Theo Todman's Bridge Page

(Text as at 10/11/2025 13:26:24)



*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***


(For the live version and other versions of this Note, see the tables at the end)

INTRODUCTION

I returned to bridge in December 2007 after a long lay-off (effectively from my Cambridge days1, then 30 years prior). I played with some enthusiasm but rather mixed results for just under a decade after my “return” at a number of clubs local to Billericay, and explored the weekend tournament scene. I took most of 2015 off but became involved with the ECBA as webmaster in compensation, then returned to serious play in 15Q4. Ultimately I decided I’d had enough in July 2017, and intended to play only the occasional social game from then on. However, I started playing again socially towards the end of 2018, and have been playing quite seriously since the middle of 2019, allowing for another intermission caused by the Covid pandemic (I decided not to play on-line).

INTERNAL LINKS & DOCUMENTS

Status Report2 Consolidated Results Teams & Pairs Tactics Convention Cards
Partnership Checklist Defensive Play My Bridge Books Bidding Practice
Why Play Bridge?3 Counting the Hands Bridge Websites Maintained4 Generator Documentation5

USEFUL EXTERNAL LINKS

Bridge Base Online OK Bridge Bridge Club Live RealBridge
Essex Contract Bridge Association English Bridge Union Bridge Winners Search ECBA Website
BridgeBum Young Chelsea Bridge Club Great Bridge LinksClubs in Essex
Bridge Great Britain Bridge Conventions ECATS Bridge 

CONVENTION CARDS

Partners and I have drawn up various Benjaminised Acol convention cards, of varying degrees of sophistication. They appear in both MS Word and PDF formats. Follow the links below


Benjaminised Acol – Almost Harmonised Cards for Current Partnerships

David P (MSW) Dave T (MSW) AK (MSW)
David P (PDF) Dave T (PDF)AK (PDF)

Acol-Style - Recent Partnerships

DP (MSW) RE (MSW) GB (MSW) CS (MSW)
DP (PDF)RE (PDF)GB (PDF)CS (PDF)


Acol-Style - Former Partnerships

TF (MSW)LF (MSW) AS (MSW) DaTu (MSW) DV (MSW) MR (MSW) MH (MSW)
TF (PDF)LF (PDF) AS (PDF) DaTu (PDF) DV (PDF) MR (PDF) MH (PDF)


I play an artificial Strong Diamond system with one partner

SD CC (MS Word) SD CC (PDF)


I have played a 5-card Majors / Strong NT system with three partners

PartnerMS WordPDF
DTDT CC (MS Word)
(Supplement)		 DT CC (PDF)
(Supplement)
MHMH CC (MS Word) MH CC (PDF)
RCRC CC (MS Word) RC CC (PDF)


Finally, I have played a very basic Standard Acol system on rare occasions with one partner

RB (MS Word) RB (PDF)



Counting the Hands

Someone said that one "really arrives" as a bridge-player when one fully counts the hand. That is, keeps track of the points and distribution in all 4 hands, both by making inferences from the bidding and play, as well as keeping track of what's gone on in the play of the hand thus far. I find counting difficult - particularly distribution. I'd like to find an on-line application to help me practice this skill. There are a couple featuring Mike Lawrence, which look promising. Links to some material I've found on-line appear in the table below – on-line originals and / or consolidated pdfs I created lest the originals get lost.

Robert Frick - The Subtle Joy of Counting (pdf) Howard Schutzman - Counting Distribution (pdf) Karen Walker - Developing Counting Skills (pdf)
Tom Kniest - Count, Count, Count (pdf) Bill Doroshow - The One That Got Away (pdf) Mike Lawrence - Counting at Bridge
Danny’s Musings and the Joy of Counting in Bridge (pdf) Memory Systems at Bridge (pdf) Bridge Winners Counting Games

I’ve also a couple of useful books:-


Live Version of this Archived Note

Date Length Title
02/03/2026 07:14:53 9335 Theo Todman's Bridge Page

Table of 12 Earlier Versions of this Note (of 15)

Date Length Title
01/01/2025 18:15:50 9121 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
20/12/2024 20:06:43 8863 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
06/05/2022 12:50:24 23243 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
03/07/2020 22:09:07 23612 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
10/10/2019 23:58:34 23612 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
06/07/2018 18:56:10 23411 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
05/04/2018 10:48:00 23169 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
05/01/2018 00:11:31 24526 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
09/10/2017 23:25:26 21376 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
02/07/2017 10:36:29 21055 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
14/01/2017 20:18:14 20619 Theo Todman's Bridge Page
14/10/2016 22:14:53 20117 Theo Todman's Bridge Page


This version updated Reference for this Topic Parent Topic
10/11/2025 13:26:24 1146 (Theo Todman's Bridge Page) None


Summary of Notes Links from this Page

Status: Bridge (2025 - September) Theo Todman's Bridge Background Website Generator Documentation - Bridge Websites Maintained by Theo Todman Why Play Bridge?

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above (if any).



Summary of Note Links to this Page

Status: Bridge (2025 - December), 2, 3, 4 Status: Priority Task List (2025 - December), 2 Status: Summary (2025 - December), 2 Status: Summary Task List (2025: October - December) Status: Summary Task List (YTD: 25Q4)
Status: Web-Tools (2025 - December)        

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above (if any).



Text Colour Conventions

  1. Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026



© Theo Todman, June 2007 - March 2026.Please address any comments on this page to theo@theotodman.com.File output:
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