Bridge Classes and Presentations
Mondays - Co-teaching with Gail Greenberg at Honors Bridge Center
10AM - ABCDs of Bridge (syllabus may be posted on my daily calendar)
1:00PM - Supervised Play or
1:30PM - Intermediate-level bridge with Gail Greenberg (syllabus may be on my daily calendar)
Tuesdays - at Hartes' Bridge Club
10AM - New Beginners (April until July) (syllabus listed below)
10AM - Advanced Beginners (August until October) (syllabus listed below)
1PM - Supervised Play (shuffled or prepared hands) These hands support our beginner and advanced beginner classes, as well as for intermediate players.
Wednesdays - Co-teaching with Gail Greenberg at Honors Bridge Center
10AM - Intermediate level. (syllabus may be posted on my daily calendar)
Thursdays - at Hartes' Bridge Club
10AM - Declarer Play and Defensive Play - Review Hands. We typically play 6 or 7 hands, and I discuss them and give full write-ups of every hand that we play. This series began March 20 and is expected to continue into the summer. The schedule is listed below.
1PM - Supervised Play (2 of 3 instructors: Gail Greenberg, Steve Becker, and/or Jeff Hand). Prepared Hands with discussion of 2 hands at end of play.
PRIVATE CLASSES - Available at either bridge club or at private locations. $200 for 2-hour classes at the clubs, and $200-to-$300 for 2-hour classes at private locations, depending upon the commute. Contact me at cell:407-375-2053, or by email at: hand_jeff@hotmail.com.
Special Presentations - Available for bridge clubs or special groups. Contact me for price quotes. For example, a 1-hour talk, play in the duplicate with whoever wins me at the club, and a discussion of the hands at a New Jersey Club costs $500.
BEGINNING BRIDGE CLASS SYLLABUS (Tuesday-10AM-Hartes)
In this class I use Gail Greenberg’s beginning class format with some of my own input and perspectives. Bridge evolved from the old English game of Whist, which centuries ago was a play game without bidding. In our class we will devote our first classes exclusively to card play, and then when a clear understanding about what card play is all about we will introduce bidding. That parallels how the modern game of bridge evolved. The remaining classes will emphasize bidding but will steadily reinforce declarer play and explain principles of defensive play. I also plan on minimizing long lectures, breaking frequently to play hands to clarify what we are learning. This class is an opportunity to learn the best card game ever invented, and to have a whole lot of fun doing it.
Note: The specific dates are subject to change. All changes will be posted on this website.
April 1 Week One Introduction to Card Play
We will spend a lot of time at the table, learning the mechanics and thereby beginning to play. We will learn how to count winners, and about 2nd and 3rd hand play. All hands will be played in NoTrump.
April 8 Week Two How to Win More Tricks
We will learn how to establish tricks, by forcing out honor, setting up long suits, and finessing.
April 15 Week Three What is Your Hand Worth? High card point count is introduced, along with its strengths and weaknesses.
April 22 Week Four Playing Hands with Trump Suits We learn to count losers when playing with a trump suit.
April 29 Week Five Bidding Goals Game and slam contracts are discussed, along with the strength needed to make them good contracts. We discuss the number of trump needed for an adequate fit. We discuss balanced and unbalanced distribution.
May 6 Week Six 1NT Auctions Strength and distribution requirements. Responding structure, with a focus on signoff bids.
May 13 Week Seven Notrump bidding - Stayman convention.
May 20 Week Eight Auctions that begin with 1Ì or 1ª.(One Heart or One Spade) Distribution requirements. Responding structure. Focus on invitational bids.
May 27 Week Nine Auctions that begin with 1§ or 1¨.(One Club or One Diamond) Rules for selecting an opening bid. Responding structure. Focus on opening bids.
June 3 Week Ten Opener and Responder’s Second Bid Rules for selecting a rebid, concentrating on showing strength and distribution.
June 10 Week Eleven Reaching the Final Contract Integrating the information to choose a final contract. Summary of combinations of strength and level indicated. We look again at playing in trump contracts.
June 17,24 Probable Review Week
July 1 Week Twelve Introduction to Competitive Bidding - The Overcall. Strength and distribution requirements. Responding to an overcall. Coping with an opponent’s overcall.
July 8 Week Thirteen More Competitive Bidding - The Takeout Double. Strength and distribution requirements. Responding to a takeout double. Doubler’s rebids. Coping with opponent’s takeout doubles. The time of this class will be changed this week only. Contact Jeff Hand for information.
July 15 Review Competitive Bidding
July 22 NO CLASS
July 29 Review All Opening 1-Bids, and Competitive Bidding
August 5 ADVANCED BEGINNER CLASS BEGINS - Opening Bid of Two Clubs
August 12 and 19 NO CLASS - ON BRIDGE CRUISE
August 26 ADVANCED BEGINNER CLASS - Opening Bid of Two Clubs (part 2) - 9AM until 11AM Today
September 2 Opening Bid of Two Diamonds/Hearts/(or)Spades - 9AM until 11AM Today
September 9 Opening Bid of Two Diamonds/Hearts/(or)Spades (part 2)
September 16 Review of Opening Bid of Two-of-a-Suit
September 23 Opening Bid of Three or Four of-a-Suit
September 30 Opening Bid of Three or Four of-a-Suit (part 2)
October 7 Negative Doubles
October 14 Negative Doubles
October 21 Review
October 28 Review and Graduation
DECLARER AND DEFENSIVE PLAY REVIEW CLASS Thursday - 10AM - Hartes Bridge Club
March 20 - Review #1
March 27 - Review #2
April 3 - Review #3
April 10 - Review #4
April 17 - Review #5
April 24 - Review #6
May 1 - Review #7
May 8 - Review #8
May 15 - Review #9
May 22 - Review #10 (will have Gail's class join in)
May 29 - Review #11
June 5 - Review #12
June 12 - Review #13
June 19 - Review #14
June 26 - Review #15
July 3 - Review #16
July 10 - Review #17
July 17 - Review #18
July 24 - No class (Jeff is at the Summer Nationals)
July 31 - Review #19
August 7 - Review #20
August 14 and August 21 - No class (Jeff is on the summer Baltic cruise, and you should be too!)
August 28 and September 4 - Reviews #21 and #22 will be from 9AM until 11AM, these two weeks only.