Frequently asked Questions about u3a Beginners Bridge
F.A.Q.s
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1. I have never played Bridge before, but have always wanted to learn - what qualifications do I need?
A keen desire to learn helps a lot. No formal qualifications are needed; learning bridge should be open to anyone who wants to learn. Bridge uses logic and helps you develop your mental skills. Friendships develop at the table, particularly with your partner, and the name “partner” reflects how much you depend on one another.
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2. My u3a does not play Bridge, but we do play whist; how will that work?
As a whist player you have already learnt many of the tactics used for playing Bridge. At the end of the course you will be able to continue playing online, or hopefully, at another local Face-to-face u3a that does play Bridge.
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3. If I joined, I would be an absolute Bridge Beginner - how would I proceed?
You would start with a course of self-taught online MiniBridge lessons to help you become comfortable playing online. After this you will continue on the structured teacher-led course.
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4. What is online MiniBridge?
MiniBridge is a “stripped down” version of Bridge and fun to play. It is simpler, without the preliminary bidding called an 'auction'. It shares some of the features of whist. For teaching bridge, Minibridge can be used to learn playing strategy and basic techniques to win tricks and defensive techniques to stop your opponents winning tricks. Online minibridge is taught on the nofearbridgebridge platform and you will need to undergo their 2 courses and gain their 2 completion certificates before you will allowed to join the main teaching sessions - full details here.
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5. How long will it take to complete the MiniBridge courses?
It will take between 3-7 hours to complete the 2 courses.
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6. Do you have any further information on MiniBridge?
There is an excellent short guide to MiniBridge available on the Nofearbridge website or downloadable here
(Note: you are advised to print it first, then fold it into an A5 booklet).
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7. I've looked at MiniBridge on the nofearbridge website and it suggests that I "sign-up" to a 14-day free trial, should I do this?
No, we will be using lesson plans from nofearbridge in a controlled sequence, please be patient...
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8. How long will the Beginner course take?
Approximately 6 months, spending about 3-4 hours per week to attend lessons and follow-up card play. At the end you will be 'up-to-speed' and sufficiently confident to play bridge competently with friends, online, on holiday and at gentler club levels. You will also be encouraged to continue learning/playing in "Supervised Practice" sessions
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9. I've done the MiniBridge course and got my 2 certificates; I've read the MiniBridge guide and am 'chomping at the bit' to get started - what next?
In order to move you on, we need all students to reach the same 'starting point' which may take some time. If you are really keen to practice the skills that you have learnt, then you could try playing against some MiniBridge 'robots' at this link.
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10. I have just registered for the NoFearBridge MiniBridge course and notice that my free password only lasts for 6 weeks, what will happen after 6 weeks?
It's important that we get you playing Bridge as soon as possible i.e. 'cards in hands' - so after you have achieved your 2 certificates you will then be playing online with your fellow students and will have no immediate need of the NoFearBridge MiniBridge course (other than the booklet as mentioned above).
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11. What day of the week do you hold lessons?
We will be holding weekly MS Teams sessions starting at 14:30 every Tuesday for our new students starting in 1Q 2025.
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12. I have undergone the online MiniBridge lessons but nobody has asked me for any 'table money' - is this right?
See FAQ 13.
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13. When will I have to start paying for the RealBridge playing sessions and how much will it be?
We will ask you for money approximately 2 weeks after you finish your MiniBridge Part 1 & Part 2 certificates. RealBridge charges us 30p plus VAT per (20-hand) session and our Treasurer will be asking you for a 'one-off' payment to cover these costs - you can withdraw from the course at this point without incurring any costs.
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14. Are there any other costs?
We are using the excellent Teaching Resources of NoFearBridge who are encouraging our students to learn Bridge by offering a free 3-month trial. Thereafter you will need to buy a subscription. The present annual cost of joining No Fear Bridge is £60, but NFB offer a 30% discount on their first 12 month subscription for u3a members. If you wish to join for a 3-month period then the present cost is £18.
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15. The above FAQs have not answered my question, what do I do next?
We usually have a regular informal 'Drop-in' session every Wednesday on MS Teams when we will answer all your questions and queries, further details on our Calendar.
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Teaching
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20. Yes, I am interested in helping others learn and enjoy playing Bridge, but I do not have any teaching experience - how can I help and how much time will I need to devote to it?
We will help you learn the basic teaching skills you need for teaching online and make you adept at helping others play online. You need to be able to join us for MS Teams sessions online so you must have internet access. The amount of time you wish to devote to it is entirely up to you, but we think about 2-3 hours per week would be 'the norm'.
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21. I have taught Bridge in the past but am a 'bit rusty' - can I be of assistance?
Absolutely, you already have teaching experience which you can use for online teaching. We can help you with the teaching techniques so that you will be comfortable with the current recommended curriculum for beginners. Our course has all the teaching materials needed (handouts, practice sheets, pbn files & links to further online resources). Helping us with the supervised sessions and thinking of improvements and new ideas would be greatly appreciated...
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General
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30. I have completed the Beginners Course and have started to play online Bridge, but am confused between 'Social Bridge' and 'Duplicate Bridge' - what is the difference?
The difference is generally in the 'movement' type. For Social Bridge you would stay at the same table (with the same 3 other players) for the whole of the playing session giving you the opportunity to chat between hands and 'compare notes'. Duplicate Bridge is more regimented in that you move after a set number of hands/boards to the next table/opponents, with little time for chatting (unless you finish your hands early). Movement between hands is normally timed at 6 or 7 minutes depending upon the session settings (Beginners/Improvers sessions are more generously set at 8 minutes per hand).
31. Where can I play Social Bridge?
For our Beginners, we recommend either the Tuesday evening sessions on NoFearBridge (NFB) or the Thursday evening sessions on BridgeClubLive (BCL). You need to be a member of each playing platform. Further details from Steve - u3abridgegroup@hotmail.com.
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