You can play bridge online, of course. On Bridge Training but also on Bridge Base Online, Realbridge, Funbridge, Intobridge etc. However: premium bridge happens in real life. At clubs, then in competitions against players at your level: I promise you friends, challenge and travel!
Play your first real pairs tournament
You arrive at the club, you register with the organizer by paying a few euros (usually between 2 and 8€, sometimes more in big cities). Tell them you're a beginner, it's better. If you came with a partner, they'll tell you where to sit for the first round. If not, they'll try to find one for you. Tables are numbered, for example they might say: "you are at table 6 North-South".
You'll take your seat (there's often a "North" sign on the wall for orientation). Your first opponents will arrive - smile and say hello, they're nice people. The organizer will place between 2 and 4 numbered plastic boards with cards on the table.
You'll play the first deal, often enter the results using a device (a "Bridgemate") that will transmit them directly to the server for the overall scoring. Then you play the second one, and so on until all deals are played.
And when you're done... what happens then?
Do you move or not?
If the organizer gave you a card, it will say where you should go for the next round.
If they didn't give you anything:
- if you are North-South, you don't move. However, you pass the boards you just played to the lower-numbered table (to table 5 if you're at table 6).
- if you are East-West, you get up and go to East-West at the higher-numbered table (table 7 if you were East-West at table 6... and to table 1 if there were only 6 tables)
In the most classic movement, used when no other indication is given by the organizer, East-West move up one table and table 6 is the last. You have just played East-West at table 6. Where do you go?
When the tournament is over (count about 3.5 hours, you usually play around 25 deals, 7 minutes 30 per deal), you get the results and you can have a drink with everyone.
How are the results calculated?
Each deal is played multiple times. For each one, pairs are ranked according to their score and the result is expressed as a percentage. Did you get the best result? You score 100% (the "top"). Did you get the worst? You score 0% (the "zero"). And most often, you score something in between, around 50% (the "average").
At the end of the tournament, pairs are ranked according to their average percentage across all deals. Winners usually have between 60 and 70%. The last ones between 30 and 40%. At my first tournament, I scored... 25%! So don't be afraid, you'll get beaten up at first, like everyone, and gradually, you'll improve.
On the same deal, the scores of three North-South pairs are -50 (so East-West scored 50), -100 and +110. How is the pair at -50 ranked among these three North-South pairs?
The golden rules for everyone to love you in tournaments!
- You are not allowed to communicate with your partner during a deal in any way other than through bids and cards (no gestures, no words, nothing!).
- You are also not allowed to deliberately hesitate just to mislead the opponent. If you think you shouldn't have hesitated - you had 3 small cards, you were thinking of something else, it happens - simply say immediately "sorry, I had no reason to hesitate", it will be much appreciated.
- You must remain nice to everyone, never be aggressive.
- If there's a problem, you never arbitrate at the table. Call - politely - the director: they are there to help resolve problems.
- When they arrive, tell the opponents that you're a beginner, they'll be even nicer.
- If you're lost or made a mistake, ask the organizer, it's never really serious.
An opponent admits they might not have played in turn and offers to cancel the trick themselves. What is the correct approach?
It's your turn to play. You will play as in a pairs tournament, so trying to make as many tricks as possible to get ahead of the others!
Deal 1 Deal 2Your progress
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