[Cave_Draco]

The best way, IMO, is to play with partners who are more advanced than yourself.

Observe the way they play, ask questions; "I have a secret system" has no place at the bridge table!

OK, we all have bad habits... but, most bridge players are Human, :-D.

Remember your partner is a person, relate to the person!

[Trpltrbl]

Experience, and playing with and against better players.
Also watching vu-graph, TopFlight and certain starplayers will help a lot.
And practice.....

Mike

[inquiry]

Play against good opponents. Ask "what did I do wrong?", or "what should I have done?". Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but try to learn from them. Read, read, read. If you got 10 bucks that you are not too attached too, use them to buy a set of Bridge Masters on line and play them over and over, until you understand the principles involved.

If you got a bit more money you aren't too attached too, consider paying an onlne pro for lessons I guess. Do your research first, however, not all online pro's are built the same (some are worse than useless). I think you need someone like Shep or McPhee... but, go for one-on-one lessons.

Ben

[Flame]

Learn from your mistakes, trust me you make lots of them.
Dont teach your partner, iv seen so many players teach their partners , they dont know enough to teach, i also remember doing the same mistakes myself , i even know i told my partner things i was sure about which later i understand i was wrong.
play against good players, only by seeing better player you will get the motivation to get better.
read the right books.

[jillybean]

While we are on this topic…the fifthchair needs more Advanced/Expert players who would be willing to mentor Beginner/Intermediates, I’ve been on the waiting list for about a year!
Please visit http://bridgebase.com/5thchair/ for details.

jillybean2

[Flame]

jillybean2, on Jul 5 2004, 06:27 PM, said:

While we are on this topic…the fifthchair needs more Advanced/Expert players who would be willing to mentor Beginner/Intermediates, I’ve been on the waiting list for about a year!
Please visit http://bridgebase.com/5thchair/ for details.

jillybean2

I got a student really fast , just few days after i signed up, but he never showed up or answer my emails.

[EarlPurple]

Read a lot of quiz-style books. Then read them again, until you start getting all the answers right.

You might actually find you get it right when the situations turn up at the table.

Cut down your errors. It is most likely the same errors you keep making.

I've signed up for fifthchair before but usually have problems due to time-zones.

[inquiry]

jillybean2, on Jul 5 2004, 07:27 PM, said:

I’ve been on the waiting list for about a year!

Kathryn,

You don't have to wait. If you are willing to forgo SAYC and learn 2/1 I will be more than happy to take you on as a student, and if you are certain you want to stick with SAYC, I will hunt up a tutor for you.

There are a number of others here who no doubt be more than willing to offer you help as well. You should get your pick... as I may not be the best "mentor" available, some of my views are not so standard (but I will try to "teach" standard methods to you rather than my odd ways).

The version of 2/1 I would teach is BBO Advanced.. since I think learning that one would be benefitial to everyone on BBO so they can find new partnerships quickly and agree on a fairly detailed system).

Ben

PS to other advanced/expert players here... if you are not tutoring someone already, why not also see if you can find beginners/intermediates to tutor? Maybe two or three of you can team up and tutor one student, swapping off who does the lessons.

[badderzboy]

I've been learning for two years now and the things I found most useful were :-

(i) Playing with a stronger partner (brave soul) and asking lots of questions post-hand if relevant - like was there a better lead, did I signal correctly etc and have a thick skin - I tend to screw up 1 in every 6 boards at present!

(ii) Use BBO with friends and get a group of 4 who are happy to discuss the hand in a friendly manner - helped me loads - I thought your bid meant... Oh yes it should have or no it was .. in this sequence.

(iii) Reading the quiz type books is great fun and informative - I've just started reading Logical Card Play by Kelsey and although I do a limited amount of it - it scares me I haven't been doing most of it lol...To bid or Not to Bid also makes you think and used in moderation ( because I've not got the hang of adjusting) works!!!

(iv) When it goes horribly wrong smile and shrug shoulders - When it goes right Smile lots!!!

(v) The best advice I ever recieved was always remember bidding is a conversation and who is "Captain of the auction" - "once one player has limited his hand and shape(ish) the other asks questions to finally set the contract and DON'T over-rule your partner when he does he knows more than you do!!!

