Bridge Courses
London Bridge Centre recognizes the need for education programs for players of all levels - from absolute beginners to advanced players. The path for beginners starts with a basic course which can then be supplemented with additional basic+ level courses. Opportunities to practice what has been learned are also available. For the intermediate and advanced player, two and four-week courses are offered on a variety of topics.
LBC reserves the right to cancel any course if there is insufficient registration.
Bridge Basics I - A General Introduction to Bridge
Bridge Basics I is a general introduction to the game of bridge that includes basic terminology, bidding, and card play. This course is designed for individuals with no bridge experience or for those who are returning to bridge after an extended absence from the game.
Bridge Basics I will consist of 8 sessions to be held at the London Bridge Centre. The course will be taught on Tuesday afternoons from 1 pm to 3 p.m. beginning March 28 and will run to May 16.
Course Topics: Hand evaluation, the bidding ladder, no-trump opening bids and basic responses, minor suit opening bids and basic responses, major suit opening bids and basic responses, and dummy points. Hand play and defense will be included in each class.
The teacher for this course is Barb O’Brien.
The fee for this course is $120 + the cost of a textbook (Audrey Grant's Bridge Basics I).
To register for this course please click here.
Please note that proof of Covid Vaccination and photo ID will be required.
Advancing Your Game - Part 2 - Mary Howe
This bridge course is designed for players who have completed several bridge courses and who play duplicate bridge on a regular basis. A variety of standard conventions will be re-introduced and fine-tuned to develop effective, competitive bridge strategies for duplicate bridge play. Each class will include strategies for handling the opponents’ interference. The use of good judgement will be emphasized.
The 8-week course will be taught over two separate terms of four weeks each.
Part 1 was held in October 2022 (Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25) on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 – 12:00.
Part 2 is being offered on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to noon on May 11, 18, 25, and June 1. Please note that Part 1 is a prerequisite for Part 2.
Lesson 1: Preempts and Strong 2 Club Openers
Lesson 2: Overcalls
Lesson 3: Doubles, Redoubles & more
Lesson 4: Competitive Auctions
The cost for the 4-week course is $60 plus $12 for the Student Handbook. Please pay the instructor at the first session on May 11.
The teacher for this course is Mary Howe.
For those players who are interested, private Practice & Play sessions will be offered after the completion of Advancing Your Game Part 2 for players who have taken the course. Four hands-on play sessions using pre-set hands will specifically target topics covered in the lessons and will be played online. Registration for these play sessions will be announced once the course commences in the spring.
Following the completion of this course, players should be more comfortable and successful competing against London’s better bridge players in the open games.
A detailed course description of the lesson topics can be found here.
To register for this course please click here.
Please note that proof of Covid Vaccination and photo ID will be required.
Bridge Basics II
Bridge Basics II carries on with practice in playing hands and provides an introduction to the following topics in bidding: Take-out doubles, overcalls, pre-emptive bids, weak 2 openings, and responses to each of these bidding strategies. This is the next class to be taken following Bridge Basics I.
Bridge Basics II will consist of 4 sessions to be held at the London Bridge Centre on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 12:00 on June 7, 14, 21, and 28. This 4-week course introduces bidding designed to help partnerships get to their best contract while making it difficult for the opponents to find their best spot. Play of the hand and good defence will be included in each lesson.
Course Topics:
1. Preemptive Opening Bids: Three-level pre-empts & weak two bids.
2. Overcalls and Advances: Simple overcalls, No Trump overcalls, Weak jump shifts
3. Takeout Doubles & Advances: Takeout doubles, responding to partner’s double, rebids by the doubler, Doubles that show a strong overcall
4. Competitive Auctions: Responding after the opponents’ takeout double and overcall, negative doubles, redoubles, and penalty doubles.
The fee for this 4-week course is $60 plus Audrey Grant's Bridges Basic 2 textbook. Students are requested to order their own Bridge Basic's 2 textbook at Audrey Grant's Better Bridge website or on Amazon Prime. Please pay the instructor at your first session on June 7.
The teacher for this course is Mary Howe.
To register for this course please click here.
INTRODUCTION TO BALANCING
This three-week course is offered by Barry Onslow for people who want to be competitive in the bidding, especially when points are evenly divided between Nort/South and East/West.
The course will be at London Bridge Centre on Wednesday afternoons June 7, 14, and 21, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. The cost of the course is $50. Contact Barry at bonslow@uwo.ca if you have questions. Please pay the instructor at your first session on June 7.
The course flyer is here; click here to register before June 1, 2023.
Fifth Chair Teaching
Are you interested in developing your bridge skills?
Several teachers from London Bridge Centre are offering small group lessons online while they sit as Fifth Chair to guide your progress. Your group will play online at a mutually agreed-upon time. Prices and the length of each session may vary slightly. For further info please go to Fifth Chair teachers. Please contact the teacher of your choice for details.