Learn Bridge: The Bridge Centre Podcast

The Bridge Centre
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Free contract bridge lessons you can listen to. Helen has played for longer than she'll admit on a recording; Tom has just signed up for beginners' class. Season 1, Bridge Homework, follows the six-week Learn Bridge course week by week. Season 2, Next Steps in Bridge, is for improvers: hand evaluation, competitive bidding, conventions, declarer play, opening leads, defence and slam bidding. Every episode has a written lesson, rules to remember and a full transcript at victorianbridgecentre.com.au. The system is Standard American (five-card majors, 15–17 1NT), played the way it's played at Australian duplicate clubs. Helen and Tom are fictional hosts voiced with text-to-speech.

  1. Episode 1

    Hand evaluation beyond high-card points

    “Helen, I have a confession. Last Tuesday I opened a hand with thirteen points, partner raised me to game, and we went down three.” Rules to remember: One: honours are worth most in long suits and least in short ones. Two: the Rule of Twenty for opening borderline hands. Three: re-value your hand after every bid. Four: add dummy points only once you have a fit. And five: once you have a fit, count your losers. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m1 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep1 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  2. Episode 2

    Competitive bidding

    “Helen, in beginners' class, the opponents always passed. It was very polite. One side bid, the other side waited its turn.” Rules to remember: Use the Suit Quality Test before you overcall. When partner doubles, you must bid. A double after partner opens and they overcall is a negative double, showing the unbid major. Compete to the level of your trump count. And in the balancing seat, act a little lighter. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m2 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep2 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  3. Episode 3

    Conventions worth adding next

    “Helen, my partner and I agreed to play a convention last week. Then she used it, and I'd forgotten it, and we ended up in four clubs with three clubs between us.” Rules to remember: The rule to take away: write every convention on your card with its follow-up bids, and what you do when they interfere. Most accidents come from the follow-ups, not the conventions themselves. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m3 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep3 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  4. Episode 4

    Moysian fits and misfits

    “Helen, my beginners' teacher said: find an eight-card fit, or play in no-trump. Never anything else.” Rules to remember: A four-three fit beats no-trump when a suit is wide open and the trumps are strong. Ruff in the short hand. Don't let them force the long hand. On a misfit, stop early. And when it's the opponents misfitting, double. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m4 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep4 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  5. Episode 5

    Declarer play technique

    “Helen, when I'm declarer, partner puts down dummy and goes to get a coffee.” Rules to remember: Pause and plan before trick one. In no-trump, hold up with one stopper. In a suit contract, count losers, and ruff in the short hand. And eight ever, nine never. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m5 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep5 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  6. Episode 6

    Opening leads

    “Helen, I have a system for opening leads.” Rules to remember: Listen to the auction first. Lead partner's suit. Against no-trump, lead your long suit. Against a suit contract, read the clues: trump leads stop ruffs, aggressive leads beat discards. Pick the right card so partner can read it. And use the Rule of Eleven. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m6 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep6 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  7. Episode 7

    Defence against suit contracts

    “Helen, I worked out that when I'm defending, I mostly just follow suit and wait for something to happen.” Rules to remember: Decide your defence when dummy goes down: active, passive, trump attack or forcing. Count declarer's tricks. Second hand low, third hand high. Cover an honour when it can promote something. And count everything. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m7 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep7 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  8. Episode 8

    Defence against no-trump

    “Helen, when I'm defending no-trump and my suit isn't working, I switch to something new.” Rules to remember: Pick one suit and keep attacking it. Third hand high, but only as high as needed. Return the right card. Unblock for partner. And discard from the suit nobody needs. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m8 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep8 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  9. Episode 9

    Signals and discards

    “Helen, last week my partner played the nine of hearts, then stared at me very hard.” Rules to remember: Attitude when partner leads. Count when declarer leads. Suit preference when giving a ruff, or when the rest is obvious. Pick one discard method and stick to it. And a signal is information, not an order. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m9 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep9 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  10. Episode 10

    Slam bidding

    “Helen, I bid my first slam last week.” Rules to remember: Agree trumps first. Show interest below game. Control bids find the suit with two quick losers. Blackwood counts key cards. And don't use Blackwood with a void. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m10 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep10 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  11. Episode 11

    Scoring tactics, penalty doubles and sacrifices

    “Helen, I made an overtrick on Tuesday and my partner high-fived me. Then I made one in a teams match on Thursday, and my teammate said, "Nobody cares."” Rules to remember: At pairs, overtricks matter and no-trump scores most. At teams, make the contract and bid your vulnerable games. Double low contracts when you hold their trumps. Don't double a freely bid game for high cards alone. Sacrifice not vulnerable against vulnerable, with a big fit and no defence. And when in doubt, defend. Read the lesson: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/illustrated-lessons#m11 Full transcript: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/lessons/intermediate/podcast/#ep11 Next Steps in Bridge is a free course from The Bridge Centre: https://victorianbridgecentre.com.au/

  • 11 Episodes

About

Free contract bridge lessons you can listen to. Helen has played for longer than she'll admit on a recording; Tom has just signed up for beginners' class. Season 1, Bridge Homework, follows the six-week Learn Bridge course week by week. Season 2, Next Steps in Bridge, is for improvers: hand evaluation, competitive bidding, conventions, declarer play, opening leads, defence and slam bidding. Every episode has a written lesson, rules to remember and a full transcript at victorianbridgecentre.com.au. The system is Standard American (five-card majors, 15–17 1NT), played the way it's played at Australian duplicate clubs. Helen and Tom are fictional hosts voiced with text-to-speech.

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