ONLINE CLASSES

If you sign up for a class or supervised play and then must cancel, you will be charged 1/2 the cost of the class if cancellation is not done at least 24 hours ahead of the scheduled class time! This allows me to try to fill your spot or to decide to cancel the class, freeing up my schedule. Effective 5/8/24.

Classes are mostly online because the advantages to learning online are greater – ease of location, get to play more deals in the same time frame. Covid forced us to play and learn online but lo and behold, we found out we liked it! ALL CLASS TIMES ARE CST.

Cost: $22 for each two hour class per person. Classes may cancel with less than 4 students. The pricing per hour expects 8 students maximum. Classes are normally in the 4 to 6 p.m. or 7:00-9:00 p.m. Central Time frame but other schedules can be arranged. Pricing for a more private class of 4 students max and on a topic of your choice can be arranged at a cost of $66 per one hour class for the group. This pricing goes into effect Sept. 1, 2024 for any new private classes formed. Any change in pricing for existing private classes will be discussed individually. For smaller groups of 4 this is a discount from my $88 per contact hour expectation.

YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER!
Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail  to sign up.  Flexible scheduling for online classes.

CURRENTLY SCHEDULED!

Competitive Bidding Classes 1-4: Tues. and Thurs. Dec. 10-19, from 7 to 9 p.m. $22 per class. Take what you can! Sign up required! See details below!

Defensive Signaling and Card Play – January 7,14,21,28 & 30 Mostly Tuesdays with the last class on Thursday. 7 to 9 p.m. Cost $22 per person. Sign up required! See Details below!

More details and Future Classes Listed Below!

Responding to an Opening 1NT: From Partscore to Slam!

Let me know when you want this class again! $22 per class, must sign up ahead!

Class 1: How to respond with 0-7 points or 10-15 points. This includes transfers, Stayman, Smolen, Garbage Stayman. These point ranges in response to an opening 1NT (15-17 HCP) are more about responder setting the level of bidding.

Class 2: How to respond with 8-9 points or 16+ points. Still includes Stayman, transfers, but also talking about 1430 Gerber, 1430 Roman Keycard, and Quantitative NT. The 8-9 pt and 16+ point ranges after an opening 1NT (15-17 HCP) include bids by responder that are more oriented to tell (or ask) and then ask a question.

Class 3: In this class we’ll spend more detailed time on Quantitative NT and 1430.

Class 4: Review and Puppet Stayman (for those who want to learn it).

COUNTING – A series of 4 two hour classes. Let me know when you want to see this class offered again.

Class 1: during the bidding and how it influences our bids.

Class 2: adding the play of the cards to what we already knew from the bidding.  Starting with just the first trick.  We’ll review defensive signaling during this lesson.

Class 3: keep counting- what the bidding, and play of the cards tells us till the end of the play.  Still need to keep in mind that defensive signaling!

Class 4: let’s mix it all up!  Review!

Slam Bidding:  Let me know when you want this again!

Slam Class 1 & 2:  1430 Key Card, Quantitative NT, 1430 Gerber, Gerber, Control Bids, Minorwood. Two session series – each class two hours long. 

Slam Class 3 & 4:    Cost $22 per lesson.  More practice with 1430, control bids and minorwood.

Defensive Signaling and Card Play Remember that defense is 50% of the game! Get better at this and your game gets a lot better! Must sign up ahead! Cost $22 per class. Jan. 7,14,21,28,30 form 7 to 9 p.m. Cost $22. Sign up Required!

Class 1:  Attitude and Count  online
Class 2: Suit Preference Signals  online 
Class 3: Opening Leads in Suit Contracts. online 
Class 4: Opening Leads at NT  online 
Class 5:  Discard Signals & Leading through Strength and to Weakness & Review online

DRURY CONVENTION-Just one class of 2 hours. Let me know when you want this again!

What is Drury? A convention used to show a limit raise of partner’s. major suit when they’ve opened it in 3rd or 4th seat.

Can you bid Drury after an opponent’s bid or double? Sometimes, but sometimes not but then you may have other means of conveying your message.

How do you as opener rebid after partner’s Drury bid?

All of these questions and more will be answered!

BEGINNING BRIDGE CLASSES SERIES 1 – The Basics of Bidding and Play – no competitive bidding. 1st session is free! Let me know if you want this class!

5 Sessions – 1st session is free! Try it, you’ll like it! Class is limited to 8 students to allow for more personalized instruction.

