ACBL00B - Beginner Practice Session Ward Trumbull
Jun 5, 2011
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There are three parts to learning to play bridge:
1. I don’t get it.
2. We don’t get it.
3. Help!!!!!
This suggested learning session is for 2 players. They can use
ACBL00A as a reference during this session.
1. Deal out four hands.
2. One player acts as dealer and bids the first hand. It could be:
a. Pass e. Two diamonds, hearts or spades
b. One of a suit f. Two notrump
c. One notrump g. Three, four or five of a suit
d. Two clubs h. Three notrump
3. Whatever the bid, the other player(s) should describe as much as
they know about that hand. That is, give the high card point (HCP)
range and length (number of cards) in any suit that is bid.
4. The second player then bids the second hand.
a. If the first player passed, the second may make any of the bids
listed in item 2 above. If so, player 1 should now describe that
hand.
b. If player 1 did not pass, player 2s options are.
1) pass
2) make an overcall bid
3) double
In this case, player 1 should describe that hand.
ACBL00B - Beginner Practice Session Jun 5, 2011
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5. The second player (not first) should now bid the third hand.
a. If hands 1 and 2 passed, hand 3 has all the options in entry
2 above.
b. If hand 1 passed and 2 opened the bidding, hand 3 has all the
options in entry 3 above.
c. If hand 1 opened (regardless what hand 2 did), hand 3 can
make a response bid:
1) Pass
2) A support bid of partner’s suit
3) Bid a new suit
4) Bid some number of notrump
Whatever the response bid is, player 1 should describe that
hand.
6. Finally, player 1 should bid the fourth hand, and player 2 should describe
that hand.
That will be the end of the bidding for each hand you deal – first, second,
third and fourth bids only.
After each hand has been described, both players should look at the hand
to see how well it was defined.
You probably will find that the hand descriptions are flawed. That is the
purpose of this work session.
If there is any question about the validity of a bid, look it up in ACBL00A.
ACBL00B - Beginner Practice Session Jun 5, 2011
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Mistakes
1. The card count is given as 4 (for example), when it should be 4+.
2. The HCP range is given as 10+ (for example), when it might be
10-15 or 10-18.
3. The player makes no attempt to describe the hand.