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Advanced Bridge: A 12-Module Program

Twelve modules for players who have finished Next Steps: a stronger Standard American system, expert card play and defence, scoring tactics, and everything you need to play confidently at congresses.

12 weeksAbout an hour of study a weekStandard American, 2/1 game force

You’ve finished Next Steps in Bridge. You can value a hand, plan the play, lead well, signal and bid most slams. You probably play at your club every week and have tried a congress or two. This program is the next step: the methods, techniques and habits that separate good club players from players who win congress events.

Each module takes about a week. Read the lesson, play the example hands with cards on the table, try the questions at the end, and then use one idea at the club that week. One new habit a week is worth more than twelve half-learned conventions.

Who this program is for

  • You’ve finished Next Steps, or you play regularly and know Stayman, transfers, weak twos, takeout doubles and Blackwood.
  • You play Standard American with a regular partner. Most of the bidding modules add to the system taught in our beginner and Next Steps courses rather than replacing it.
  • You’d like to play in red-point and gold-point congresses, teams events or national championships, or simply enjoy the game more because you understand more of it.

Work through the program with your regular partner if you can. The bidding modules only help if you both play them. Agree each new method before you use it at the table, and write it on your system card (Module 12).

The twelve modules

Week Module Area What you’ll learn
1 Two over one game force Bidding The 2/1 structure, the forcing 1NT, inverted minors, checkback and fourth suit forcing
2 Raises and slam tools Bidding Jacoby 2NT, splinters, Bergen raises, Drury, Roman Keycard Blackwood and control bids
3 Competitive doubles and two-suiters Bidding Negative, responsive and support doubles, Michaels, the Unusual 2NT and Lebensohl
4 Total tricks and sacrifices Bidding The Law of Total Tricks, when to compete, sacrifices, balancing and forcing passes
5 Safety plays and probability Declarer play Suit splits, combining chances, restricted choice and playing safe for your contract
6 Counting the hand Declarer play Counting points, shape and tricks so you know where the missing cards are
7 Endplays Declarer play Elimination and throw-in, ruff and discard, loser on loser and throw-ins in no trumps
8 Squeezes Declarer play How a squeeze works, the four conditions, rectifying the count and recognising chances
9 Expert defence Defence Building a picture, signal priorities, trump promotion, killing entries and defending in tempo
10 Matchpoints, IMPs and teams Tactics How the scoring method changes your decisions, and how to play teams and Swiss events
11 Congress readiness Rules ABF alerting, announcements, questions, unauthorised information, tempo, screens and the Director
12 Building your system card Partnership ABF system classification, filling in the card and keeping your agreements in order

How each module works

Every module follows the same pattern:

  1. Start here. Why the topic matters and what you’ll be able to do by the end of the week.
  2. The lesson. Clear explanations with example auctions and hands. Lay the cards out and play them through: it sticks far better than reading.
  3. Rules worth remembering. A short list to take to the table.
  4. Try these. Practice questions, with answers underneath so you can check yourself.
  5. Words to know and What next?

A suggested week

Day What to do
Day 1 Read the lesson and lay out the example hands
Day 2 Answer the “Try these” questions without looking at the answers
Day 3 Agree any new methods with your partner and update your system card
Club night Use the idea at least once, then talk through the hand afterwards
End of week Look up the hand records from your session and find one hand where the module applied

Practising between sessions

  • Hand records. Most Australian clubs publish results and hand records after each session, often with a double-dummy analysis showing the best possible result on each board. Look at two or three boards where your score was poor and work out why.
  • Online play. BBO, RealBridge and Stepbridge (an ABF-affiliated online club) let you play at any time. Robots are good for practising card play; human partners are better for practising bidding.
  • Bidding practice. Deal hands at home, bid them with your partner without talking, and then compare your auction with the best contract.
  • Keep a notebook. Write down one thing you learned each session. Read it before your next congress.

Further reading

Official sources

Other resources

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