donna's bridge curriculum
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, Play Better Bridge has a class for you! All course materials are designed by World Champion and Master Teacher Donna Compton. Bridge Workshops and Donna's Seminars are designed to be taken in order, but you can also purchase individual classes and seminars. Scroll down for descriptions.
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BRIDGE WORKSHOPS
Play Better Bridge’s comprehensive Five Year Curriculum is designed to take you from a beginner to an advanced player. The courses below give a broad overview of bidding, play, defense, and deductive reasoning. They are listed in the suggested order to take them, from left to right.
Each class comes with a video lesson, handout, and lesson hands that can be replayed in Shark Bridge. Click the titles for more information about the lessons in each course. You can also buy the lessons individually, as opposed to the entire course. Scroll down for the Seminars, which dive into more specific situations and topics. Shop Workshops
Introduction to Bridge Course Description For those who have never played bridge. The first class starts with “there are 52 cards in a deck!”
Modern Bidding Course Description Topics include modern hand evaluation, Stayman, Jacoby Transfers, modern overcalls, and modern takeout doubles.
Take More Tricks As Declarer Course Description Focuses on the Declarer’s Plan in notrump contracts and suit contracts. Topics introduced in the Modern Bidding Course are also reinforced.
Become a Better Defender Course Description Learn fundamental opening leads, second hand play, third hand play and signaling on defense.
All Around Game 1 (AAG1) Bidding Course Description
Donna takes you through multiple bidding topics over the course of 8 hands.
All Around Game 1 (AAG1) Play Course Description Donna takes you through multiple play topics over the course of 12 hands.
All Around Game 1 (AAG1) Defense Course Description Donna takes you through multiple defense topics over the course of 8 hands.
All Around Game 2 (AAG2) Course Description Introduces you to weak & strong hand bidding. Focuses on trick one declarer play, common sense defense and counting losers in the master hand.
All Around Game 3 (AAG3) Course Description An introduction to competitive bids like cuebids and other responses when partner makes an overcall or takeout double. Also explores declarer/dummy communication, lowering the stress in notrump play and developing trump tricks on defense.
All Around Game 4 (AAG4) Course Description Takes a look at fitting hand ideas, along with finding 5-3 fits on the second round of bidding. Focuses on suit combinations, suit leads and taking more tricks in notrump contracts.
All Around Game 5 (AAG5) Course Description Learn one of Donna's “Top 4 Conventions” along with two-suited bidding, staying out of bad 3NT contracts and passed hand bidding. Also covered: how to avoid a finesse, making the opponents do the work for you and carding the 4!
All Around Game 6 (AAG6) Course Description Welcome to the world of 2/1 GF and Forcing 1NT along with doubles including support, responsive, balancing and maximal doubles. Plus: safe hands, declarer’s two for ones and dummy’s secrets.
All Around Game 7 (AAG7) Course Description Explore awkward slam controls, avoiding cashing AK, finding the trump king and grand slam discoveries. Also included: hold up plays in suit and notrump contracts, along with clues from the air and honor logic.
All Around Game 8 (AAG8) Course Description Texas slam bidding, what’s that 1NT bid hiding and if you can spell it, then you can play it. What’s the combo situation, drilling down to the 4th round, being a paranoid declarer and did you hear that?
All Around Game 9 (AAG9) Course Description Introduces the concepts of inferences, assumptions and conclusions on bidding, play and defense. Other topics: Counting declarer’s hand, defenders’ hands and placing honor cards around the table.
All Around Game 10 (AAG10) Course Description The Law of Total Tricks, opener’s delayed raises, what’s in a name and how unusual can you be? Also: deceptive declarer plays, signals go wild, notrump defense thinking, and loving to squeeze the opponents.
All Around Game 11 (AAG11) Course Description Modern uses of redoubles, 2NT means what when?, Lebensohl, and even more defense tips for both suit and no-trump contracts.
