The Best Way to Locate
"Esther Bridge Lessons" on Specific Bridge Topics...

Structure of the
        "Esther Bridge Lessons" Webpages

    I. Esther's Best Bridge Learning Resources Recommendations
          The "Esther Best Bridge Books and Free Bridge Websites Recommendations Website" presents a variety of books/websites learning resources for the new or advancing bridge player. Although there are a number of affordable online bridge instruction lessons available on the web, all of the websites "linked" herein are entirely free! For example, "links" included in these comprehensive listings are 4 websites teaching "Play as Declarer" (e.g., the "link" to the BBO Bridge Master website) in which you actually play a Board, and then get immediate step-by-step advice on your best "lines of play". Rinse, and repeat! Good stuff!
          As another example, there are both free computer aps and online websites that are available to perform Double Dummy Analyses of any input bridge Board that will output every possible contract that can be "made" by N, S, E and W, such as the online Bridge Solver Double Dummy Analysis website. Printed "Double Dummy" analyses are routinely distributed after competitions at major bridge tournaments. These "DD Analyses websites/aps" "linked" in the "Esther Bridge Learning Resources Recommendations" website can help you improve when you later review with Partner how the two of you bid given Boards in a prior competition.

  II. "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes"
          The "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" are 348 downloadable Bridge Quizzes. Within each Quiz a bridge quandary is presented, then you formulate your answer, you proceed to Esther's answer, she asks another query, you then proceed to the next answer, and so forth. The answers are detailed and link to relevant postings in the "Esther Bridge Lessons", or elsewhere. Esther says, "These Quizzes will make you think, which can be very helpful when playing duplicate bridge!" For example, see "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quiz" #174: "Playing NT Contracts as Declarer: Running an 'Avoidance Play' Against the 'Dangerous Opponent' and 'Promoting' 'Winners'".
          The "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" are organized into 4 categories:
(1) Multiple / Miscellaneous Bridge Topics,
(2) Bridge Bidding,
(3) Bridge Play as Declarer,
              a. Generic Play as Declarer Issues,
              b. Play as Declarer of NT Contracts, and
              c. Play as Declarer of Suit Contracts.
          Note. A number of the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" on "Bridge Play as Declarer" are about various bridge "plays", such as the "Bridge Elimination Endplay" and the "Bridge Squeeze Play". Esther has recently posted a "Map of the 'Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes' on the 'Elimination Endplay', the 'Squeeze Play', the 'Winkle Endplay', the 'Loser-on-Loser Play', the 'Unblocking Play', the 'Distribution Safety Play', and the 'Dummy Reversal Play'". Also, Esther very much likes both the BBO Masterclass Endplay Video and the BBO Masterclass Squeeze Play Video.
          Also, Esther has now posted "Lagniappe: How Helen Sobel Smith Discovered for Herself The Bridge 'Elimination Endplay'". Helen Sobel Smith (1909 - 1969) was a NYC dancer show girl turned World Bridge Champion who long partnered with Charles Goren, won 35 national championships (Goren only won 33), and The Bridge World in 1969 (the year of her death) noted that "she may have been the most brilliant card player of all time."
(4) Bridge Play on Defense.

          Note. Quite a few of the more recent "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" on "Bridge Play as Declarer" use slightly-modified bridge Boards from the free "BBO Bridge Master" website. The "BBO Bridge Master" website shows a Hand and the bidding and then as Declarer you play the Board Trick by Trick. After you are finished playing you can ask the website to show you the best solution. So, you can first do one of these "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" on "Bridge Play as Declarer", and then repeatedly play the related Board on the free BBO Bridge Master website, or vice versa.
          Of course, the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" offer much more detailed explanations of the optimal "Line of Play" than does the BBO website because Esther's Quizzes website has fewer space limitations, but the BBO Bridge Master website on the other hand let's you actually play each Board and you can do so over and over again. For example, you might chose to check out the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quiz" on the "Elimination Endplay" or "Making a 6H Overcall Bid at Your First Turn Within the Auction and the Play Thereafter".

