm saying when I bid a certain way. Even in the "relaxed" bridge club, there are a lot of people that seem to be in a real rush.
I have a feeling what I'm looking for is already there, but I'm not sure where it is exactly.
Also is there a Junior BBO table or something?
I kind of wish there was a way where I could play a game and my partner would explain why they are bidding the way they are and what it means. And more so what I'm saying when I bid a certain way. Even in the "relaxed" bridge club, there are a lot of people that seem to be in a real rush.
I have a feeling what I'm looking for is already there, but I'm not sure where it is exactly.
Also is there a Junior BBO table or something?
--Ben--
#3
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Posted 2011-March-23, 00:03
There is also a website for BBO Juniors. In the club, there are frequent lessons which feature 2 top experts playing with juniors, and for the beginners, they recently introduced a Card Rook Room (or something like that) which focuses on more basic topics.
This possibly isn't helpful, but don't get too bothered if someone starts flaming you for any mistakes which happen, chances are, they're only good enough to explain why what you did was wrong (and usually any suggestion they have is generally followed in the other results). As Ben (inquiry) has said already, if there is a particular hand you want advice about after you've played it, feel free to post in the Beginner+Intermediate Forum, you will have more protection there than anywhere else.
This possibly isn't helpful, but don't get too bothered if someone starts flaming you for any mistakes which happen, chances are, they're only good enough to explain why what you did was wrong (and usually any suggestion they have is generally followed in the other results). As Ben (inquiry) has said already, if there is a particular hand you want advice about after you've played it, feel free to post in the Beginner+Intermediate Forum, you will have more protection there than anywhere else.
Wayne Somerville
#4
- Csaba the Hutt
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Posted 2011-March-23, 04:47
Most important lesson is to ignore insults. About 99% of rude partners will base their opinions on the result alone and about 90% of the time the criticism will be nonsense.
... and I can prove it with my usual, flawless logic.
George Carlin
George Carlin
#5
- The Abbess
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Posted 2011-March-23, 05:24
BBO with its bidding tables is great for practicing bidding, but you need a knowledgeable partner. Most of those who label themselves as "expert" are 100% clueless. If you don't know a good teacher that would bid with you online, the best thing to do (until you find one) is to practice with robots.
The world would be such a happy place, if only everyone played Acol :) --- TramTicket
#6
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Posted 2011-March-23, 05:25
This may seem hopelessly out of date, but I would try to find a local lesson series or supervised duplicate sessions. It seems to me that face-to-face interaction will be much more efficient and will ensure that you cover the basics thouroughly.
Back to online instruction, the ACBL and EBU offer tutorials, which you can find on their websites.
Back to online instruction, the ACBL and EBU offer tutorials, which you can find on their websites.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones -- Albert Einstein
#7
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Posted 2011-March-23, 12:33
The windows version of BBO has an excellent tutorial written by Fred Guitleman. You can find it under the "other actvities" link. I believer the same tutorial is also on the ABCL site. Also many BIL tables allow discussions and questions at the table.
#8
- Csaba the Hutt
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Posted 2011-March-23, 14:27
Gitelman
... and I can prove it with my usual, flawless logic.
George Carlin
George Carlin
#9
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Posted 2011-March-23, 19:17
oh yes, sorry for the typo's.
#10
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Posted 2011-March-23, 19:55
late to the party, as usual.
if you enjoy this game, and think that it might become a hobby you would wish to pursue in the offline world as well, it would be a good idea (as Vampyr above says) to try to look for help locally. Not only is face-to-face interaction more effective, but this will also help you learn to play the system that is used in your area, increasing the pool of partners and people to answer your bidding questions. Of course there is nothing wrong with trying to learn to bid online, just be aware that what you learn here might clash with the norm wherever it is that you are.
in addition to the juniors bbo, and the beginner/intermediate lounge, there are many high quality tables on BBO that you can kibitz, including vugraph. A large number of kibitzers can be an indication of such a table, but be careful, as it is no guarantee.
During vugraph commentators will often discuss various options available to the players in bidding, and play; however since the events being broadcast are from different parts of the world, the systems can be highly modified and not mainstream.
It has been my experience that when a legitimate bridge question is asked of the KIBITZERS at a good main-bridge club or team game table, people will respond honestly, readily, and usually with the right answer. A starting point could be matches involving JEC that have been organized by LLande (although the conversation there strays sometimes... try not to be phased by that). (notice i've bolded and highlighted KIBITZERS -- it's generally considered poor form to pester players that you don't know... and even if you do know them, it depends on the circumstances). Good players tend to alert a fair fraction of their bids to their opponents (and the kibitzers), helping you figure out what the bid might mean -- google (and sites like this one : http://www.bridgeguy...onventions.html) should help you understand some of the jargon.
depending on where you live, the local bridge organization may have a program to bring more young people into the game. if you're in college/headed there soon, that school might have a team or a club.
ps -- i know you specifically mentioned bidding, but I can't help mentioning Bridgemaster (a few boards at several levels are available for free on BBO). This is a very nice tool to work on your declaring skills.
if you enjoy this game, and think that it might become a hobby you would wish to pursue in the offline world as well, it would be a good idea (as Vampyr above says) to try to look for help locally. Not only is face-to-face interaction more effective, but this will also help you learn to play the system that is used in your area, increasing the pool of partners and people to answer your bidding questions. Of course there is nothing wrong with trying to learn to bid online, just be aware that what you learn here might clash with the norm wherever it is that you are.
in addition to the juniors bbo, and the beginner/intermediate lounge, there are many high quality tables on BBO that you can kibitz, including vugraph. A large number of kibitzers can be an indication of such a table, but be careful, as it is no guarantee.
During vugraph commentators will often discuss various options available to the players in bidding, and play; however since the events being broadcast are from different parts of the world, the systems can be highly modified and not mainstream.
It has been my experience that when a legitimate bridge question is asked of the KIBITZERS at a good main-bridge club or team game table, people will respond honestly, readily, and usually with the right answer. A starting point could be matches involving JEC that have been organized by LLande (although the conversation there strays sometimes... try not to be phased by that). (notice i've bolded and highlighted KIBITZERS -- it's generally considered poor form to pester players that you don't know... and even if you do know them, it depends on the circumstances). Good players tend to alert a fair fraction of their bids to their opponents (and the kibitzers), helping you figure out what the bid might mean -- google (and sites like this one : http://www.bridgeguy...onventions.html) should help you understand some of the jargon.
depending on where you live, the local bridge organization may have a program to bring more young people into the game. if you're in college/headed there soon, that school might have a team or a club.
ps -- i know you specifically mentioned bidding, but I can't help mentioning Bridgemaster (a few boards at several levels are available for free on BBO). This is a very nice tool to work on your declaring skills.
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