CDBC Novice Bridge
Novice Bridge fun & learning ($4pp) happens on [2025 schedule TBA], upstairs at the Benevolent Irish Society. We start with a 15-minute mini-lesson, and then we play bridge. Spoiler alert: every session emphasizes the importance of your partnership agreement! We discuss the scoring system (including the impact of vulnerability), but we do not keep score because these sessions are not competitive.
Never been to Novice Bridge before? Come give us a try. We promise you that the hardest part is walking through the door that first time. Afterwards, you will make new friends, you will learn, you will enjoy bridge, and you will have fun. OK to come alone if you like – we guarantee a partner. If you have a name tag, please wear it. During the fall, winter, and spring sessions, we send out a weekly email update: you may either subscribe or unsubscribe.
Our objective is L-E-A-R-N-I-N-G. We (the coaches) may interrupt your game, ask you to explain your bid, and give you the opportunity to change it. When the bidding is over, the opening lead is made, and the dummy is tabled, we may ask declarer or either defender to explain their understanding of what cards and points are likely held in each of the two hidden hands. We may ask declarer to describe the plan to achieve the contract. We may ask defenders to describe how they plan to defeat the contract. We may just watch, but then do an analysis of the hand afterwards. Or we may just let you play bridge!
Every bid (including PASS), and every card played, imparts information to both the offence and the defence. You will learn to take this information into account and to adjust your offensive or defensive strategy accordingly. Sounds challenging but, with practice, it can become second nature. There are many, many variations to bidding, and to defensive signals, but we will focus on fundamentals, and basic partnership agreements.
Above all, do not be a robot: We want you instead to re-evaluate your hand continuously with each new piece of information, to make logical inferences, and to T-H-I-N-K. We want you to consider all 26 cards (Allan's rule of 26) in your partnership - not just the 13 that you can see in your own hand! At any time, you may ask the advice of coaches who will always be available, but we will avoid giving you a direct answer: instead, we will lead you through the thought process to come to the correct conclusion on your own.
You will not become expert players by attending Novice Bridge, but you will learn (or re-learn) fundamentals, and gain confidence in your bidding, offence, and defence. Many players also attend Section 'B' games, a natural stepping stone to regular duplicate. Novice Bridge is a foundational learning initiative, 100% volunteer supported, by members of the CDBC to share the joy of duplicate bridge!
The key to success is practice, practice, practice. Read the bridge column in the newspaper and decide how you would handle the bidding & play. Visit the [free, membership not required] practice websites on our "Links" page.
Weekly Novice is a 100% volunteer supported endeavor by the Charlottetown Duplicate Bridge Club to spread the joy of bridge. We collect $4pp only to cover rental expense and to assist with other CDBC operations’ expenses, e.g. dealing machine, computer, BridgeMates, ACBL fees, boards, cards, Internet domain/ website/ BridgeWebs/ email, and stationery.
Questions? Please email novice@cdbcpei.ca and get answers!