All Around Game 12 (AAG12) Course Description Puppet stayman, common bidding errors and bidding traps to avoid, when to overcall vs double, and clues from bidding that help play/defense.
donna's SEMINARS
Donna's Seminars are shorter, single topic classes that highlight specific techniques pulled from the Workshops. Each level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) has four bidding classes, four play classes, and four defense classes. If you want to take them in order, note that the classes are labeled 1 through 4. Each seminar comes with a video lesson, handout, and lesson hands that can be replayed in Shark Bridge. Scroll up for Donna's Comprehensive 5 Year Curriculum. Shop Seminars
Freshman Bidding
Freshman Bidding
Freshman Bidding
- Texas Two-Step Seminar How Does Responder show game-going values with support for Opener’s major?
- Opener’s Shape Rebids Seminar – When we get back to Opener’s rebids, we start looking around the room for a life line. How does Opener describe?
- Responder’s 5-4 Major Suit Seminar Do you transfer? Do you bid Stayman? Do you do both?
- Intervenor’s Checklist Seminar Your Right-Hand Opponent opens the bidding. You are now the Intervenor. What’s next?
Freshman Play
Freshman Bidding
Freshman Bidding
- Who’s the Master Hand? Seminar The key to counting losers is identifying the Master Hand and the Cover Card Hand as Declarer.
- Eliminating Losers Using the Trumping Technique Seminar Need an extra trick but don’t have any high card tricks left? There’s a play for that!
- Working Suit Transportation Seminar As Declarer you need to travel from Hand to Dummy in the Working Suit. What’s the key to success?
- Guard the Lone Honor Seminar As Declarer, you have a two-way finesse. What does the Lone Honor have to do with your decision of which way to play for the missing Queen?
Freshman Defense
Freshman Bidding
Sophomore Bidding
- Count Signal When Declarer Leads Seminar You are on defense and Declarer leads from hand or dummy. What signal do you send and how do you send it?
- Cover an Honor With an Honor or Not? Seminar You are 2nd hand and Dummy has 2 honors. Declarer leads one of the honors. Do you cover an honor with an honor?
- Defender’s Number One Rule Seminar Knowing how many high card points Partner holds is key to fabulous defensive play; but how do you figure it out?
- Singleton Leads. Yes or No? Seminar As Opening Leader again a suit contract holding a singleton, do you lead it or not?
Sophomore Bidding
Sophomore Bidding
Sophomore Bidding
- Preemptive Seat Position Seminar Your hand looks like a preemptive bid…but what seat are you in? First? Second? Third? Fourth?
- Three Keys to Bidding Slam Seminar Partner opens the bidding, and you are thinking slam. But what are you thinking?
- You Don’t Have a Suit to Bid Seminar Partner makes a Takeout Double and you don’t have a suit to bid. What now?
- SPH B4 1♠-2NT-3NT Seminar – Partner bids Jacoby 2NT and you have a 3NT rebid. What are you telling Partner?
Sophomore Play
Sophomore Bidding
Sophomore Defense
- Using Trump Suit For Transportation Seminar You are trying to use the Repeat finesse but you don’t have the entries to make it happen. What about the Trump Suit?
- The Necessary Finesse Seminar You have two finesses to take but need only one. Which one do you take?
- Winning the First Trick in the Wrong Hand Seminar You have the option to win the trick in Hand or in Dummy. It’s a critical choice…but how do you make it?
- Timing of Inevitable Losers Seminar You have inevitable losers but the hand timing matters. How do you know what time it is?
Sophomore Defense
Sophomore Bidding
Sophomore Defense
- Counting Declarer Tricks and Attacking Defense Seminar You live in a Passive Defense world, but what if Declarer needs 9 tricks and has 9 tricks? You better move to an Attacking Defense! How do you know?
- Partner’s Direct Lead Double Seminar What is a Lead Directing Double and What is Partner asking you to do?
- 3rd Hand Plays Low Seminar We know 3rd Hand plays high, but when does 3rd hand play low? Donna explores 3 situations where 3rd Hand plays low.
- Partner is Entryless Seminar You’re on lead and Partner doesn’t have an entry. How does this change your choice of suits to lead?
Junior Bidding
Junior Bidding
Junior Bidding
- Weak Hand Bidding with Interference Seminar Right Hand Opponent has overcalled. As Responder, you have a hand too weak to bid at the Two Level. What tool helps you get in the auction?
