Once you discover the magic of Jacoby Transfer Bids, it's hard to give them up!

By default, Jacoby Transfers are OFF when the opponents interfere with any bid other than 2♣. The Stayman convention has long specified that after an interfering 2♣ bid a double (X) is used to ask partner for a 4-card major suit.

Why not do the same for all of the other intervening bids as well? 1NT - 2♦ - X as a transfer to hearts, 1NT - 2♥ - X as a transfer to spades, 1NT - 2♠ - X as a relay to the minors.

The "stolen bid double" caught on like wildfire, especially among intermediate players. As I began playing with more experienced partners, I discovered that none of them used the stolen bid double!

Chat on BBO (Bridge Base Online) can be annoying and distracting, or it can be essential and important. During a tournament, important messages might come from the tournament director, your opponents, even your partner between rounds.

There's a common problem with the chat window not appearing on the screen. It's a little more difficult to address the problem on a tablet, but I'll show you how to make sure your chat window is in view in a computer browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari).

This is the normal layout of a BBO table, using the default settings (with Split Screen turned on):

I'm happy to offer the following classes for very small groups of students online, using Zoom and Bridge Base Online.

The ideal class size is four students, but as few as two or as many as six can be included.

Typically classes run for about 90 minutes each, and the price is $20 per student. Purchase lessons in bulk: 4 classes for $75,  8 classes for $145 per student.

Here are class subjects available:

• Defense, as many as 8 lessons
• Play of the hand, as many as 8 lessons
• Competitive Bidding, as many as 4 lessons
• Popular conventions, 4 lessons
• 2/1 Game Force, 4 lessons
• Improving your Judgment: Doubles, 4 lessons

I also have shorter series of hands that are great ways to practice particular skills. Each session will consist of eight hands, with two classes available for each series.

I held a seminar for new players to online bridge about how to play on Bridge Base Online (BBO).

It was very well attended with over 40 guests. I was able to run through my list of things to touch on and take several good questions from the group.

You can play the full video, or you can skip to where I talk about specific topics. These links will take you to the specific spot in the video:

Picture from the Honors Bridge Club in Manhattan

Here's my latest email to the BridgeMojo information list:

Back to bridge classes

It's been an exciting year for Jane and me. As I write this, we're about to head out on our last long scheduled trip: 35 days cruising on the Crystal Symphony from Miami to San Diego, through the canal, and visiting Hawaii along the way. I'll be teaching and directing bridge games on sea days.

Bridge classes are starting up again in January. I'll be offering the Better Bridge series from Audrey Grant, all on Wednesday evenings, 7:00 p.m., at Arcadia High School.

Just prior to Christmas, Jane and I made our first visit on a trek to out-of-town bridge clubs, researching what works and what doesn't. We played an open game on Christmas Eve at the In Tempo Bridge Club in Scottsdale, AZ.

For those of us accustomed to smaller clubs, this one seems enormous! With very comfortable spacing between the tables, this former gymnasium was set up for a full sixty tables. It reminds me of the size of the InBetween club in Sarasota, FL, and I'm sure many of the other large Florida clubs are at least this size. Our game was a lightly-attended holiday game of sixteen tables.

Board 2 in the August 13 game raised an interesting bidding question.

The question by email:

Last night on Board #2, South opened 1NT. As North, how do I reach 3-4♣? If 2♣ means Stayman, should I bid 3♣ with only 7HCP?

Lately I've had some timely questions about a practice that seems to have become common especially among novice and intermediate players. I had an email from a director in Palm Desert who has noticed this practice, and a question about it at my most recent summer bridge class.

Players, as dummy, have been routinely reminding declarer which hand they're in. The common thing is tapping the table to remind declarer that she's "on the board."

When it was brought up in class, I said, "Well it has to stop!" which got a bit of a chuckle.

Let me go into detail about dummy's rights and privileges. They're quite explicitly called out in the Laws of Duplicate Bridge.

First, there's Law 42 B. "Qualified Rights" paragraph 2.:

2. He may try to prevent any irregularity.