Now is the winter of our bridge defense!

Enjoy eight Sunday afternoons studying and practicing all of the best defense strategies used by expert players. Every hand is a new puzzle to solve with your partner. Here we study not just the common aphorisms of bridge defense ("second hand low, third hand high") but when it's right to break these rules based on the situation.

Here are the weekly topics:

• Opening leads against notrump contracts
• Opening leads against trump contracts
• Third-hand play
• Second-hand play
• Defensive signals
• Developing defensive tricks
• Interfering with declarer
• Making a plan

This is an online interactive course using Zoom for class discussions, and a virtual bridge table where you will play actual hands and experiment with card play. Required for this course:

• A reliable broadband internet connection
• Strongly recommended: A Mac or Windows laptop or desktop computer
• Some experience using Zoom, and switching between applications
• Alternative: A smartphone for Zoom, plus a tablet or laptop for the virtual bridge table
• You must have a registered (free) account on Zoom, with an email address and Zoom name. (No account required for the virtual bridge table.)
• See this page to experience joining a bridge class online.

The class is accompanied by the textbook Defense in the 21st Century from the ACBL Bridge Series. You may acquire the textbook:

• Direct from Mojo for local delivery in Pasadena for $20
• From Amazon.com at this link

Here is the schedule:

• First class, Sunday, December 6, 2020, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Meeting every Sunday for eight Sundays, last class on January 24, 2021

To enroll send an email to mojo@bridgemojo.com or use the contact form here. I will invoice you for the course fee plus book (if required).

• Course fee for Defense: $150 for eight sessions (textbook not included)

Included with the class (when possible) is a full recording of each class, available for download or viewing, for personal use only.

Improving Your Judgment — Doubles

Join us for this special four-session class that's all doubles! The double is the most versatile call in a competitive auction. This class will let you practice making doubles and advances in all sorts of competitive bidding situations.

Bring your favorite partner for these four interactive online sessions. Participation requires a reliable broadband internet connection and a good Mac or Windows laptop or desktop computer. (An iPad alone is possible but not recommended.)

We'll meet for four sessions over two weeks, Monday and Wednesday at 3:00. Space is strictly limited to 16 students!

• Monday and Wednesday 3:00-4:30, November 16, 18, 23, and 25
• Textbook Improving Your Judgment 2: Doubles by Audrey Grant ($10 from BridgeMojo)
• Course fee $80

To join the class, send an email or contact Mojo through the web site.

You've just discovered bridge, and can work your way through a hand! Now what?

All over the country, most of the face-to-face brick-and-mortar bridge clubs are closed right now, but that doesn't mean we're not holding games and tournaments! Bridge has moved online.

Right here we have a "virtual bridge club" that serves players in three local ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) units. It's the Pasadena Pomona Downey VBC. You might have noticed it elsewhere on this site.

Twice a week we have a bridge game for newcomers to bridge: Saturdays at 12:20 p.m., and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. We play 12 hands, and the game lasts about an hour and a half. The games are held on Bridge Base Online (BBO). Each game has "card fees" of $5, deducted from your BBO account.

Our games are duplicate bridge games, where your score is compared with the other pairs holding the same cards. The games even award masterpoints if you place in the top 40% of your section -- not many, but a few! They're awarded in hundredths of a point. (BBO also has lots of free and casual bridge. It's a fine place to get together with a foursome of friends or strangers and just play bridge.)

We often have single players looking for someone to partner with, and it's the nicest bunch of folks you can imagine.

As I write this, the Wednesday game is running with four tables of players. Nearly all of the players are past or present students from my classes or other teacher's classes from last year.

Every Wednesday after the game, we get together on Zoom to laugh or cry over the bridge hands, and maybe enjoy an adult beverage together.

Does it sound interesting? You need three things to get into the game:

• You need an ACBL player number (a free guest membership)
• You need an account on Bridge Base Online https://www.bridgebase.com (also free, but ...)
• You need a few dollars in your BBO BB$ account

It takes about three days for a new ACBL player number to propagate through to BBO, so this is something to get started a few days before your first game.

Here's how to get your ACBL player number with a guest membership:

• https://www.acbl.org/guest-join
• Click here for information about guest membership benefits.

On the second page of the registration you'll be asked for your recruiter information. Here's what you enter on that page:

• Recruiting club: <leave blank>
• Recruiting Member: 8202249
• Recruiting Member Name: Morris Jones

Signing up for BBO is a lot less complicated. Make yourself a screen name there and off you go.

• https://www.bridgebase.com

Once you've done that, drop me a note with your BBO ID (screen name) and your new ACBL player number. I'll add you to the email list for the newcomer games. When it's time to play, I can walk you through the steps to register for the game with your partner, then it's just a matter of playing cards!

Now say to yourself, "this is why I learned to play bridge." We're here to enjoy this great game together, and hang out with other intelligent, always interesting, often eccentric individuals.

We never know what will be in the next hand of cards, but it's guaranteed to be a hand we've never seen before. It's a great shared experience, and worth doing.

Level up your game! Learn the bidding system played by most experienced players, and my personal favorite.

2 Over 1 Game Force (2/1GF) is based on Standard American 5-card Majors with one little tweak. Nearly every auction will be the same as with Standard. On the auctions that are different, you'll find yourself better able to find the right contract, as well as finding and bidding slam hands with more confidence.

The course uses the award-winning text 2 Over 1 Game Force by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell.

