Online plans

Here is what I am proposing this week for those of you want to continue playing and learning bridge in these tricky times and want to stick with the same friendly and like-minded group we have developed over the past year and a half. Having reviewed the various options I am proposing the following:

Supervised play

I am proposing to offer these sessions in two hour blocks for any group of two to four tables (= 8 to 16 players), starting on Tuesday morning (our normal Wytham time) from 10am to midday. It is a little complicated to organise, but with a bit of patience and understanding it will soon become second nature to you. I will act as what is called a kibitzer (=spectator) flitting from table to table and answering questions (what should I bid? How should play this?) via the online chat function.

At the end I can organise a short online review session for you to ask any other questions you might have about the hands you have played (which are all recorded online so you can go back and look at them all). I will need to know in advance who is coming, so I can organise you in to group of similar ability. Because it is new the first session will be free. I already know of about a dozen regulars who have said they are keen to participate.

Please also feel free to suggest other times when you would like to play a session like this, including evenings. Any group of 8 or more can be accommodated now that we do not have to find a venue. In principle I am available to run a session like this every morning (10 to 12), every afternoon (2 to 4), and every evening (8.30 to 10.30pm), though obviously subject to other commitments.

Video lessons

I will be offering a series of video lessons that you can watch at your own convenience.

(1) Play These Hands With Me.

These will give you a chance to sit behind my shoulder and watch a series of hands, during which I will explain my thinking and play – a good way to start bringing all the things you have learnt so far together when you sit down and play yourself. The first one should be available in a couple of days.

(2) Topic webinars.

I propose to continue with these for small groups using Zoom webinar technology. Once you have signed up you will receive an invitation to join the webinar and there will be a chance to watch and hear me talk through a series of slides about a topic and ask questions in the normal way via the tele-conferencing facility. The first one will be on takeout doubles, continuing The Next Level series.

(3) Advanced Defence course.

Because it is a small group, and the course has been interrupted by the virus, I am proposing to complete this course online in the same format as the webinars.

Private lessons and games

I am happy to arrange any number of online private lessons or games for groups of 3-4 or 7-8. Please contact me for details and price, which will be set on a session by session basis. This could be your chance to get a regular weekly lesson going…..!or game

Using BBO

If you have not played bridge on BBO before, I have posted a short summary (see below) of how to register and get started. I am so repeating here a video that I recorded earlier which will show you how a game of bridge is played online. BBO is free to join; all you need to do is register a username and password. I am putting together a table of usernames for all those who have expressed interest so far.

Signing on to BBO

This is a short introduction to playing bridge on Bridge Base Online, adapted (with thanks) from an English Bridge Union guide.

1) In an Internet web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome etc) Go to www.bridgebase.com

2) Click ‘Play bridge now’ (red button in centre)

3) If you have not previously registered with BBO then click ‘Become a member (free!)

4) Type in a User name. It will need to be unique and it will show ‘Unavailable’ in blue if your chosen User name is already taken. Try adding a number or choose an unusual nickname if your preferred username is unavailable.

5) Type in a password and then type in the password again. The password may only contain letters and numbers.

6) Type in your real name if you want that to be displayed to other BBO users, otherwise leave this blank. Leave the ACBL number field blank. You can add your skill level (or simply highlight Private) and country of origin. The screen should then look something like this:

7) Click the checkbox for ‘I agree to the Terms of Service’

8) Click Register

9) You will now have been automatically logged on:

10) BBO has multiple different ways to play. When you log on you wil see a wide range of options. My online sessions will be organised for you: all you need to do is wait for an invitation from whoever is hosting the table. (If I have asked you to be a table host for the session, then you will need to look at this other post to see what to do).

Online bridge

One of the very few good things to say about the current coronavirus epidemic is that there are now many more online bridge sites than there used to be, and most are much more sophisticated than they once were. A good many of you have expressed interest in online lessons and supervised play now that all face to face dates in our calendar have had to be suspended.

As far as lessons are concerned, if you are interested in taking part in these, I would like to suggest that as a first step you should sign up to become a member of Bridge Base Online. It is free to join and all you have to do is create a username and password. BBO, as it is known for short, is the most advanced of all online bridge sites and has recently been undergoing modernisation. It is the one that all professional players use and the one I use too.

The drawback with it is that the robots it uses and most of the players you can play with at an online table use American bidding methods, which are different from the ones most people play and teach over here. Those methods typically involve a strong No Trump and you need five cards to open the bidding in a major suit, whereas in the UK we play four-card majors and a weak No Trump.

However for teaching purposes that does not matter as the teacher can control everything that happens at the table. What I would like to suggest is that once you have become a member you send me your username so I can set up tables where only those I invite can play. That way it will be possible to create a suitable teaching environment and also, I believe (though have not yet had confirmed), replicate something that is in principle similar to our Tuesday sessions with multiple tables.

I will provide more details shortly when I have fully explored the possibilities. In addition to teaching on BBO, I will also be creating a number of teaching videos and webinars to explore particular topics. The first necessary step however, if you do want to keep learning during our enforced absence, is for you to send me your usernames (to arb.oxford@gmail.com) so I can add them to the teaching/supervised play database. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

BBO website