Pull up a chair! Richard’s lesson is about to begin.

Advanced Bridge Lessons

Lessons may be studied in any order (each lesson more or less stands alone), although the listed order within categories is best. After reading a lesson, you should do at least one (preferably all) of the exercises; best way is to jot down your answers on a piece of paper before comparing to those at the end of the exercise. When you err, it is helpful to reconsider the problem and reread the lesson to try to understand why.

Practice deals are arranged in sets of four (dealer and vulnerability match duplicate boards 1-4) with each direction declarer once. These can be played if you have four people, laid out with a deck of cards to study, or simply browsed on-screen. Recommended bidding and play are shown, with key plays indicated by an exclamation point. Good luck!  –Richard Pavlicek

Bidding Lessons

Partnership Bidding
Lesson	Exercise	Practice
Responses to Suit Bids	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Rebids by Opener	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4 5 6
Rebids by Responder	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6
Opener’s Third Bid	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6
Bidding After a Raise	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Preemptive Bids	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6
Weak Two-Bids	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Strong Two-Club Bid	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6
Suit Slam Bidding	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Two-over-One Auctions	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5
Bidding Judgment	1 2 3 4	1 2 3
Notrump Slam Bidding	1 2 3	1 2 3 4
Slam Bidding Judgment	1 2 3	1 2 3
Miscellaneous	1 2 3 4 5 6 7	1

Competitive Bidding
Lesson	Exercise	Practice
Notrump Auctions	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4
Overcalls	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Takeout Doubles	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6
Defensive Bidding Judgment	1 2 3	1 2 3
Negative Doubles	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Penalty Doubles	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4
Coping with Interference	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Competing & Sacrificing	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5
Balancing Bids & Doubles	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Combating Weak Openings	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5 6
Defense to One Notrump	1 2 3	1 2 3
Miscellaneous	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	1 2 3 4

Play Lessons

Declarer Play
Lesson	Exercise	Practice
Card Combinations	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4 5
Going with the Odds	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Notrump Play Technique	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4 5 6
Suit Play Technique	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Important Suit Tactics	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Trump Control	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Trick One Tips	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4 5 6
Suit Establishment	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5
Combining Your Chances	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5 6
Endplays	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Entries & Communication	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Timing the Play	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5
Counting by Declarer	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Matchpoint Strategy	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Squeeze Plays	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Throw-In Plays	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Trump Endings	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Miscellaneous	1 2 3 4 5 6	1 2 3 4

Defensive Play
Lesson	Exercise	Practice
Notrump Leads & Strategy	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Suit Leads & Strategy	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Signaling Methods	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Third Hand Play	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Second Hand Play	1 2 3	1 2 3 4
Defensive Trump Tactics	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Defensive Card Combinations	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4 5
Counting on Defense	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
When To Win or Duck	1 2 3	1 2 3 4 5 6
Miscellaneous	1 2 3 4 5 6	1