Supervised Play Monday Evenings
2025-11-24 18:45 - 20:30, 2025-12-08 18:45 - 20:30, 2026-01-12 18:45 - 20:30, 2026-01-26 18:45 - 20:30, 2026-02-09 18:45 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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Beginning Bridge
2025-11-24 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-08 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-01-12 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-01-26 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-02-03 09:00 - 10:30, 2026-02-09 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-02-17 09:00 - 10:30
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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Learn Bridge the modern way in this course designed by Pat Harrington! Each class includes both instruction and practice play. Start playing the very first day! Children & teens welcome.
For people who have never played bridge and those people who have played for years but want a refresher course or just to learn the basics.
Notes will be emailed for all classes. No make-up classes are offered for missed classes.
Our course instructor is ABTA Master Teacher Kathy Harper. Kathy and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Please contact Kathy Harper for more information.

Supervised Play Tuesday Mornings
2025-12-09 08:45 - 10:30, 2025-12-16 08:45 - 10:30, 2026-01-06 08:45 - 10:30, 2026-01-20 08:45 - 10:30, 2026-02-03 08:45 - 10:30, 2026-02-17 08:45 - 10:30

Planning to Win 2025
2025-12-09 09:15 - 11:15, 2025-12-16 09:15 - 11:15, 2026-01-06 09:15 - 11:15, 2026-01-20 09:00 - 10:30
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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A more modern style of teaching bridge designed by Pat Harrington. For players with some bridge experience or new players that have completed the Play & Learn Beginning Bridge class.
For people who have never played bridge and those people who have played for years but want a refresher course or just to learn the basics.
Notes will be emailed for all classes. No make-up classes are offered for missed classes.
Our course instructor is ABTA Master Teacher Kathy Harper. Kathy and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Please contact Kathy Harper at (650) 207-1816 email for additional information.

PLAY & LEARN Planning to Win
Dates

Cancelled due to illness
September 23, 2025

Counting Winners and Entries in NT;
Bidding Maximum Opening Hands;
Opening Leads in Notrump
October 7

Counting Losers and Drawing Trump;
Maximum Responding Hands;
October 21

Promotion in Suits and Notrump;
Bidding with Minimum Hands
November 4

Using Length in Suits & Notrump;
November 18

The Finesse
December 9

Dummy Points and Trumping in Dummy;
Blackwood
December 16

Discarding a Quick Loser
January 6, 2026

Watch out for the Opponents!
January 20

2 Over 1
2026-01-15 19:15 - 21:30, 2026-01-22 19:15 - 21:30, 2026-01-29 19:15 - 21:30, 2026-02-05 19:15 - 21:30, 2026-02-12 19:15 - 21:30, 2026-02-19 19:15 - 21:30
Frank Smoot
(408) 306-3901
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Would you like to save bidding space? Learn the 2 Over 1 System, the most popular bidding system among experienced players. The system provides a scientific approach to bidding. Responder doesn’t need to jump to show game-forcing values. This extra room allows opener and responder to exchange detailed information about hand distribution, strength, and control holdings below game level. This allows for superior game/slam exploration.
This course is intended for Intermediate level bridge players with at least one year of duplicate experience.
Using materials from 2 Over 1 Game Force by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell you will learn concepts, do exercises in class and finish the evening by playing hands relating to the topic. There will be light homework consisting of puzzlers at the end of each section in the text.
The in-class hands will be available in electronic format so students can play them at home and receive commentary on their bidding and play (requires Bridge Baron software – see below).
Coffee, tea and snacks also provided.
Our course instructor is the very popular Frank Smoot who has taught bridge to beginners and beyond in Palo Alto for 30+ years. Frank and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Students will be given one copy of 2 Over 1 Game Force by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell. You may be purchased additional copies at Amazon.com, Barns & Noble and Baron Barclay among other sources.
For more information contact Frank Smoot (408) 306-3901 email.

The 6-Week Course Covers
Bridge Baron Downloads

How to Benefit from Extra Space
Forcing 1NT Response
Opener’s Rebid
Responder’s Rebid and Fast Arrival
Game or Slam & Control Bids
Showing Controls

Introduction (Deals 1-4)
Forcing 1NT (Deals 5-8)
Rebids (Deals 9-12)
Review (Deals 17-24)
Game or Slam (Deals 13-16)
Review (Deals 25-32)
Bonus Deals 1-6
Bonus Deals 7-12

Bridge Baron Support
Purchase: BaronBarclay
Instructions for downloading and playing files with Bridge Baron
Students: For additional support contact Alan Templeton or Frank Smoot

Payment
After registering, below, you may pay by Zelle or check to hold your spot:
Zelle: Transfer $200 to either franklinsalias-bridge@yahoo.com or (408) 306-3901.
Check: Mail a check made out to Frank Smoot in the amount of $200:

Frank Smoot
15 Tagus Ct.
Portola Valley, CA 94028

Celebrity Bridge Seminar with Amber Lin
2026-01-24 09:30 - 11:00
How to Defend Against 3NT
Amber Lin Webinar
Saturday, January 24, 2026, 9:30-11:00am on Zoom
“Take ALL your tricks defending 3NT” – At the bridge table, we find ourselves frequently defending 3NT and struggling to pitch when the opponent runs a long suit. How do we know what to pitch? Usually if we have Q-third, Qxx, we keep it, just in case the declarer has AKJ. We have called this tendency “Q-third-itis.” However, there are many times when this doesn’t make sense. How do we know when it is OK to unguard our Q-third? Or similarly, our J-fourth or K-doubleton? This lesson will cover these common situations and teach you how to take all your tricks defending 3NT.
This lesson will benefit all levels of players, especially Intermediate+ players
Information and Registration

World and National Champion
Team USA Member – Women’s, Mixed, Juniors
“It’s Your Call” Bridge Bulletin Contributor
Amber Lin is a young professional player and teacher who lives here in the Bay Area. She was recently awarded the ACBL’s 2025 Honorary Member recognizing her huge contributions to the membership. She won a gold medal in the World Mixed Teams Championships in 2023 and a silver medal in 2022, she won the Freeman Mixed Board-a-Match Teams in 2022 and won the European Under-31 Pairs Championships in 2023.
Amber is passionate about introducing young people to the game and is the chair of Silicon Valley Youth Bridge (SiVY) providing regular instruction at the Palo Alto Bridge Center for young, new players. She is also the co-organizer of the USBF Junior Training Program and runs the U26 Women’s Intensive program with Kevin

Free Lecture
2026-02-19
Our Unit provides free lectures as part of our education program. Lectures cover areas of interest for new as well as intermediate players. Lectures are held at our Bridge Center. Sign-ups are not required.
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