Learn Bridge  - Bridge Lessons - supervised bridge- bridge trip to Israel- educational duplicate bridge weekends- children's bridge course-learn-taster sessions- bridge in a weekend

Bridge Courses
         1.Beginners course
(10 weeks)

         2.Beginners course (7 weeks)
         3.Intermediate course
(10 weeks) 

         4.Intermediate course a (7 weeks) 

         5.Intermediate course b (7 weeks)               for details click on link
         6. Play of the hand course            
          or see below
         7. How to play duplicate course

         8. How to Read the Opponents Cards 
(4 weeks)

         9.Consolidation Sessions

        10. Children's Beginners Course (over two weeks)

        11. Advanced Course     (10 weeks) 

 TO ENROL click here

 

                      Most of the courses are held at my house

            18 Highview Gardens  Edgware Middlesex HA8 9UE (0208 905 3877)

                              (directions to my house)

(updated Tuesday 31st January 2012 )

 

NEXT COURSES :-

 

FREE TASTER SESSION on Monday 13th February 2012

      

       Beginners' Courses in February 2012

             Monday 13th February evening 8.00.pm in Edgware
      
 

         2 Beginners Courses in May 2012

            Thursday 10th May evening 8.00.pm in Edgware

            Thursday 10th May afternoon  1.00.pm in Edgware

  

  
 
    2 Intermediates' Courses in
May 2012

            Tuesday 8th May evening 8.00.pm in Edgware

            Tuesday 8th May afternoon  1.00.pm in Edgware

 

         CHILDREN'S COURSE :-

             Monday 30th July - Friday 10th August

 

 

            

10 week beginners course

 
This course is designed for absolute beginners who may have never played cards before, and for players whose knowledge may be a little precarious.
Each lesson is divided into two parts - a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.    

The following is a resume of the subjects covered in this course:

Week   1: The Absolute Basics & Mechanics of the Game, Hand Assessment

Week   2: The Opening Bid of One of a Suit

Week   3: The Opening Bid of One and Two No Trumps, The Finesse, Scoring

Week   4: Responses in the same suit (Limit responses)

Week   5: Choice of opening bids, Scoring

Week   6: Responses in No- Trumps, Suit establishment, Entries, Ducking

Week   7: Unlimited responses, Unblocking play, Holding up

Week   8: Responses to the Weak No-Trump (The Weak take-out, the Strong Jump response) Blind leads,  

                 more on finesses

Week   9: Overcalls (Simple and jump overcalls), more Opening leads,

 Week 10: Revision, The Double, The Redouble, The Blackwood Convention

 

 

 

 

 

10 week ADVANCED COURSE

This course is for people who have been playing about 18 months to 2 years and have got to grasps with the basics of the Beginners and Intermediates Course and wish to eventually progress to the world of Duplicate Bridge.

Each week there will be one aspect of bidding and one aspect of card Play covered.

Week   1.  Negative (Sputnik) Doubles & Keep Tenaces intact

Week   2.  Roman Key Card Blackwood & Unusual Opening Leads

Week   3.  Elimination Play & Cue Bidding

Week   4.  Unusual No Trump & Mckenney Discards

Week   5.   Puppet  Card Stayman over 2NT & Avoidance Plays

Week   6.  Transfers to Majors  &  Card Reading

Week   7   Unassuming Cue Bids & Dummy Reversal

Week   8.  Michaels Cue Bids

Week   9.  Splinters & Special Signalling Techniques

Week  10. Fourth Suit Forcing & Simple Squeeze

 

 

10 week  Intermediates Course 

This course is for players who have successfully completed the beginners course or for players who wish to expand their knowledge in bidding and play. Each lesson is divided into two parts; a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.

The following is a resume of the subjects covered each week of the course.

