LONDON BRIDGE CENTRE

London Bridge Centre recognizes the need for education programs for players of all levels - from absolute beginners to advanced players. The path for beginners starts with a basic course which can then be supplemented with additional basic+ level courses. Opportunities to practice what has been learned are also available. For the intermediate and advanced player, two and four-week courses are offered on a variety of topics.

 LBC reserves the right to cancel any course if there is insufficient registration.

A Taste of Bridge is an introductory session for individuals considering learning how to play this popular card game. No prior bridge experience is needed. In three hours, we aim to show how much fun the game can be and hope you will see that bridge is a challenging and interesting game. Come alone or bring a group to the event.

The teacher for this session is Sara Ellis.

This half-day course will be offered on Saturday, September 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The course is FREE but pre-registration is required.

Please click on the REGISTRATION link to register.

Bridge Basics I is a general introduction to the game of bridge that includes basic terminology, bidding, and card play. This course is designed for individuals with no bridge experience or for those who are returning to bridge after an extended absence from the game.

Bridge Basics I will consist of 8 sessions to be held at the London Bridge Centre. The course will be taught on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. beginning September 24 and will run to Tuesday, November 19. No class on Tuesday, October 22.  

Course Topics: Hand evaluation, the bidding ladder, no-trump opening bids and basic responses, minor suit opening bids and basic responses, major suit opening bids and basic responses, and dummy points. Hand play and defense will be included in each class.

The teacher for this course is Jane King.

The fee for this course is $120 plus the cost of Audrey Grant's Bridge Basics I textbook.

The deadline for registration is Friday, September 20, 2024. To register for this course please click on the REGISTRATION link.

Strategies for a Successful Defense 

This course is designed for the intermediate bridge player who is interested in improving defensive play. Since every partnership is on defense 50% of the time, defense is a crucial part of winning bridge strategy.  Many bridge players repeat the same mistakes over and over on defense. This course is designed to help you avoid some of those pitfalls and costly defensive errors. 

This Defense course will consist of 7 sessions to be held at the London Bridge Centre on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 starting on September 19, 2024. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own course textbook “Bridge – The Magic of Defense” by Barbara Seagram. The teacher for this course is Mary Howe. 

Topics that will be covered during the course include:

Opening Leads, Teamwork on Defense, When to Lead Trump, Signalling Attitude to Partner’s Lead, Signalling with Discards, Count Signals, Suit Preference Signals, Second Hand Play, Lead Directing Doubles.

For a detailed course outline of the 7-week course click here.  

Teacher: Mary Howe

Fee: The fee for this course is $105 plus the textbook "Bridge - The Magic of Defense"

The deadline for registration is Tuesday, September 17, 2024. To register for this course please click on the REGISTRATION link.

Bridge Basics III is for those who have taken BB I and who have gained some experience at playing bridge. This five-session course is focused on popular conventions and is a great follow-up to BB I.

Course Topics: Stayman, Jacoby Transfers, the Big 2 club opener, Blackwood, Gerber, and Slam bidding.

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Bridge Basics III will consist of 5 sessions to be held at the London Bridge Centre on Monday afternoons from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm on September 9, 16, 23, 30, and October 7.

The teacher for this course is Barb O'Brien.

The fee for this course is $75 plus the textbook - approximately $30.

To register for this course please click on the REGISTRATION link. The deadline for registering for this course is Friday, September 6.

Are you interested in developing your bridge skills?

Several teachers from London Bridge Centre are offering small group lessons online while they sit as Fifth Chair to guide your progress. Your group will play online at a mutually agreed-upon time. Prices and the length of each session may vary slightly.  For further info please go to Fifth Chair teachers. Please contact the teacher of your choice for details.