• Six Tuesday afternoons, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
• Sept. 22 through Oct. 27
• Course fee $120

The course is accompanied by the text book 2 Over 1 Game Force available from Mojo (for local delivery) for $15 or from Amazon.

Lesson plan:

1. Introduction
2. The Forcing 1NT Response
3. Rebids by Opener and Responder
4. The Choice Between Game and Slam
5. Practice Deals
6. Practice Deals

Enrollment is strictly limited! Reserve your seat by email to mojo@bridgemojo.com or use the contact form.

Have you ever wished you could go back and review those first few bridge lessons? Here's your chance!

We're going to focus on the basic framework of Standard American 5-card Majors. All "constructive" bidding, without interference from the opponents. Brush up on opening bids, responses, and rebids with your favorite partner. No conventions! Just standard bidding.

• Four 90-minute sessions
• Sunday afternoons 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
• Sept. 20 through Oct. 11
• Course fee $75

Lesson plan:

1. Opening notrump bids and responses
2. Opening major suit bids and responses
3. Opening minor suit bids and responses
4. Practice hands using all the tools

Optional accompanying text book: Bridge Basics 1 - An Introduction Audrey Grant.

Class enrollment is strictly limited! Enroll by email mojo@bridgemojo.com or use the contact form here.

Learn to play bridge online from Mojo!

PCC Extension is offering three bridge classes from Audrey Grant's acclaimed Better Bridge curriculum this fall.

All classes are offered on Tuesday evenings at 7:15, from the comfort of your own home.

Playing and learning bridge this way, online, opens up new techniques and insight that aren't available with cards at a bridge table. Take advantage of this opportunity while you can!

To participate you will need at least one computer which you can use for a Zoom meeting session along with a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari). You need to have the ability to switch between the browser and Zoom when called for. A microphone is required, but video is optional.

A good alternative setup is to use a tablet, such as an iPad, for the Zoom portion of the class, and a computer for the web browser portion.

You should have a reliable high-speed internet connection, such as cable internet. All students should have an American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) player number. Guest memberships to ACBL are free and will be available soon. More information as they become available.

Bridge — Introduction

This is the starting place! This class is designed for people who have never played bridge. You'll learn the mechanics and vocabulary of the game, and start on the journey to becoming a competent bridge player. You'll learn the basics of card play as declarer and defender, as well as the fundamentals of Standard American bidding to reach the best contract with your partner.

• Six weekly sessions, Tuesday evenings 7:15 to 9:15 p.m.
• First session: Tuesday, August 25, 2020
• Course fee: $75 plus $12 material fee for the course book Bridge Basics 1 - An Introduction by Audrey Grant
• Follow this link to register at PCC Extension

Bridge — Popular Conventions

These classes will give new bridge players a solid grounding in four of the most popular and most useful bidding conventions in modern bridge: Stayman, Jacoby Transfer Bids, strong artificial opening bids, and conventions to help you stay out of bad slam contracts.

• Five weekly sessions, Tuesday evenings, 7:15 to 9:15 p.m.
• First session: Tuesday, October 6, 2020
• Course fee: $69 plus $12 material fee for the course book Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions by Audrey Grant
• Follow this link to register at PCC Extension

Bridge — Competitive Bidding

This class is dynamite for club and competitive players, or anyone who just wants to do their best at bridge. You'll learn how to work with your partner to bid to the contract that gets the best score for your side, while interfering with the opponents attempting to do the same. We'll study preemptive opening bids, overcalls and advances, doubling for takeout, and the competitive auction.

• Five weekly sessions, Tuesday evenings, 7:15 to 9:15 p.m.
• First session: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
• Course fee: $69 plus $12 material fee for the course book Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding by Audrey Grant
• Follow this link to register at PCC Extension

Join me every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) just before our regularly scheduled 10:00 a.m. 0-500 game for a bridge mini lesson.

In my experience, nearly every mini-lesson teacher in a bridge club teaches exclusively bidding conventions or topics related to bidding.

Online presentations provide a unique opportunity to present declarer and defender play topics. Seeing the hands presented online makes it much easier to visualize card combinations and possible layouts.

So my offerings on Saturdays will focus primarily on defender and declarer play. I may diverge into topics related to playing duplicate bridge such as scoring and other mechanics, and maybe even a little bidding when it seems appropriate.

Everyone is invited to attend, from any experience level, anywhere in the world.

Add the class to your calendar! Saturday mornings at 9:30 - 9:45.

Join the class on Zoom at this link.

See previous Saturday morning mini-lessons on this YouTube playlist.

Here's an example video from the series on finesses:

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 $25 per student. Purchase lessons in bulk: 4 classes for $90.

Here are class subjects available:

• Supervised bridge play, using hands from previous tournaments
• Defense, up to 8 lessons
• Play of the hand, up to 8 lessons
• Competitive Bidding, up to 6 lessons
• Popular conventions, up to 6 lessons
• 2/1 Game Force, up to 6 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.

• Basic bidding
• Competitive bidding
• Popular conventions

Semi-private classes are subject to very limited availability on the calendar.

Mojo is also available on a limited basis to play in ACBL tournaments as a partner/coach with personalized analysis after each game. Contact Mojo to request a game.

To order a class, please send an email to Mojo suggesting a time you would like and a course you're interested in.

You can also drop me a note and express an interest in a particular course when a class is ready to be offered. I can gather interested players and form classes from the list.