FREE Virtual Lesson: Intro to Online Bridge

Next lesson: Monday, April 20, 2020, at 7pm Pacific time

Limit: 20-25 players

With much of the nation under stay-at-home orders, bridge players are looking for ways to play online.

I’m hosting semi-regular Zoom meetings that introduce bridge players to Bridge Base Online, one of the most popular platforms for playing bridge online.

We use Zoom to communicate with each other; we use Bridge Base Online (BBO) to play bridge.

This lesson does not teach you how to play bridge. To get the most out of this lesson, you should have basic-or-better knowledge about the game of bridge. You need to be comfortable with the idea of an auction, a basic bidding system, and the general sequence of play. You don’t need to be any kind of expert.

In our Zoom meeting, we spend some time learning about controls in the Zoom platform, if needed. Then I share my screen and show you some of the basics of the BBO interface. Then we’ll have a few players set up and host bridge tables in BBO, while simultaneously splitting into breakout rooms in Zoom.

This lesson is best experienced with either two smartphone or computer devices (attending the Zoom meeting on one device, the BBO game on another) or on a latop/desktop computer with an external monitor.

As a prerequisite, you need to have an account on Bridge Base Online. Sign up for free at www.bridgebase.com if you do not already have a BBO username.

There is no cost for this introductory lesson.

To register for the next lesson, send an email to PlayBridge@Pinochle.org — include the subject “Intro to Online Bridge”. In the body of the email, include your name and your BBO username. I’ll add you to the list for the next upcoming lesson; you’ll get login instructions about 15 minutes before the lesson begins.