Bridge Software and Supplies

Bridge players need very little to start a game: four players, one deck of playing cards, a notepad, a pencil/pen, and a flat surface. However, there are a number of additional tools available - many for the tournament (duplicate) world. The choices range from furniture (a card table) and bridge playing cards to a bridge computer program or bridge books.

Note: while chess-playing software has become quite sophisticated (better than the top grandmasters), bridge-playing software is less well-developed. The game of bridge is much more inference-dependent with a vast array of possible hands. The tree-based heuristic leaf searches used in chess computers are not appropriate for bridge analysis. Therefore, bridge software is sometimes lacking in bidding or play, while nevertheless remaining quite useful to newer and intermediate players for practice purposes.

Baron Barclay (supplies)

Baron Barclay is the premier vendor of bridge supplies, certainly in the U.S. and probably in the world. Almost anything you think you need for bridge is available at the site. Note: some of the Baron Barclay products are also advertised on the Amazon site. Check the prices when buying - Baron Barclay sometimes has cheaper items.

Bridge Baron (software)

Bridge Baron is one of the most popular bridge-playing applications (Windows primarily but with a Mac zip file as well). Bridge Baron is probably the appropriate choice for a beginning player. The software offers many bidding systems/conventions (including Standard American and Two Over One), includes challenge hands for various situations, has a number of practice tournaments, and provides a generally acceptable level of bidding and play (not good, occasionally strange, but acceptable). It may be downloaded from the above link.

Jack (software)

Jack (the 2013 bridge software championship) is probably as equally strong as Bridge Baron but is also a bit more awkward to use. Jack provides a training/teaching mode, variable playing strength adjustments, tournaments, and a selection of conventions. It may be downloaded (Windows only) from the above link.

BridgeBuddy (supplies)

BridgeBuddy is another bridge supplies company. I've not used the site, but comparing prices with Baron Barclay might be useful.