LEARNING TOOLS AND OTHER RESOURCES TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GAME
For Those New to Duplicate Bridge
Learn to Play Bridge online (ACBL)
Learn to Play Bridge Online
Free Learn to Play Bridge Software
How to fill out a Convention Card
Bridge World Magazine Introduction to Bridge--Articles on the basic aspects of bridge.
Bridge Basics by Richard Pavlicek--Free online textbook for beginners with 12 lessons and quizzes.
Written by an ACBL Grand Life Master.
Don Stack's Tips to Winning Bridge--Don Stack, a local professional bridge player and Grand Life
Master offers some common sense tips on his website.
Bridge Doctor--Website that offers lessons and online play. $7/month. Free 7-day trial.
Convention Card Editors
Chuck Tesler's Convention Card Editor--Uses Windows XP and above. Fill in, print and save options.
Support from author. Easy to use.
Merlin Vilhauer's Card Editor--Author support provided.
SAYC Convention Card--Print from ACBL website.
How to fill out the convention card--from ACBL
Bidding Systems
SAYC--Commonly used by beginning players utilizing some basic duplicate bridge conventions. From ACBL.
Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC)--Another source for explanations of conventions used on the SAYC.
Link to fifthchair.org website.
Standard American--Utilizes basic conventions and allows for the addition of more advanced conventions.
Link to Richard Pavlicek's website.
2/1 Game Force--Very popular system. Based on Standard American with 5-card majors. Biggest difference
is in the meaning of 2-level responses. Unlike Standard American where a 2-level response is not
forcing to game, in the 2 over 1 bidding system, the auction does not conclude below a game level. Link
to Karen Walker's website.
Precision--Used by many advanced players. Provides a method of describing your hand more precisely to your partner, i.e. point count and distribution. Link to usabridge.com website.
Conventions
Commonly Used Conventions--From the ACBL Bidding Box Toolkit series.
Glossary of Bridge Conventions--Alphabetical listing. From bridgehands.com website.
List of Bridge Conventions--From bridgeguys.com website.
Bridge Websites
A broad spectrum of websites with many interesting articles, lessons and other features.
Bridge World
Bridge Winners
Bridge Guys
Fifth Chair
Bridge Blogging
Bridge Clues
Bridge Hands
Bridge 7
Bridge Bum
Links to Bridge Columns/Articles
Phillip Alder's Columns
Richard Pavlicek's Columns
Marilyn Hemenway--Pamphlets and articles written for ACBL or Unit 241 on a variety of topics. In pdf format.
Link to omahabridge.org website.
Some Professional Bridge Players' Websites
The following websites have a variety of offerings that are of interest to all levels of duplicate players
Karen Walker
Marty Bergen
Richard Pavlicek
Edwin Kantar
Phillip Alder
Mike Lawrence
Larry Cohen
Danny Kleinman
Barnett Shenkin
Frank Stewart
Other Bridge Tools
Deep Finesse--Free download. Interactive bridge hand analyzer.
Online Bridge Sites with ACBL Sanctioned Games (All ACBL games have a fee to play)
Bridgebase Online--Free. Offers free games, teaching rooms and rooms to practice partnership bidding.
ACBL sanctioned games are offered throughout the day, and cost $1 for a 12-board tournament, and
$1.50 for an 18-board tournament. Both IMP and MP games. Vugraph feature shows lessons, bridge
columns, and live broadcasts of international tournament events. Great place to play for masterpoints
and work on improving your playing ability, especially when you are unable to get to a club game. Many
other opportnities to play for free in non-ACBL games.
OKbridge--Costs $9/month, plus an additional $5/month to play for masterpoints in ACBL sanctioned games.
They offer 10 ACBL sanctioned games daily. Both IMP and MP scoring. Numerous non-ACBL games are
also offered.
Swan Games--Free. Provides online lessons, and bidding and practice tables. Offers 8 ACBL sanctioned
games daily. To play in ACBL tournaments, you must purchase tickets. Cost of tickets varies with the number purchased. For $4.50 you get 10 tickets. For $10 you get 25 tickets. For $40 you get
100 tickets. It costs two tickets to play in an ACBL game. Tournament times vary. Number of boards
per tournament is 15 or 16.
Bridge Apps for Online Play
Bridge Island--Free. Play online bridge using your iPhone.