III. About...
          A. ...Bruce
          B. ...Esther Klinktoast-Houstonhousen
      The "About Bruce and Esther Webpage" presents brief bios of Bruce, the hapless bridge student of Esther, and Esther, the hypothetical ACBL Quintuple Sextuple Diamond Emerald Triple Double LifeMaster with over 20 million ACBL MasterPoints, who does her very best to try to help Bruce!

IV. "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons" downloadable lessons.
          There are 177 "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons". The "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons" are Socratic dialogues between Esther, an ACBL Quintuple Diamond Emerald Triple Double LifeMaster, and her hapless bridge student, Bruce. Sometimes Esther demands to be called "Ms. Klinktoast-Houstonhousen", and at other times "Esther", "because I am so warm and caring." Sometimes Esther is very nice to Bruce, while at other times she becomes impatient (but is always both hilarious and silly!). There are 4 sets of "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons":

      A. "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons": Miscellaneous or Multiple Bridge Topics.
          Examples of these lessons are "When Leading on Defense or Bidding, Take Into Account 'Reciprocal Fit Probabilities' and Ron Klinger's 'Rule of Suit Length Parity'" and "40 or So Bridge Bidding/Play 'Rules'".

      B. "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons": Bridge Bidding.
          Examples of these lessons are "What Does Empirical Bridge Research Say About Bidding 3NT vs 4H/4S When Opener Bids 1NT and Responder Can Support Both 4H/4S and 3NT Contracts?" and "The 'Gambling' 3NT Opening Bid.
          Note. ACBL has now created a new free bridge "app", the ACBL Bidding Contest App, which allows ACBL members to register for free and each week a new bridge bidding contest begins. You and your Partner can bid for free during the week and at the end of the week you can compare your results with those of hundreds of other Pairs. To register to receive the 5 challenge Hands each week on this free "app" click on ACBL Weekly Bidding Contest. And it's free!

      C. "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons": Bridge Play as Declarer.
          Examples of Esther's "Play as Declarer" lessons are:
            (1) "Discarding 'Losers' as Declarer Playing a Suit Contract: (1) You Can Sluff, (2) You Can Ruff, or (3) You Can Both Ruff and Sluff: An Example Board Involving Both. As illustrated by this example Board, yes, Virginia, you can indeed make a 4H contract even when your Partnership holds only 22 HCPs! Afterall, ABCL LifeMaster James Bond, 007 made a 7C DOUBLED REDOUBLED contract when his Partnership together held only 8 HCPs!
            (2) "Larry Cohen's '3-Step System' for Planning Declarer's 'Line of Play' for a NT Contract",
            (3) “As Declarer, When to Not 'Draw' Trump, and It's the Trump Cards in the Hand 'Short' in Trump Cards that Count, Stupid!", but consider at times the "Dummy Reversal Play",
            (4) “Playing Suit Contracts as Declarer When One Opponent Holds a Trump 'Stack': The 'Trump Endplay' May Save You!",
            (5) Esther Discusses "1 of David Bird's 52 Great Bridge Tips on Declarer Play: 'Eight Ever, Nine Never', Maybe Not Always”. Included in this lesson is discussion as an example of a Board played by Declarer Omar Sharif in the 1997 Macallan Invitation Pairs,
            (6) “As Declarer in a Suit Contract Do Not 'Overlove' Either (1) Your 'Side' Suit A,K's or (2) Even All Your Trump Cards!", and
            (7) “As Bridge Declarer Do You Know How to Execute a 'Winkle Endplay'?"

      D. "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons": Bridge Play on Defense.
          Defense is the hardest challenge in duplicate bridge because the Declarer sees, and controls, 26 of the 52 cards in the deck, while you and Partner when playing on defense each see and control only 13 cards. Thus, leading and "Defensive Signals" are all the more important! Examples of the "Play on Defense" lessons are: "Some of Ron Klinger's Tips on Making the First Lead Drawn from His '100 Winning Bridge Tips' Book", "On Defense, 'Keeping Length' with Dummy, and/or 'Keeping Length' with Declarer: An Important Bridge Principal Underappreciated by Many Beginning Players", and "On Defense Do You Know How to Execute a 'Trump Uppercut Play'?".

