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The Convention Card
Getting started, you and your partner will have to decide what conventions and styles you'll play together.  Once you've played together three times, you're what is known as an "established partnership."  Established partnerships must have a convention card filled out, so they (and their opponents) know what is going on at the table.  Click on the button to the right for a look at a convention card, and what you need to know to fill one out and be on your way.

  

  
          
     

Bidding, Play, and Defense
There have been quite a few requests from Advancing Players to have a few hands and their analyses saved or archived - so here are a few topics (and lots of examples of hands) that you might find interesting.  Some of them deal with bidding issues, some with play and some with defense, but all are designed to get you and your partner discussing what you might like to play - or what you could be playing - or how you might play or defend a hand.

Remember, even if you don't want to have all kinds of different bidding tools in your toolbox, it's important to know what other people are doing at the table. So don't be afraid to look around and learn a few things. . .even if you and your partner don't want to incorporate some of these bids you'll be running across people that do. . .and when you do you'll be glad you're familiar with what's going on at the table.

Click on one of the icons to your left, and you'll find a few hands that may interest you and your partner!

  

          
  

Supervised Play
If you feel as though you are as green as the pass card with this game of bridge, then maybe "Supervised Play" is for you.  Supervised play is where you'll sit down with other new-to-the-game players and if you've got a question - then just raise your hand.  How do you bid a hand?   What does a certain bid mean?   Is there a better way to find the correct contract?  These questions and more can be answered by the person (or persons) who are supervising your play.

Masterpoints aren't usually awarded in games such as this, but then you shouldn't be worried about that if you're just starting out.  You'll be earning those soon enough. . .and this is a great way to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of bridge without feeling like you're jumping into the deep end of the pool.

Supervised play games are held over in Solana Beach at the Esplanade Bridge Club on Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm.  They also have a supervised game on Friday afternoons at 12:30pm.  They have hand records, and even a review of the hands when you're finished.

Another supervised play game is held down at Adventures in Bridge on Mission Gorge Road.  They have a supervised play game on Thursdays at noon.  There are lots of opportunities to get into a Supervised Play game, so what are you waiting for!?

  


          
     

Friday Morning Hands
One of the things I've tried to do is provide some direction as to bidding for the Non-Life Masters on Friday mornings.   Over time, there have been an awful lot of hands to look over!  Click on the button to the left and you'll find a whole treasure trove of hands and bids over the months along with their hand-by-hand analysis.  You and your partner can spend endless (seriously, endless) hours going over the hands and determining what you and your partner would agree to bid - or play.

  

          
  

Strategy For Teams Play
At some point, you'll be playing with another pair on a team.  Whether it's a Swiss Team event, or a Knockout at a Regional (to get those Gold Points!), or a Grand National Teams event at your local club, you'll play on a team.  Scoring is different with team play, since you're not comparing your boards to eight or ten or twelve other tables.  You compare to just one other table - it's called "IMPs" scoring (or "International Matchpoints").  But that's not all - did you know that there's different strategy for playing on teams?  The bidding, the play, and the defense of the hand are all the same. . .but the strategy is different.  Click on the button to your right, and you'll get some general guidelines of how to change up your thinking for successful teams play.