For Those New to Duplicate Bridge
Learn to Play Bridge online (ACBL)
Learn to Play Bridge Online
Free Learn to Play Bridge Software
How to fill out a Convention Card
Bridge World Magazine Introduction to Bridge--Articles on the basic aspects of bridge.
Bridge Basics by Richard Pavlicek--Free online textbook for beginners with 12 lessons and quizzes.
Written by an ACBL Grand Life Master.
Don Stack's Tips to Winning Bridge--Don Stack, a local professional bridge player and Grand Life
Master offers some common sense tips on his website.
Bridge Doctor--Website that offers lessons and online play. $7/month. Free 7-day trial.
Convention Card Editors
Chuck Tesler's Convention Card Editor--Uses Windows XP and above. Fill in, print and save options.
Support from author. Easy to use.
Merlin Vilhauer's Card Editor--Author support provided.
SAYC Convention Card--Print from ACBL website.
How to fill out the convention card--from ACBL
Bidding Systems
SAYC--Commonly used by beginning players utilizing some basic duplicate bridge conventions. From ACBL.
Standard American Yellow Card (SAYC)--Another source for explanations of conventions used on the SAYC.
Link to fifthchair.org website.
Standard American--Utilizes basic conventions and allows for the addition of more advanced conventions.
Link to Richard Pavlicek's website.
2/1 Game Force--Very popular system. Based on Standard American with 5-card majors. Biggest difference
is in the meaning of 2-level responses. Unlike Standard American where a 2-level response is not
forcing to game, in the 2 over 1 bidding system, the auction does not conclude below a game level. Link
to Karen Walker's website.
Precision--Used by many advanced players. Provides a method of describing your hand more precisely to your partner, i.e. point count and distribution. Link to usabridge.com website.
Conventions
Commonly Used Conventions--From the ACBL Bidding Box Toolkit series.
Glossary of Bridge Conventions--Alphabetical listing. From bridgehands.com website.
List of Bridge Conventions--From bridgeguys.com website.
Bridge Websites
A broad spectrum of websites with many interesting articles, lessons and other features.
Bridge World
Bridge Winners
Bridge Guys
Fifth Chair
Bridge Blogging
Bridge Clues
Bridge Hands
Bridge 7
Bridge Bum
Links to Bridge Columns/Articles
Phillip Alder's Columns
Richard Pavlicek's Columns
Marilyn Hemenway--Pamphlets and articles written for ACBL or Unit 241 on a variety of topics. In pdf format.
Link to omahabridge.org website.
Some Professional Bridge Players' Websites
The following websites have a variety of offerings that are of interest to all levels of duplicate players
Karen Walker
Marty Bergen
Richard Pavlicek
Edwin Kantar
Phillip Alder
Mike Lawrence
Larry Cohen
Danny Kleinman
Barnett Shenkin
Frank Stewart
Other Bridge Tools
Deep Finesse--Free download. Interactive bridge hand analyzer.
Online Bridge Sites with ACBL Sanctioned Games (All ACBL games have a fee to play)
Bridgebase Online--Free. Offers free games, teaching rooms and rooms to practice partnership bidding.
ACBL sanctioned games are offered throughout the day, and cost $1 for a 12-board tournament, and
$1.50 for an 18-board tournament. Both IMP and MP games. Vugraph feature shows lessons, bridge
columns, and live broadcasts of international tournament events. Great place to play for masterpoints
and work on improving your playing ability, especially when you are unable to get to a club game. Many
other opportnities to play for free in non-ACBL games.
OKbridge--Costs $9/month, plus an additional $5/month to play for masterpoints in ACBL sanctioned games.
They offer 10 ACBL sanctioned games daily. Both IMP and MP scoring. Numerous non-ACBL games are
also offered.
Swan Games--Free. Provides online lessons, and bidding and practice tables. Offers 8 ACBL sanctioned
games daily. To play in ACBL tournaments, you must purchase tickets. Cost of tickets varies with the number purchased. For $4.50 you get 10 tickets. For $10 you get 25 tickets. For $40 you get
100 tickets. It costs two tickets to play in an ACBL game. Tournament times vary. Number of boards
per tournament is 15 or 16.
Bridge Apps for Online Play
Bridge Island--Free. Play online bridge using your iPhone.