Week   1. One no-trump and responses (The Stayman convention)

Week   2. Overcalls (Revision, the one no-trump overcall, Rule of eleven)

Week   3. Opener’s rebids Covering an honour with an honour, defensive tricks and playing tricks)

Week   4. The Acol strong two (Simple signals, to draw trumps or not to draw trumps?)

Week   5. The take-out double and responses, petering

Week   6. The Acol 2Club opening bid (and responses)

Week   7. Pre-emptive opening bids of three of a suit

Week   8. Strong no-trumps and prepared bids in the minors,  avoidance plays

Week   9. Forcing to game response & Chicago/Duplicate Scoring

Week  10. Revision, Blackwood, Gerber

 

 

7 week beginners course

This course is designed for absolute beginners who may have never played cards before, and for players whose knowledge may be a little precarious.
Each lesson is divided into two parts - a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.    

The following is a resume of the subjects covered in this course:

Week   1: The Absolute Basics & Mechanics of the Game, Hand Assessment

Week   2: The Opening Bid of One of a Suit

Week   3: The Opening Bid of One and Two No Trumps, The Finesse, Scoring

Week   4: Limit Responses in the same suit, Limit Responses in No-Trump

Week   5:  Responses in a New Suit, Suit establishment, Entries, Rubber Scoring

Wee    Week   6: Overcalls (Simple and jump overcalls), Opening leads, 

Wee    Week   7: Double, The Redouble,  Blackwood Convention  


7 week Intermediates' Course Part a

This course is for players who have successfully completed the beginners course or for players who wish to expand their knowledge in bidding and play. Each lesson is divided into two parts; a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.

The following is a resume of the subjects covered each week of the course.

Week 1  One no-trump and responses strong & weak
Week 2 The Opening Bid of One of a Suit
Week 3 Opener’s rebids, Covering an honour with an honour,
Week 4 The Acol strong two (Simple signals, to draw trumps or not to draw trumps?)  Simple Signals
Week 5 The Informative Double  More finessing
Week 6 Unlimited responses &  Revise other replies, Unblocking Play Holding up  Chicago/Duplicate Scoring
Week 7 Double, The Redouble,  Blackwood Convention revised plus Gerber & No Trump Quantitive bidding

 

7 week Intermediates' Course Part b

This course is for players who have successfully completed the beginners course or for players who wish to expand their knowledge in bidding and play. Each lesson is divided into two parts; a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.

The following is a resume of the subjects covered each week of the course.

Week 1  The Acol 2Club opening bid (and responses)
Week 2 Pre-emptive opening bids of three of a suit
Week 3 Strong no-trumps and prepared bids in the minors,  avoidance plays
Week 4 Forcing to game responses
Week 5 Cue Bidding
Week 6 Weak Twos
Week 7 Simple red suit transfers

How to Read The Opponents Cards Course

This course is based on one of the most   famous books ever written "How to Read Your Opponents' Cards by Mike Lawrence 
The following is a resume of the subjects covered during the course :-

Session   1: Finding the Witnesses

Session   2: Analyzing the clues

Session   3: Conducting the Investigation

Session   4: Checking the Evidence

The cost of this course is £52

 


Play Of The Hand Course

This course is the ultimate course on all aspects of play. The course is designed for players who have successfully completed both the beginners and the intermediate courses and wish to really come to terms with the most important issues of card play including declarer play and defence.
The following is a resume of the subjects covered during the course :-

Suit establishment; Entries; Finesse positions; Counting your losers; Ducking; Unblocking plays; Hold up plays; The cross ruff; Getting extra tricks by ruiffing in the short hand; Getting extra tricks from a dummy reversal; Loser on loser plays; Elimination plays; Simple squeezes; Safety plays, the safe hand and the danger hand; Percentage plays

Opening leads against suit and no-trump contracts; Leading through strength and up to weakness; The trump lead; Unusual leads and the lightner double; Third hand plays high? second hand plays low?; Rule of 11; When to duck; Simple signals; Simple discards; McKenny discards; Lavinthal suit preference signals


Consolidation

 

Many people who have taken one of Harold’s courses and are now playing regularly, perhaps coming to Supervised Play, have said how helpful it would be to have the occasional refresher covering particular points in the bidding or in the play. So what we have done is put together a programme of what we call ‘consolidation lessons’, the idea being that every 3rd week or so – that seems quite often enough for everyone’s taste – groups of like minded people, typically who have done a course together, meet for a refresher lesson on a particular topic of choice. At most we allow 8 people for each of these sessions so that everyone gets answers to their own particular questions.