Class 1: suits, trump, notrump, counting High Card Points, counting distribution points, playing to a trick, keeping track of tricks, a little about scoring, and a start on how to make the first bid.

Class 2: More on that first bid. Opening bids of 1NT and how to respond.

Class 3: Opening bids of 1 of a Major and a start on responding.

Class 4: Opening bids of 1 of minor and a start on responding.

Class 5: More on responding to opening bids of 1 of a Major.

Competitive Bidding:

Tues. & Thurs. 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10-19, Cost $22 per class, Sign up Required

Class 1: One level and two level overcalls: making them, advancing them
Class 2: Opening Pre-empts and responses, Pre-emptive overcalls and advances
Class 3: How to keep competing after an overcall, including negative doubles
Class 4: Takeout doubles and advances, how to keep competing after interference caused by a takeout double

Transition to Two Over One (2/1) Let me know when you want it again!

Class 1: Responding to an opening Major with Support
Class 2: Responding to an opening Minor, Responding to an Opening Major without support
Class 3: More forcing responses to show support for a Major: Jacoby 2NT and Splinters
Class 4: Putting it altogether – understand when to use what!

DECLARER PLAY – Series 1 Cost $22 each class, attend the ones you can. Let me know when you want this again!

It is highly recommended that you purchase these books by Barbara Seagram and David Bird for these classes as well as the series 2 classes coming soon: “Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand” retails for $19.95 you can order from me for $19 including any sales tax,(s/h is extra), “Declarer Play at Bridge” retails for $15.95 you can purchase from me for $15 which also includes any sales tax (s/h is extra).

Class 1: Planning the Play in a Suit Contract – Count Losers and plan to eliminate them – 3 main ways to do that: Ruff in short trump hand, discard, finesse

Class 2: Review planning – Pay attention to entries, when to draw trump, which card to play first, loser on loser. Start on planning the Play in a NT contract. Count your winners, developing extra tricks in the safest way possible.

Class 3: More on NT Play – the hold up play, will holding up give them a chance to switch to a more dangerous suit, safe and dangerous hands, establishing a suit

Class 4: More NT play and then let’s start going deeper – double finesse, two way finesse – how to choose your direction? Plan your entries!

Declarer Play – Series 2

Class 1: More on drawing trumps and more on the dangerous hand

Class 2: More on the hold up play, useful in a suit contract as well as NT. Combine your chances.

Class 3: Gathering information before choosing the suit to try to establish.

Class 4: Counting the hands to give you a clue – counting distribution, counting HCP. Don’t take a finesse that is sure to lose.

DISTURBING OPPONENTS NOTRUMP –

Class 1: We’ll start by learning the DONT (Disturbing Opponent’s NoTrump) convention and how to advance partner’s overcall.

Class 2: We’ll talk more about how to overcome that overcall if we are the NT bidding pair. We’ll do that with some simpler techniques – if you want to get more complicated sign up for the Lebensohl classes.

Class 3: A brief intro to some other overcalling NT conventions, after seeing a few you can pick your favorite!

Reverses – what are they, when can you, should you use them? Cost $22. Sign up required! Let me know if you want this class!

Lebensohl Class Series: Coming in September! Let me know if you’re interested! Sept 3,5,17,19 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Class 1: Over natural 2 level bids
Class 2: Over 2 suited bids
Class 3: Over 3 level bids
Class 4: Responding to a double of a weak 2 and responding to a reverse

NEW MINOR FORCING: 2 sessions. Cost $22 per lesson. Call or email if interested in my scheduling this class again. What is it? When do I use it? Why do I use it? What do I need to have in my hand to use it? How does my partner answer me when I use it? They answered me, now what do I do?

Doubles Class is a four session series,

Class 1: Take out Doubles and Doubles as part of a sandwich NT

Class 2: Negative Doubles – you may think you understand this double, but do you?

Class 3: Lead directing doubles and Lightner doubles

Class 4: Responsive doubles, Support doubles (and redoubles)

Online supervised play for groups of just 4.  We play for one hour online. The morning sessions are at 10:45 Monday through Thursday. Cost is just $4 to me.    Evening sessions are frequently offered on Monday and Thursday as well from 6:30 to 7:30 on Monday and 7:00-8:00 on Thursdays at a cost of $4. To sign up, call or email me.  I send you a Zoom link so we can talk while playing the deals online.    You pay me via Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, credit card or a check.  We can work out those details when you sign up.