Easiest example is 1NT is a limited bid / shaped hand - every bid by responder asks or sets up questions to set the contract!!!

(vi) Finally watching the Vugraph and star team matches does help - keep asking why did they do that etc...

(vii) Also have you tried the daily quizzes at www.bridgeclues.com/index.php
by Mike Lawrence - very interesting!

Steve

[rona_]

I am not sure this 5th chair foundation works, as I have been on their waiting list for a long long time now too. In fact I sent three emails, over the course of a month, before I got a response that just said I would be added to the waiting list. The fact that Flame was assigned a student who did not respond to his emails, in my view, shows that there is something wrong with the system. I would assume that the person in charge of the foundation would first check with the student before assigning a mentor to him?

Having said all that, I have done everything that Ben talks about in his post. Downloaded many sets of bridgemaster, had lessons on a one on one basis with professionals, had many books sent to me by my teacher ( which I have not read yet )

If there is a shortage of mentors, then I think that younger people with some talent should be given priority. I do not fall in any of the above categories, therefore I did not contact the foundation again. However it's a shame that people like Flame cannot find a student to tutor. I would ask, what is wrong with the system.

I cannot find the original post of this thread but since I posted a short note on another thread, Paulhar, who is an advanced player , asked me to play in the main lounge a couple of times, an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. As dummy, he sat and watched me butcher many a hand, and I would like to thank him for his time and patience.

[GijsH]

I agree with some others in that 5th chair foundation does not work. I enlisted as mentor and never heard from them despite sending reminders.

[Trpltrbl]

I think Fifth chair works, I have 5 students, and that's more then I can handle with my line of work.
But they seem to be happy, having to adjust to my schedule.
Fifth chair is a volunteer based organisation, we can always use more mentors.
Be patient, even though a year seems a little long.
And when you are on BBO, ask DAWN about it.

Mike

[rona_]

If you have 5 students, but other mentors don't get a response to their emails offering their services, then obviously something isn't working right. Especially if students have been on a waiting list for a year..

[EarlPurple]

I would be more happy mentoring two novices, allowing them to play together regularly and watching them grow.

That way I could teach them incrementally, i.e. introducing new conventions for them to play. It would also mean they could practise playing together when I'm not around, and I may even be able to see a log of their results when I do return and go through it with them then.

[ArcLight]

How I have improved:

1) The Mike Lawrence software (Counting at Bridge, Defense, Private Lessons 1, Private Lessons 2) is outstanding. The programs are around $40 each, and it works out to literally having a great bridge teacher give you lessons at your house at around $5/hour. (and you can redo them months later as a refresher)

2) Read GOOD bridge books. For instance - opening leads. I read Ewens Opening Leads (very Good Book), Kelseys Improve your Opening Leads (Good Book), Blackwood Opening Leads (too verbose, not worth the effort), and ma starting Mike Lawrences Opening Leads. Read up on a subject. Try and apply what you have learned. Then read some mor eon the subject a few months later. I use opening leads as an example because going from making bad leads to good leads will help your game a lot.

I find that I dont absorb all the information on the first read, and must read similar material (or reread the book) months later.

3) read www.bridgeclues.com (its Mike Lawrences daily column). What makes it far superior to other columns is its not some double dummy problem. Its a practical situation you may encounter, where you see just the 2 hands. Todays column had a nice problem on holding up with the Ace.

4) Play against as strong opponents as you can find, hopefully with as good a partner as you can find. Record your games, and study them afterwards.
Analys your biding and play. Did you miss a signal? Not make a signal, and or confuse pard? If you have a regular pard, and take the time to analyze your games you will improve faster. You will see that you make certain types of mistakes and you will try and cut down on those.

5) Ask for opponents & pard to point out mistakes. But that can take time, and you can see your mistakes if you take the time to review your own games later.
I may ask about my bidding. Also, don't criticise unless asked, and even then be nice.

[sceptic]

WOWWWWWWWWWW slow down.

I would like to express a very strong opinion here.

Those that are saying anything detrimental about the 5th Chair foundation, well I say to you, "You have no idea what you are talking about". ( I would also treat what you are saying with a bit of contempt)

I applied probably about a year ago for a mentor, I have never had lessons before nor had I really understood what a complex game bridge is,BUT, about six months after I applied (the time scales may be a bit out, for those pedantic enough to check the facts as I am presenting them). I recieved an email from a gentleman (an expert with a desire to help others) that was willing to help me learn the game and improve.

