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Stimulation of logic and probalistic thinking

Bidding dominates the early stages of learning bridge, no doubt because finding a contract is the first part of playing a deal. The pair who win the auction claim they can make a minimum number of tricks if the deal is played in the minimum denomination, i.e. Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts or Spades are 'trumps' or 'no trumps'. Bridge Coach explains the bidding as it occurs and is essentially self teaching. A teacher may have to help with the odd word a young player might not know.

Declarer, is the name given to the player who will play for the contract. The opponent on Declarer's left leads the first card by placing the card of their choice face upwards. The next hand is placed face upwards on the table and is referred to as the 'dummy'. All players can now see two hands, the dummy and their own hand. This allows all players the chance to make deductions on the lie of the cards.

A 'trick' is a round of four cards and the winner of the trick leads the next one. All players must follow suit if they can. If the contract is played with a card in the trump suit, a trump can win a trick if the player does not have a card in the suit led. This is continued until all cards are exhausted or in other words, thirteen tricks have been played. Scoring the result follows.

As the cards are played each player has to note what is played and judge how that affects potential winners held. The player should then try to deduce the cards each player is likely to hold. Declarer will try to exact cards from defenders that they don't want to play, and the defenders will try to stop Declarer succeeding in winning the target number of tricks. The percentages associated with the division of the cards in the two unseen hands can be helpful in making a plan of attack, however, because it is a probability, an expected division of the cards is not guaranteed. The play of the cards well takes years to learn, rather than weeks. Aggressive experienced players should win, but there will also by necessity be sessions where the lay of the cards goes against expectation and the less bold player can win. Children love the intrigue, even in the early learning stages. When children get into "proper bridge" they lose interest in playing Mini Bridge, the simplified form of bridge that was their starting point.

Teacher, if you don't know how to play bridge, don't despair, Bridge Apprentice has a hint button which suggests the card to play.