Grand River Bridge Club

The following two-and-a-half-hour online workshops are scheduled for the first three months of 2021.

The fee for each workshop is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Click on the button below to register for any of the workshops.

In order to register for one or more workshops, you need to take TWO actions. REGISTER for the workshop(s)  and ARRANGE FOR PAYMENT (click here for information on how to pay).

Some people say that they don't play reverses. But they do, whether they like it or not. Reverses just are. That's because reverses propel the bidding to a higher level - meaning that the reverser must have extra values.

Marty Bergen apparently advises his students to pray that reverses don't come up. But, you know, sometimes prayers aren't answered. This workshop will help you know what to do when that happens.

The instructor will explain what reverses are and when to use them. The students will start by participating in a bidding exercise and then bid and play up to 16 hands, depending on time. 

Regular partners may find it beneficial to attend this workshop as a pair.

Level: Intermediate
Instructor: Malkin Howes
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 9:30 am - noon

Back by popular demand, this is the second ALL PLAY workshop for intermediate players who will be challenged to solve a series of tricky but makeable contracts. The last four hands will require successful declarers to execute an end play, a squeeze, a dummy reversal, and a trump coup.

Because the puzzles are pretty puzzling, the hands will be sent out in advance along with a cheat sheet for those who wish to avail themselves of it.

This workshop is only for people who like to laugh and groan a lot. Your genial host will be Malkin.

PS the participants are guaranteed to learn some things.

Level: Intermediate
Instructor: Malkin Howes
Date: Monday, February 8, 9:30 am - noon

So you won the contract and dummy has been tabled. Now what? This workshop will work through the logic of how to plan the play of the hand in suit contracts. 

Topics covered will include counting losers, techniques for eliminating losers, deciding when to draw trump and when to postpone drawing trump, dealing with bad trump splits, and setting up side suits. This workshop is for novice players who want to improve the quality and speed of their play.

The session will include playing some hands using the magic of Shark Bridge.

Level: Novice
Instructor: Stephen Carpenter
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 9:30 am - noon

This online workshop is for post-beginner players who want to improve their play of no trump contracts. Topics will include counting quick and slow winners, techniques for generating extra tricks, and developing a plan for the play. The concepts of holding up on the the opening lead and when to give up the lead will be introduced. The students will declare several hands that demonstrate the new concepts using the magic of Shark Bridge.

Level: Post Beginner
Instructor: Stephen Carpenter
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 9:30 am - noon

End plays are tactical plays whereby a defender is put on lead at a strategic moment and forced to play a card that gives declarer an extra trick. Strip and throw-in end plays really aren't all that difficult, and this workshop will focus on how to execute them.

End plays should be part of every declarer's arsenal. In addition to generating an extra trick or two, end plays also are very fun for declarers - as they watch their opponents' dawning realization that there is no way out of this vise.

Level: Intermediate
Instructor: Malkin Howes
Date: Wednesday, February 24, 9:30 am - noon

The first two bidders have passed and you have ten high card points and a long suit. It's looking as if the other hands are pretty balanced and the first side to bid might be able to squeak through making a low-level contract. So this workshop will deal with opening light in third or fourth seat with as few as eight high card points.

However, when you open the bidding in third or fourth suit, your partner has no idea whether you opened light or have a monster hand. Without agreements, you could easily end up too high and go down. Enter the Drury bidding system.

Using Drury, the responder can ask his or her partner whether it was a light or a full opening bid. With this information, the responder can place the contract accurately. Drury is a tool every partnership needs to compete effectively. The session will include playing some hands using the magic of Shark Bridge.

Regular partners may find it beneficial to attend as a pair.

Level: Novice/Intermediate
Instructor: Stephen Carpenter
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 9:30 am - noon

Have you ever been declaring a contract and got stranded in the wrong hand? Maybe you have managed to set up three tricks in the dummy but you're stuck in your hand and can't get to them?

This workshop will give you tips and techniques for preserving your entries so that you can always be in the right place at the right time.

The participants will play up to 16 no trump hands, depending on time. Everyone will be seated South, meaning that you will get lots of practice managing your entries.

Level: Novice
Instructor: Malkin Howes
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021, 9:30 am - noon