Learn / Improve

Lots of ways to learn at the FWDBC

Our Club offers many opportunities to learn and improve your bridge game. The more you learn, the more fun it is to play duplicate bridge!

Fort Wayne Duplicate Bridge Club

Rubber bridge players welcome – learn how to play duplicate bridge!

  • Bring a bridge-playing friend, come early to any game and ask the director to find you someone to show you the ropes. (The 0-499 MP games on Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 PM are the best place to start.)
  • Or, come without a partner and be matched up with one at either the Tuesday 1 PM game or the Thursday 1 PM game. You'll quickly learn the few differences in how duplicate bridge is played. If you would like a preview, visit New to Duplicate

Beginning and intermediate duplicate bridge players:

  • Play in the Pro-Am (mentoring) game on Thursdays at 1 PM. Come with a partner or be matched with one (unless you have more than 300 MPs). If you have any questions, call Gary Chaney at 419-438-2175 or email him at [email protected].
  • Attend a free mini-lesson offered from 12:15 – 12:30 PM before most Thursday games. Check Calendar for dates and topics.
  • Two-hour seminars, each focusing on a specific bridge topic, are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays once or twice a month. Check Calendar for dates and topics. The fee is $5 per seminar.

 

Want to take a formal class?

Our club’s Paul Knepper Bridge Academy (named in honor of long-time player and bridge teacher Paul Knepper) offers three classes for people who want to learn to play bridge or improve their skills. All classes are taught at the club by nationally certified bridge teachers.
Each two-hour class session includes readings, teaching, and guided bidding and play of pre-dealt bridge hands. The $50 fee per class includes textbooks and all other course materials. The third class (Bridge 103), including all materials, is free for students who have successfully completed Bridge 101 and Bridge 102.

Bridge 101, offered for nine weeks each spring, covers the basics of bridge for those who have never played or never fully learned the game. It focuses on bidding while also introducing play of the hand and defense. The next Bridge 101 classes will begin on Thursday, May 2, 2024. A morning class will be held Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. For those who prefer evenings, there will also be a Thursday evening class starting at 6:00 p.m., assuming at least 4 students enroll.

Bridge 102, offered for nine weeks, starts July 11, 2024 and continues the teaching of those who have taken Bridge 101 as well as those who already play bridge but want to improve their game, with a special focus on play of the hand.

Bridge 103 will begin September 19, 2024. This nine-week class will help players continue to sharpen their skills, with a special focus on defense.
The club will begin advertising the classes in late March, 2024. If you would like more information, please contact Gary Chaney at 419-438-2175 or [email protected].

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