  V. Some Other Important Bridge Information
          The "Esther Bridge Mechanics and Other Important Bridge Information Website" presents information on various topics including (1) Some 'Hand Evaluation' Readings, (2) Bridge Mechanics: ACBL MasterPoints and Duplicate Pairs Movements, and Where ACBL Directors Come From, (3) Duplicate Scoring Methods: Pairs Versus Swiss Teams, and (4) Some Important Bridge Probabilities and Statistics. For example, the "8 Different Categories of Important Bridge Probabilities/Statistics Lesson" discusses various probabilities such as the probabilities of you holding various numbers of HCPs, the probabilities of you holding various distributions, the probabilities of you dropping a missing King or Queen, the probabilities of you finding a "fit" with Partner based on how many cards you hold in a Suit, and the probabilities of Opponents also holding one or two 8+ card "fit(s)" when you and Partner have found one (i.e., "reciprocal fit" probabilities). Obviously, these various probabilities must be considered when bidding or playing.

VI. Some Duplicate Bridge Bidding Conventions
          When I was a young child, my mother quoted to me with quite disturbing frequency the phrase, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," a phrase that arguably was originated in the 12th century by a Cisterician Catholic abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux! However, Larry Cohen, who popularized the "Law of Total Tricks" in his 1992 book, To Bid or Not to Bid: The LAW of Total Tricks, has suggested a variation on this proverb: "The road to hell is paved by good conventions!" But there is no question that some bridge conventions, especially those "showing" specific HCP count, or specific Trump card count, or both, are vitally important.
          The "Esther Bridge Bidding Conventions Website" presents 32 downloadable Bride Convention Lessons. For example, "Esther Convention Lesson #1" presents the "'2 Over 1' (or, '2/1') NOT, not, NOT Game Forcing" bidding convention. And "Esther Convention Lesson #2" presents the "Jacoby 2NT Convention", which is a "precision bidding" response showing 4 trump card support, and opening point count, when Partner opened by bidding a 1-level Major.
          In Esther's (not very) humble opinion, "2 Over 1" (and "Jacoby 2NT") are vitally important conventions for newer players to learn early on even when first learning to play bridge. These are powerful conventions when they are bid, and equally important information is communicated when you and Partner are playing them but instead do not bid them!
          A fairly recent (4/25) addition to the "Esther Bridge Conventions Website" is Esther's posting, "Lightner 'Lead-Directing', 'Penalty' DOUBLEs of Slam/3NT Contracts". Included is discussion of the "Bridge Battle of the Century" Challenge Match played in December, 1931 and January, 1932, that included on one of the 2 teams Pairs players such as Ely Culbertson, Theodore Lightner, and Oswald Jacoby. Each night 1 Pair from 1 team competed against 1 Pair from the other team until across nights 150 bridge rubbers were completed. Each night NBC Radio (this was before TV, guys) presented a 15-minute recap of this bridge competition! Esther says, "This 'Esther Bridge Convention Lesson' is for Advancing/Advanced bridge players. However, less experienced players may find the lesson of historical interest."
          An even more recent (1/26) posting is Esther's discussion of the "Mathe" and the "CRASH" Convention Overcalls of "Precision 1C", 1NT, and/or 2NT opening bids. Also, for discussion of the HCP Requirement to "show" a 2-Suited Hand (e.g., "Unusual 2NT", "Michaels Cuebid", "DONT", "Cappelletti"), see "Esther's Bridge Dialogue Lesson" on the "Rule of 7-9-11".

Today's 'Featured' "Esther Bridge" Postings

          Esther explores Declarer holding Ace,King, but missing the Queen, and exceptions to the "8 Ever, 9 Never rule" for Declarer play: (1) one Opponent bid during the auction, and (2) one Opponent plays honors during play thus implicating the "Principle of Restricted Choice".
          Esther also explores (3) Larry Cohen's "8 Never, 9 Ever rule" for bidding in a competitive auction.