- Hand’s Responsive Double Seminar You are 4th Hand and Partner Overcalls or Doubles. Right Hand Opponent Bids and you want into the auction with no clear bid. How does the Responsive Double work?
- Italian Slam Cuebid Seminar You have points for slam but also have a sorry side suit preventing you from asking for aces. What’s the solution?
- Major Michaels Cuebid Responses Seminar Partner has used a Major Michaels Cuebid. As Advancer, what’s the modern asking bids to find out which minor Partner holds?
Junior Play
Junior Bidding
Junior Bidding
- Interior Spot Card Combination Seminar As Declarer, a card combination play is often determined by how many tricks you need from the suit. What do Interior Spot Cards have to do with the decision?
- Lose on Loser Plays at the End Seminar As Declarer, you have a never ever suit you would like the Defender’s to lead, but you don’t have an exit suit. What about a Loser-on-Loser Play?
- Two Stopper Ducking Rule Seminar As Declarer, the Defender leads your weakest suit again 3NT and you have two stoppers. Do you win or hold up?
- Avoiding the Ruff Seminar In a Suit Contract, you know there is a Defensive ruff on the horizon. How do you avoid the Defender getting that ruff?
Junior Defense
Junior Bidding
Junior Defense
- Keeping Parity on Defense Declarer is running a suit and you must discard multiple times. What’s the one suit you not discard?
- Returning Partner’s Led Suit Seminar Sitting 3rd Hand, your Partner leads a suit and you win it. Which card do you return and what message are you sending?
- Dummy is Dead, Now What? Seminar As Defender, how do you recognize a Dead Dummy and how do you defend against such a Dummy?
- When to Trump In With the Boss Trump Seminar On defense, you hold the Boss Trump. Should you trump in now or later?
Senior Bidding
Senior Bidding
Junior Defense
- Independent Suits Misfits Seminar It’s the battle of the long suits and you are trying to make your suit the trump suit. But should you be setting Partner’s long suit as trumps?
- Direct vs Indirect Raises Seminar How does Partner know how many cards we have in their suit when we make a direct raise or an indirect raise? Is there is difference depending on the auction?
- Lebewohl vs Weak 2 Bids Seminar Your Opponent opens 2 ♥ and your Partner doubles. How do you show strong and weak hands as Advancer? What about stoppers?
- Puppet Stamen Over 1NT Opener Seminar Your Partnership opens 1NT with 5-card majors. How does Responder uncover the 5-3 major-suit fit when it’s right?
Senior Play
Senior Bidding
Senior Defense
- Hand Counting Discovery Play Seminar As Declarer, you often have to guess where a missing queen is located. Why not take the guess out of it and use the Discovery Play instead?
- Fourth Round Losers in a Strong Suit Seminar Yes. Fourth Round Losers are a thing. Yes. It matters if there is a strong or weak side suit. You establish the Master Trump. Then what?
- Squeeze Threat & Non-Threat Suits Seminar As Declarer, you are a trick short of your contract and you need to force a Defender to discard a winner. Check your threat suits watch the Defender squirm!
- Card Combo & Count on Hand Seminar As Declarer, you have a couple of ways to play the suit. There is the “percentage” play and then there is the “count” play. Which is best?
Senior Defense
Senior Bidding
Senior Defense
- 3rd Hand Attitude Signal Exceptions Seminar Partner leads the ♥K and you know the general rule is to send an attitude signal. But when does this signal default to count?
- Ace from AK at Trick 1 Online Seminar It used to be Ace from AK throughout the hand. Then it switched to K from AK throughout the Hand. Now it’s just at Trick 1. And, yes there are exceptions!
- Inferences When Declarer Leaves a Long Suit in Dummy Seminar As Defender, you notice that Declarer has a long suit in dummy but isn’t developing tricks in the suit.
- Lead Inferences as Declarer & Defender Seminar Both Declarer and 3rd Hand can infer play strategies based on interpreting the Opening Lead. What are all of the positive and negative inferences that come along with that interpretation?
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