The Bridge World

Introduction To Bridge

What To Do Next...

   To pursue an interest in bridge, plan to continue learning about the game. Bridge offers significant scope for improvement in technique, and enhanced entertainment through reading and lessons. Reading provides not only greater understanding and a convenient opportunity to practice, but also diversion. High-quality books for players at all skill levels are plentiful. The Bridge World regularly reviews books and software for both quality and the experience required of the reader. See our link to our suggested books for beginners from the Introduction To Bridge page; proceed at your own pace and read at your current level whenever possible. You will be able to find a virtually unlimited supply of both tutorial and amusing material, and wide scope for practice. There are several magazines (including that of your current sponsor) for serious players and fans of the game. Most major newspapers, and some of the smaller ones, have daily bridge columns. Of the others, many have a bridge feature that appears once a week or more frequently.

   Virtually all bridge players read about the game regularly. (An accomplished player who boasts that he or she "never reads a bridge book" is almost certainly forgetful or lying.) This is only in part to keep sharp. Reading about bridge is actually a form of playing, because you can mentally place yourself at the table, consider the problems faced by the participants, make your own decisions, and see how they would have come out. In short, reading simulates playing, and is often almost as much fun. However, while improvement and enjoyment through reading is near universal, there is a split when it comes to taking lessons and attending classes: Some players enjoy and profit from those experiences while others do not.

   If you think you might be in a group that is positive about formal lessons, you should try to find a good teacher or class. The best way to do this is through recommendations from people in your neighborhood or locality, satisfied or dissatisfied former students. If that fails to produce useful results, try your local adult school or "Y." If still stuck, ask for help from a teachers' organization [in America, the American Bridge Teachers Association, 1509 21st Ave North, Texas City, TX 77590 (409) 948-2401]. In many areas, you can arrange for "supervised play" (a small group plays prepared instructional deals that are discussed afterwards) or "playing lessons" (a student is partnered with an expert for a session and an analytical post-mortem) from a local professional. Your local bridge club can probably provide a professional, or information on how to find one. There are very few places in the world that don't have bridge clubs. To find a club near you, try your telephone directory (in the U.S., the yellow pages under Bridge or Bridge Clubs is a good place to start). If there is no listing, ask around. If you still can't find a club, get in touch with your national contract bridge organization [in America, the American Contract Bridge League, 2990 Airways Blvd., Memphis, TN 38116-3875 (800) 467-4666 or the American Bridge Association, 2798 Lakewood Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30315 (404) 768-5517; elsewhere, ask the World Bridge Federation, 29 bis, residence les Roussets 01210 Ornex, France, for the address of your National Contract Bridge Organization and inquire there]. Some club lists are on the Internet; to find them, follow the link to other sites at the bottom of this page. When you become an experienced player, it will be likely you will want to join your national organization.

   Reading is fun and profitable. However, in any participatory game, the main way to improve, to increase your understanding, and to heighten your enjoyment, is to play. Some beginners feel uncomfortable about playing until they have substantial knowledge about the game; others want to begin playing as soon as they know the rules. Both approaches are fine; pick the one that better suits your personality. But, in any case, plan to play as much as you can. If you can find slightly stronger players willing to play with and against you, so much the better. (Except under professional instruction, don't try to join games that are several skill levels above yours. You are more likely to be confused than assisted, and it would be imposing on the other players.)

   Where can you play? At home, at school, at a social organization, or at a bridge club. Your first efforts should be to try to find a convenient, amiable game where the players are roughly at your skill level or a little higher. As you improve, you may want to enter competitions at clubs or at tournaments. You can find both through your National Contract Bridge Organization (see second previous paragraph). To get information about the level of competition and ambience, your best source is local people, preferably those who have played at each club. One of the nicest things about bridge is that you can go almost anywhere in the world and find a bridge club with a game that will welcome you--and you won't need to know much of the local language to play. For players who become seriously interested, there are tournaments at all levels, from local to international, with prizes, awards, rating systems, championships and, of course, expenses. Hordes of people find the rewards of participating worth the cost.

   Before you play at a club or tournament, you may want to watch to see what it is like. With rare exceptions, the organizers will be happy to allow you to be a spectator, technically called a kibitzer, at a table in play. (In some world and major national championships, the interest level may preclude at-the-table watching, but in those cases there is usually a free or low-cost exhibition at which you can follow the play on a large board or screen and hear simultaneous expert commentary.) To remain a welcome kibitzer, it is vitally important to follow correct kibitzing etiquette: watch only one hand and do not switch from one player to another; volunteer no comments (it is all right to reply if a player asks you a question, but otherwise silence is expected); avoid showing any reaction or emotion no matter what happens; create no distractions. Most people prefer playing to kibitzing. However, if you should discover that you enjoy the thrill of being at the table to see the action in big-time matches first-hand, here's a tip: At major championships, there is often a need for at-the-table recorders or monitors. If you can convince the sponsoring organization that you can be a well-behaved kibitzer and a reliable transcriber, you can get to be an (sometimes the only) at-the-table spectator at world championships and the late rounds of national knockout events.

   Can you play bridge on the Internet? Of course! There are several places to play and different sorts of arrangements you can make. Also, there are Internet interest groups that focus on bridge and related matters; rec.games.bridge is the most active bridge group. To see what's available, visit our Bridge Links page and follow your browser through the world of electronic bridge. There is plenty of information for improving players available online. You may find it helpful to bookmark The Bridge World's Bridge Glossary of bridge terminology and slang.

   Those who become interested and would like to improve their skills (and thereby also increase their enjoyment) may find profit in this (unordered) list of ten "best methods of improving your game." They were suggested by R. R. Richards in The Bridge World in 1931, and the chances are they will still be relevant in 2031.
   (1) Take instruction from a good teacher.
   (2) Join games with stronger players.
   (3) Watch good players.
   (4) Read articles and books; try to solve bridge problems in magazines and newspapers.
   (5) Practice at home by dealing out cards and deciding how you would act as each player.
   (6) Cultivate your card memory by practicing remembering one played trick, then two, and so on.
   (7) Study the human element; identify patterns of table behavior.
   (8) Don't judge by results.
   (9) Don't be a slow player, but don't be in a hurry or play at a feverish pace.
   (10) Get a good reputation as a reliable partner.