      Esther: Now, Bruce, my hapless Bridge Student. Please confirm that you understand that the set of my lessons about the "8 Ever, 9 Never rule" for Declarer play is about DECLARER PLAY, while the "8 Never, 9 Ever rule" for bidding in a competitive auction is about BIDDING. Bruce, my hapless student, please confirm that you understand that PLAY AS DECLARER and BIDDING are 2 different things.
      Bruce: Yes, Esther, I understand this important distinction.
      Esther: Well. Bruce, you are indeed making some considerable progress, albeit a bit slowly.
      Bruce: Well, Esther, I am doing the best I can. Thank you for being so patient with me!
      I think your "Esther Bridge Lessons" are excellent, and are helping some new and advancing players, and would help even more people if our intrepid readers (1) told their bridge friends about the lessons, and especially (2) got their local Club Webmasters to link to the "Esther Bridge Lessons" website.
      Esther: BINGO!

For the Brand New Bridge Beginner...           If you are a new, beginning Bridge Player, you may wish to go to the "Bridge Bruce's Way ('BBW') Introductory (But Sophisticated) Beginner Bridge Lessons", a structured, coherent set of 6 introductory Lessons teaching American Standard Yellow Card (ASYC) bridge concepts, and assuming no prior duplicate bridge knowledge on the part of the learner. Also, at both the TOP and the BOTTOM of the "BBW" Website, additional Learning Resource Suggestions for Beginners are provided! Bon appétit!
          If you are an absolute novice Beginner, Esther very strongly recommends the highly structured and immensely clear video lessons (and student notes, quizzes, Hands, and PowerPoints) in the 10 lessons prepared by the New Zealand Bridge Association. Great stuff for the absolute beginner! Here is a link to the Lesson #1 video so that you can easily check out the first of these lessons!
          Esther also recommends the "Bridge Doctor" bridge website curated by New Zealanders Lee Asher-Simpson and Dennis Asher. Their free 22 SAYC Beginner lessons are highly structured and absolutely clear!
          And Esther as well recommends the instructional videos for beginners on English Bridge Tutor Maggie Hadley's Oasis Bridge Tutorial website. For example, check out the video "Trumping Losers in the Long Trump Hand".
          Also, if you are looking for a Bridge Teacher, CLICK on the American Bridge Teacher Association (ABTA) "Find a Teacher" Website where you can search by state/province or city.

Esther Reveals, "Why, I, Play, Bridge"
Also discussed is how ACBL "sanctions" create bridge Clubs, and how various "sanction" structures impact incentives to prioritize (or not) the interests of the players.

3 Simply Brilliant Quotations from Marty Bergen's Best-Ever
ACBL Bridge Bulletin Article from the December, 2024 Issue (Page 55)           1. "These days, almost all experienced players sensibly play 2/1 ['2 Over 1'] GF [Game Forcing]." [N.B. Esther does not agree the "2/1" is always "Game Forcing" because you (1) might not be able to play 3NT and also (2) might not have the HCPs or Hand shape to play 5C or 5D. Of course, if you can reasonably bid to the 4 or 5 level in the Minors, you usually can bid and make 3NT. Usually, but not always!]
          2. "I have always believed that any suit headed by four honors should be treated as if it had an additional card."
          3. "As for those who question the jump with a mere 14 HCP, my response would be: [When my 2 'longest' Suits are] 6-4, bid more. Points, schmoints."

Esther Explores, "Is Bridge Dying?"           To read Esther's summary of various data trends on the health of ACBL bridge, CLICK "Esther's Essay on the Health of Bridge". ["BridgeDead.pdf"] Both (1) national membership trends and (2) ACBL Club-level activities are explored.
          As Esther notes, the ACBL Club structure involving "ownership" of an ACBL "Sanction" that allows the "Owner" to administer duplicate games that award ACBL MasterPoints creates income for "Sanction"/Club Owners. This income may offset costs for the Sanction Owner to rent space and pay for equipment (e.g., computers, BridgeMates, tables and chairs, bidding boxes). All of this may incentivize the Sanction Owner's doing his/her's utmost to help newer players to master bridge.
          Or, in the sorry, sad alternative, when the income stream from Club ownership dominates the "Owner's" thinking, the emergence of other Club bridge experts within the Club, or alternative sources of bridge expertise newly entering the Club environment, may be perceived by "Owners" as existentially threatening. ["Will this person be perceived as more authoritative than me?", or "Will this person create a rival sanctioned Club within my Club's geography?"], and these new, emerging sources of player assistance then may be suppressed, to the detriment of the players who ought always to be the focus of healthy, caring bridge Clubs.

