Bored and desperate? Here are some coping suggestions for the bridge-deprived

editor
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Our GLBC members are no doubt among the 37,000 Australian Bridge Federation (ABF) registered bridge players and thousands of others Australia-wide who are sorely missing their club bridge games in these difficult times. With thanks to the ABF’s March 2020 Marketing Bulletin (and apologies to those of us who have received and read this), below are some great suggestions to check out (click on the blue links for more information):

Online Bridge

  • Stepbridge.com.au is an Australian NFP online bridge site that is affiliated with the South Australian Bridge Federation. It usually has one competition session a day at 8.00pm AEST or 4.00pm on weekends with ABF Masterpoints just like any other bridge club in Australia. They have recently added a second session each day at 1.00pm AEST. The current playing fees are $3/tournament game and once a month they hold a red Masterpoint game. You can also play social bridge with no fees.
  • Bridgebase.com (BBO) is the biggest online bridge site in the world where you can play bridge, practise with partners or robots, test your play, challenge your friends and watch (kibitz) the best players in the world playing in tournaments. Anyone can organise a game with friends or play anonymously for free.
  • Funbridge.com has 400,000 members from 190 countries who play more than 800,000 deals a day.
    • The ABF is currently negotiating with BBO and Funbridge to establish Australian clubs that would hopefully offer ABF Masterpoints.

Australian bridge lessons and/or reading

  • Ron Klinger, an Australian icon of the bridge world, has very generously offered to provide a daily bridge column for free during the pandemic.
  • Joan Butts, the ABF National Teaching Co-ordinator, has offered one month’s free access to her Online School of Bridge—sign up as a Gold Member and use the code BRIDGE.
  • Paul Marston has been writing a weekly bridge column for the past 45 years and has sold more than 500 000 bridge books. Some of his columns of historical interest (playable on Bridge Solver) are available via https://bridgelounge.online/free-subscription/
  • Barbara Travis, one of Australia’s leading players and a bridge journalist, has contributed a guide on how to set up ‘pre-set’ matches on BBO where you can compare yourself with the world’s best. She has also started a paid weekly bridge column  http://www.bridgewithbarbara.com - excellent for club players as well as experts.
  • Social distancing? Here's a digital care package kindly put together by Nick Fahrer.

 

And don’t forget, our clubhouse opens each Thursday 10a.m. – 12 noon if you wish to borrow any bridge books from our comprehensive library! Why not browse the shelves when collecting eggs and jigsaws?