Bridge hand jpg
The Beginner's Bridge Hangout

Many of the links on this website are provided in PDF format. To read PDF files you will need the free Adobe Acrobat PDF reader. The following link will take you to the Adobe.com website, where you can download the software.

Official Adobe.com PDF Reader X download link

Online Bridge Sites

Bridge Base Online (BBO)

Bridge Base Online (BBO) is the most popular site for online bridge. If you click on "Play Bridge Now" from that link, you'll be asked to Login/Register. On first registration you'll need to provide an email address. Otherwise, initial entry into the site is free.

Select "Practice" to find the following free practice tools:

  • Minibridge (pick the desired final contract and the proposed number of tricks to win in excess of the initial 6, and then just play)
  • Bridge Master (bid and play hands using the Two Over One Game Force bidding system - fake it if you don't know it)

Select "Solitaire" to find the following free practice tools:
  • Just Declare (given the bidding, just play as Declarer)
  • Bridge 4 (bid and play four hands using the Two Over One Game Force bidding system)
  • Just Play Bridge (bid and play an infinite number of hands using the Two Over One Game Force bidding system)

In the "Featured Areas" section:

  • Select "Virtual Clubs" for ongoing online games run by in-person clubs.
  • Select "ACBL World" for a list of ongoing and upcoming games run by BBO directly (only MP limited games like 0to499er are directly connected to the ACBL, notwithstanding the item title).

    • These Featured Areas games charge a small fee - you can set up a BB$ account using PayPal or your credit card by selection the BB$ shopping cart in the top right of the screen. If you have previously set up an ACBL membership and supply your ACBL number to BBO, you will accumulate ACBL master points if your results are good enough.

    Many of the games require you to have a partner ("Pairs" games), although you may play with a robot in some games ("Individual" games). You'll want to focus on games using "Masterpoints(MP)" at first. For example, the "ACBL 0-20 Daylong (MP)" under ACBL World is played with 3 robots ("Individual game). If you are a new player (fewer than 5 masterpoints), you play without a fee. This is an easy way to break into tournament (duplicate) bridge.

Social Bridge Online

The ACBL Education Foundation has established a relationship with Trickster, the online free game hosting site, to allow individuals to host a free online social bridge game with their friends. The main Social Bridge Online site provides:

  • A button link to start the hosting process.
  • A series of videos that describe the process of setting up, scheduling, and hosting a social bridge game with your friends.
    • The site requires that you enter your email address but otherwise has no fees for the service.