He was asked to do his mentoring sessions in the BIL loubge so that others could benefit, which is now a regular feature on a monday. My personal experience is extremely positive and I know from some of the others that my mentor helps also appreciate him for what he is. A decent person, who gives something back to the game he enjoys so much.

I feel that this is probably a quality all the 5th chair mentors possess, those that have an critisism for the 5th chair foundation, should

1. Appreciate that there is not an exhaustive list of mentors
2. If you want to mentor someone, you should not be whingeing here, you can go to the BIL lounge in BBO and ask someone there, I am sure you will get lots of takers

[1eyedjack]

sceptic, on Jul 6 2004, 01:02 PM, said:

WOWWWWWWWWWW slow down.

I would like to express a very strong opinion here.

Those that are saying anything detrimental about the 5th Chair foundation, well I say to you, "You have no idea what you are talking about". ( I would also treat what you are saying with a bit of contempt)

No-one who has expressed an opinion on 5th chair in this thread has done anything other than relate their personal experiences. I see nothing inappropriate in that. None of them would want the 5th chair to fail nor wish bad experiences on others who try that route, as far as I can tell. Those who have had negative personal experiences have done nothing more than express mild disappointment. How are such observations worthy of contempt?

So you have had a good experience. I am very pleased for you.

Personally I registered as a mentor several years ago and never got a bite. I think it may have had something to do with time zones. Maybe it has grown since then so that the mentors and novices are more evenly distributed around the globe.

[EarlPurple]

One of my problems of being a mentor is that although I live in the UK I totally dislike Acol and would not want to mentor anyone to use it. I could never be a bridge teacher here either for the same reason.

[Dawn]

Greetings all!

I am on the Fifth Chair Board of Directors and in response to the posts here let me tell you that there is a distinct lack of mentors at present. We simply are not getting mentor volunteers of late.

Also, occasionally in the past, we have had mentor volunteers whom we have been unable to place with a novice for various reasons - time zones, odd systems, past complaints, etc... But this is not typical.

I receive the emails requesting mentors, and reply promptly to each....even if it's only to say that they will be added to the waiting list....quite a long one at this point.

Our experience on BBO has been quite different than on OKbridge and eBridge, where we have similar programs. The first mentoring program originated on OKbridge and we initially had more mentor volunteers than novices requesting help at first. (Oh how I would LOVE to have that problem on BBO.)

In fact, since BBO took the news box down (the one that used to appear when you first logged in, and on which we had an announcement about this program) we have had only two BBO mentor volunteers. This is a change in BBO's fundamental presentation, and we can't do anything about that.

Perhaps I could make a few suggestions:

1. Do not restrict your request. For example, I have a request at present in which the novice says they can only play between 2 and 4 pm on Wednesdays, etc... Another who wants a male mentor, age 55-60, etc... These novices will not likely get a mentor because of the restrictive nature of the request.

2. Use the Fifth Chair website to make your request as the form mandates certain information we need to process the request. The URL is: http://www.fifthchair.org/bbolearn.htm

3. If you know an advanced player who might be willing to help a novice, please refer them to the information on our website about the program at: http://www.fifthchai...s.htm#Mentoring

In the meantime, those of you who are learning will find some wonderful free resources on our website designed to help your efforts:

* Ask Anything (http://www.fifthchair.org/askany.htm): Pose a bridge question to our resident expert and get a response usually within 24 hours

* Bridge School (http://www.fifthchair.org/school/): A series of SAYC lessons designed to get you started with this system

* Bridge Archive (http://www.fifthchair.org/archive/): A collection of write-ups about various conventions, defense, declarer play and system notes, etc...

* Bridge Jargon (http://www.fifthchai...on/jargon_a.htm): A glossary of bridge terms and definitions.

Lastly, I do not monitor the Forums regularly so sorry for the delay in responding to these posts. If you have a specific question, it's quicker to write to me directly at bbo@fifthchair.org.

Thanks,

Dawn

[Trpltrbl]

Hopefully you'll get some more mentors now.

Mike