Palo Alto Bridge

Supervised Play Thursday Mornings
2018-12-06 09:00 - 11:00, 2018-12-13 09:00 - 11:00, 2019-01-10 09:00 - 11:00 (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
2018-12-06 09:15 - 11:15, 2018-12-13 09:15 - 11:15, 2019-01-10 09:15 - 11:15
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.

PLAY & LEARN Beginning Bridge
Dates

Introduction to Bridge
Choosing a Contract
September 27, 2018

Opening Bids and Selecting the Best Game
Opening 1NT
October 11

Major Suit Opening Bids
Minor Suit Opening Bids
October 25

Dummy Points
November 8

Responder Bids Notrump
Opener Bids Notrump
November 15

Takeout Doubles
December 6

Preempts
December 13

Strong 2 Clubs
Januiary 10, 2019

Supervised Play Monday Evenings
2018-12-17 18:45 - 20:45, 2019-01-07 18:45 - 20:45, 2019-01-21 18:45 - 20:45

Conventions You Need to Play
2018-12-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-01-07 19:00 - 21:00, 2019-01-21 19:00 - 21:00
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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Useful conventions for basic intermediates including Jacoby and Texas transfers, Stayman and Garbage Stayman, and minor suit bidding when partner opens one notrump.
This Basic-Intermediate Bridge Class builds upon our Beginning Bridge Classes and prepares our students for our Intermediate Classes.
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.

Conventions You Need to Play
Dates

Takeout Doubles
September 17, 2018

Negative Doubles
September 24

Negative Doubles part 2
October 8

Help Suit Game Tries
October 22

Stayman & Garbage Stayman
November 5

Jacoby Transfers
November 19

Jacoby Two Notrump
December 3

Roman Keycard Blackwood
December 17

Control Bids
January 7, 2019

Splinters
January 21

Supervised Play Tuesday Mornings
2018-12-18 08:45 - 10:45, 2019-02-05 08:45 - 10:45

Four Cue Bids
2018-12-18 09:00 - 11:00
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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Cue bids can be confusing. Learn to sort them out and use them efficiently.
This Basic-Intermediate Bridge Class builds upon our Beginning Bridge Classes and prepares our students for our Intermediate Classes.
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.

Conventions You Need to Play
Dates

Control Cue Bids
November 6, 2018

Cue Bidding in Support of Partner’s Bids
November 20

Michaels
December 4

Western Cue Bid
December 18

Intermediate I
2019-01-10 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-01-17 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-01-24 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-02-07 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-02-14 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-02-21 19:15 - 21:30, 2019-02-28 19:15 - 21:30
Frank Smoot
(408) 732-5736
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Strengthen your bidding and sharpen your intermediate to advanced play technique. This course includes discussion of the weekly topic, in-class exercises, lots of practice deals, homework, and occasional examples from deals played at the Wednesday Night game.
This course is for bridge players who have a minimum of one year of experience playing duplicate bridge.
Using materials from many sources (primarily Richard Pavlicek) you will learn concepts, do exercises in class (homework outside of class) and finish the evening by playing hands relating to the topic. Snacks are also provided. You will be amazed at what you will learn, even if you have played for years and years!
The in-class exercises are available in electronic format so students can play the hands at home and receive commentary on their bidding and play (requires Bridge Baron software).
Our course lecturer is the very popular Frank Smoot who has taught bridge to beginners and beyond in Palo Alto for 15+ years. Frank and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Please contact Frank Smoot email for more information.

This 12-Week Course Covers

Bidding:

Opener’s Rebid (and when to raise with three-card support)
Opener’s Third Bid (when Responder is weak/invites/forces)
Overcalls (and Advancing Partner’s Overcall)
Takeout Doubles (and Advancing Partner’s Double)
Preemptive Bidding (Vulnerability Matters)
Negative Doubles (and rebidding after Partner makes one)

Declarer Play:

Card Combinations (and when to shun a Finesse)
Odds (when to finesse – when to build a long suit)
Notrump Play Technique (Entries / Ducking)
Suit Play Technique (When to draw/postpone Trump)

Defense:

Notrump Leads and Strategy (Active versus Passive Defense)
Suit Leads and Strategy (Which Suit? Which Card?)

Class Downloads**

Lesson 1
Opener’s Rebid

Lesson 2
Opener’s Third Bid

Lesson 3
Overcall

Lesson 4
Takeout Double

Lesson 5
Preempt

Lesson 6
Negative Double

Lesson 7
Card Combinations

Lesson 8
Play the Odds

Lesson 9
Play at Notrump

Lesson 10
Play at Suits

Lesson 11
Defense at Notrump

Lesson 12
Defense at Suits

**Downloads may change a couple of days prior to class.
Instructions for downloading and playing files with Bridge Baron
Bridge Baron Support
Bridge Baron Website. We usually have copies of Bridge Baron at class which we sell at a discount.
*After registering, please send a check made out to Frank Smoot in the amount of $240 to hold your spot to:
Frank Smoot
528 S Taaffe St
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Lecture Series
2019-01-29 09:30 - 11:00
Director Calls – Don’t Be a Deer in the Headlights by Gerry MacDonald.
Our Unit provides a series of free lectures as part of our education program. These lectures cover areas of interest for new as well as intermediate players. Lectures are held on selected Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM at our Bridge Center.
This free series is funded by the Peninsula Bridge Education Foundation. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to continue the mission of our foundation.

Beginning Bridge
2019-02-05 09:00 - 11:00
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
Send Email

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.

PLAY & LEARN Beginning Bridge
Dates

Introduction to Bridge
Choosing a Contract
February 5, 2019

Opening Bids and Selecting the Best Game
Opening 1NT
March 5

Major Suit Opening Bids
Minor Suit Opening Bids
March 19

Dummy Points
April 2

Responder Bids Notrump
Opener Bids Notrump
April 16

Takeout Doubles
April 30

Preempts
May 14

Strong 2 Clubs
May 28

Deadly Defense
2019-02-07 08:45 - 10:45, 2019-02-28 08:45 - 10:45
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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Half the time at the bridge table, you will be defending. Don’t let those mean declarers walk all over you! Defend yourself! Learn how to lead, signal, and discard. This course is written by Pat Harrington
This Basic-Intermediate Bridge Class builds upon our Beginning Bridge Classes and prepares our students for our Intermediate Classes.
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.

Deadly Defense
Dates

Leading Against Notrump
February 7, 2019

Leading Against Suit Contracts
February 28

Second Hand Low
March 7

Second Hand Low … Except
March 21

Third Hand High
April 4

Introduction to Attitude Signals
April 18

Using Attitude Signals When Partner Leads
May 2

Opening Leads and Attitude Signals
May 16

Discards and Attitude Signals
May 23

Suit Preference Signals.
June 13

Supervised Play Thursday Morning
2019-02-07 08:45 - 10:45, 2019-02-28 08:45 - 10:45

Lecture Series
2019-02-12 09:30 - 11:00
Six Hands by Lynn Yokel.
Our Unit provides a series of free lectures as part of our education program. These lectures cover areas of interest for new as well as intermediate players. Lectures are held on selected Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM at our Bridge Center.
This free series is funded by the Peninsula Bridge Education Foundation. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to continue the mission of our foundation.

Lecture Series
2019-02-26 09:30 - 11:00
Leads by Chuck Lane.
Our Unit provides a series of free lectures as part of our education program. These lectures cover areas of interest for new as well as intermediate players. Lectures are held on selected Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM at our Bridge Center.
This free series is funded by the Peninsula Bridge Education Foundation. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to continue the mission of our foundation.