Consolidation lessons are run primarily by our Associates, Alan Shackman and Ian Kay. To find out more, to join an existing group or perhaps to set up some consolidation sessions for your own group of players contact Alan on 020 8361 7639 or alanshackman@btinternet.com.

We emphasise that a programme of consolidation lessons can be tailored to your own particular requirements, but here are some typical topics aimed at those who have completed the beginners course:

§         opening bids with balanced and unbalanced hands

§         the bidding after an opening bid of 1NT

§         limit bids and other responses after an opening bid of 1 of a suit

§         opener’s rebid having opened 1 of a suit

§         overcalling

§         Blackwood and when to use it

§         ‘putting it all together’

and on the play

§         opening leads against suit and no trump contracts

§         suit establishment

§         the finesse

§         ruffing losers

§         hold-up play

 

Topics for those who have completed the intermediates course include

§         Stayman and overall revision of bidding after a 1NT opening

§         Acol strong twos and 2§

§         take out double

§         pre-empts

§         strong overcalls, 1NT overcalls

§         review of responding when holding a strong hand

§         encouraging/discouraging signals and petering

§         when not to draw trumps immediately

§         avoidance play

§         the rule of 11 and other points in no trump play

 


How To Play Duplicate Course To Play Duplicate Course To Play Duplicate Course
This 5 week course describes the similarities and differences between social/rubber bridge and competition duplicate bridge. Over the 5 weeks the following lectures will take place:-
Week 1 The mechanics of duplicate, boards, bidding boxes etc
Week 2 How to score / how to estimate your score
Week 3 The etiquette and some rules
Week 4 Tactics :- Part scores or - Games
Week 5 Tactics :- Slams - Doubling

10 session beginners course for Children

 spread over ten days  2 hours each afternoon for two weeks

This course is designed for absolute beginners who may have never played cards before.
Each lesson is divided into two parts - a lecture of about 45 minutes followed by playing of hands connected to the theory part of the lesson. A comprehensive set of notes is given out.    

The following is a resume of the subjects covered in this course:

session  1: The Absolute Basics & Mechanics of the Game, Hand Assessment

session   2: The Opening Bid of One of a Suit

session   3: The Opening Bid of One and Two No Trumps, The Finesse, Scoring

session   4: Responses in the same suit (Limit responses)

session   5: Choice of opening bids, Scoring

session  6: Responses in No- Trumps, Suit establishment, Entries, Ducking

session   7: Unlimited responses, Unblocking play, Holding up

session  8: Responses to the Weak No-Trump (The Weak take-out, the Strong Jump response) Blind leads,  

                 more on finesses

session   9: Overcalls (Simple and jump overcalls), more Opening leads,

 session 10: Revision, The Double, The Redouble, The Blackwood Convention

 

 


Enrolment Details

For Beginners, Intermediate & Play of Hand Courses :-

 

There is a morning and afternoon session for each course available, participants are welcome to change between the two at their convenience

The 10 week  course is £130 per person and the 7 week courses are £90 per person

For Duplicate Course :-

This 5 week course is £70 per person for the 5 weeks

 

 

To enrol please fill out the following form :-

Name:
Address:
Telephone:
Email:
Course you wish to take ::
 
To find out about when the next course starts send an   Email   to us stating the course you are interested in joining and we will email you back with full details. 

Copyright © 1996 Harold Schogger

 

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