Beginners

Bridge is a wonderful card game, the most popular in the world actually, and is all about taking tricks. You and a partner compete against another pair at a table (or an online table) to collect tricks. There’s a trump suit for extra power, and you communicate with your partner in a special language called bidding. Bridge is easy to learn when you take only small steps at a time. And that’s what we’ll do in the lessons. The very best thing is to play plenty, and practise afterwards, and you’ll be able to do this on my Online School where the hands are all set up with hints for you.

Lesson 1 - The Mechanics
Monday, 7 August: 10-11am AEST

In this lesson I’ll introduce you to all the terms needed to understand bridge, and we will practise card play from the start.

Lesson 2: The Auction
Monday, 14 August: 10-11am AEST AEST

The “language” you use with partner to discuss what you’re aiming for and how to take a certain number of tricks is introduced here. It’s a bit of learning, but we play all the time too.

Lesson 3 - No Trumps
Monday, 21 August: 10-11am AEST

We need to work on hands which are evenly spread without long suits, and that’s where no trumps comes in. There’s an art to playing no trump hands which we’ll practise here.

Lesson 4 - Suits
Monday, 28 August: 10-11am AEST

Having a trump suit gives you more ways of taking tricks, and the power of long and short suits is examined here, and you’ll learn some neat tricks for using the trump suit to full advantage.

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“I really enjoyed our online lesson. And I am learning a lot from practicing the hands on your website. It is already helping me in my bridge play.”

Sandy Carter

Learn from Australia's leading bridge teacher

Joan Butts

Joan is a highly respected bridge expert, teacher, and accomplished player with over five decades of experience in the game. Known for a clear and friendly teaching style, she has helped thousands of players - from absolute beginners to advancing experts - build their confidence and skills in bridge. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your competitive edge, Joan offers structured, easy-to-follow courses designed to make learning bridge enjoyable and rewarding. With a passion for helping others discover the joy of bridge, Joan brings both deep knowledge and a love for the game to every lesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! You can access course this by buying it outright. The benefit of becoming a Gold or Platinum Member is that membership is a cost-effective way to access all 21 courses in a self-paced learning environment. If you buy each course instead of a membership, it would cost nearly $3,000!
This course is designed for beginners and those who would like to refresh their skills. Intermediate and more experienced players may benefit from solidifying their learning on this topic, or they can look to Joan's other courses for Intermediate and Experienced levels.
Yes! We have bridge players from all around the world in our OSOB community. Plus, Joan has created a cheatsheet for applying the knowledge from her courses to all bridge bidding systems. So whether you play American-style Five Card Majors (SAYC), UK Standard English (ACOL) or another, you'll increase your bridge knowledge and skills in this course.
If you purchase this course outright, you will have full access to the content and any updates forever! If you access this course as a Gold or Platinum Member, you will have access for as long as you retain your membership.
Yes! At the top of this page is a list of the lessons and activities included in this course. We also have a free lesson available to try, which you can access by clicking 'Learn' to view the Online School of Bridge page and free lessons.
We offer refunds in accordance with the ACCC guidelines. Our full refund policy is available in our Terms and Conditions which you can click on at the bottom of any page on our website.