Esther Discusses Empirical Bridge Research
Web Postings and Website       There are 2 ways that bridge empirical research can be conducted to inform best bridge bidding and play practice. First, some bridge researchers study the actual results of exceptionally large bridge competitions. Second, computer simulations can be run to address bridge bidding or play strategies. For example, a computer simulation could be run to generate 10,000 bridge Boards to address the question, "Do you tend to get better bridge scores if Partner opens 1NT, your RHO PASSes, and you hold 0-3 HCPs but a 5-card Major, and you (a) PASS or (b) transfer?" The computer program is instructed to create 10,000 Hands in which (1) SOUTH is always Dealer, holds 15-17 HCPs, no void or singleton, no more than one doubleton, (2) your RHO would PASS, and (3) you hold 0-3 HCPs but a 5-card Major. Everything else is random. The computer plays the 10,000 Boards and aggregates the results. Here are two Esther postings that summarize some empirical bridge results:
          1. "What Does Empirical Bridge Research Say About Bidding 3NT vs 4H/4S When Opener Bids 1NT and Responder Can Support Both 4H/4S and 3NT Contracts?", and
          2. "(1) Does the 'Law of Total Tricks' ('LOTT') Really Work, and (2) Is the LOTT Magic?".
      Esther also directs your attention to what she regards as being the best web site posting various empirical bridge research studies, Richard Pavlicek's "Bridge Simulations" website. Richard's "Bridge Simulations" website reports several dozen bridge simulation studies about bridge bidding and leading issues.

Please Help Esther...

      You, too, can help Esther by telling all of your bridge friends about the Esther Bridge Lessons. You could cut and paste the following message to e-mail each of your numerous friends:

          Hello, Bridge Friend. I have recently discovered some marvelous, **FREE** Duplicate Bridge Lessons called the "Esther Bridge Lessons". There are numerous lessons on a wide variety of duplicate bridge bidding and playing issues. You can find these by doing a GOOGLE search on "Esther Bridge Lessons", or by clicking on the Web Link https://esther-bridge.com/index.html.

      And if you really, really, really want to help Esther, she says, please, please tell the Webmaster of your Local Bridge Club:

          Hello, Webmaster. I have recently discovered some marvelous, **FREE** Duplicate Bridge Lessons called the "Esther Bridge Lessons". Please, please, Local Club Webmaster, ADD A LINK to the "Esther Bridge Lessons": https://esther-bridge.com/index.html on our Local Bridge Club's "Useful Links/Resources" Club webpage. More Webpages linking to the "Esther Bridge Lessons" will give the Lessons a higher SEO Score, which means that search engines will then elevate the order of showing the "Esther Bridge Lessons" whenever people search for Web pages that help people learn bridge!!!
          Esther is not about making money by luring people to sign up for instructional Bridge Cruises, or making money in any other way!!! It's simply about trying to help New and Advancing players learn more about bridge!

Why Not Now "Bookmark"
          This Site for Future Ease of Access?
          For ease of future access to the "Esther Bridge Lessons" website, why don't you now in your browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox) bookmark this site as one of your favorite websites?

Some Bridge Humor/Wisdom...

      From the (now deceased) Eddie Kantar's website:
              "When Oswald Jacoby was in his eighties, he bid every time it was his turn. His [P]artners asked why. He said, 'At my age the bidding may not get back around to me again.'"

      Bridge legend Charles Goren as quoted by the late Marti Ronemus in her
      "Food for Thought for All Bridge Players" web posting:
              "Bridge is for fun. You should play the game for no other reason. You should not play bridge to make money, to show how smart you are, or show how stupid your partner is... or to prove any of the several hundred other things bridge players are so often trying to prove."

      Esther likes duplicate bridge, but Esther also likes bears! To view a brief video of 2 bears very near the front door of Esther's house 8/26/25, CLICK WATCH 2 bears video. To view a brief video of a massively fat bear "prepped" for Winter near Esther's front door 10/26/25, CLICK WATCH massively fat bear video.