For Beginners

Learning to Play Bridge

There are lots of ways to learn to play or improve your bridge. Which of the options below is best for you will depend on how you like to learn, where you are located and what card games you already play.

If you consider yourself a raw beginner then one of the following is probably best:

• Group Beginners Lessons at a larger club such as Narrabeen Bridge Club (ph 9979 9099), Peninsula Bridge Club at Warriewood (ph 9450 1099) or Trumps Bridge Centre at Spit Junction (ph 9969 5959). Lessons are normally in bundles of 6-10 and start at various dates through the year.
• Teach yourself with suitable books/software - I recommend the free and excellent Learn to Play Bridge software downloadable from the American Contract Bridge League (Windows PC only) and/or The Beginners' Bridge book (purchasable from Trumps Bridge Centre). Both teach the popular Standard American bidding system common in NSW and globally. There are many other books and software from Trumps or the Bridge Shop at 182 Penshurst St, Willoughby (ph: 9967 0644). 
• Combine your self-directed learning with beginners coaching sessions at the Manly Leagues Bridge Club to reinforce your learning and pick up the practices of a duplicate bridge club (contact David Farmer 0415 715 743). These free coaching sessions might also be valuable if you already play social bridge and want to try the competitive fun of playing at a club. 

After completing one of the above options you can either join in an open session or play in a "supervised" sessions. The latter suit many learners and allow you to play more slowly, use notes/flippers, discuss hands and ask "how do I?" type questions of the director/other players during the play. These are offered by the clubs listed above and often follow from a beginners' class. As well as these supervised sessions, many clubs offer learning options for improvers and intermediate bridge players. See the What's On - Supervised Sessions menu for details of where these are offered.