Are these bridge lessons free?

Yes. Every lesson and every practice game is free to read and play, and you do not need to sign up.

How long does it take to learn bridge?

The 26 lessons take a few hours to read. Most people need a couple of months of regular play after that before bidding and play feel natural, and players keep improving for years.

Can I learn bridge online on my own?

You can learn the rules, the bidding and the basics of play on your own with lessons like these. You also need to play, ideally with a partner, because judgment comes from hands you have held. Our learn bridge online guide sets out a full plan.

Which bidding system do the lessons teach?

A standard American system with five-card majors and a 15 to 17 notrump, close to SAYC. It is what most partners you meet in North American clubs and online games will expect.

Do I need to know another card game first?

No. If you have played whist, hearts or spades, tricks will feel familiar, but the first lessons explain everything from the start.

Learn bridge

Bridge Lessons

Updated 16 October 2026Learn bridge

Twenty-six free lessons teach contract bridge from nothing, one idea at a time. Each takes about ten minutes and builds only on the lessons before it. Read them in order and by the end you can bid a hand with a partner, play it as declarer and defend against the opponents' contract.

The lessons

The course has four parts. The first covers the game itself, the second shows how declarer plays a hand, the third is a standard bidding system, and the fourth covers competing in the auction and defending. If you already play a little, start where the titles stop sounding familiar.

Part 1

The game

Cards, tricks and partners: everything you need before the first deal.

1Four Players, Two SidesPartners, the seats and how a deal begins.8 min 2Tricks and Following SuitThe one rule of the play and how a trick is won.9 min 3TrumpsWhat a trump suit does and when a small trump beats an ace.9 min 4Declarer and DummyWho plays the hand, and why one hand goes face up.10 min 5Counting PointsFour for an ace, three for a king: how strong is your hand?9 min 6The ContractWhat a bid promises, and the bonuses for game and slam.10 min

Part 2

Playing the hand

How declarer turns two hands into the tricks the contract needs.

7Counting Your WinnersCount before trick one, then plan the tricks you are missing.10 min 8Setting Up a Long SuitSmall cards that become winners once the opponents run out.10 min 9Your First FinesseLeading toward a king or queen and hoping it is placed well.10 min 10Drawing TrumpsWhen to take the opponents' trumps away, and when to wait.10 min 11Ruffing in DummyExtra tricks from the hand with fewer trumps.10 min

Part 3

Bidding

A simple, standard way to find the right contract with your partner.

12Opening One of a SuitWhich hands open, and which suit to name.10 min 13Opening 1NTThe balanced 15 to 17 and what partner does next.10 min 14Stayman and TransfersThe two tools every 1NT opener meets.11 min 15Raising PartnerShowing support and how much of it.10 min 16A New Suit in ReplyChanging the suit and why it keeps the bidding open.10 min 17Opener's Second BidDescribing the rest of the hand.10 min 18Responder's Second BidPlacing the contract, or asking one more question.10 min 19Strong Openings: 2♣ and 2NTHands too good for one of a suit.10 min 20PreemptsOpening high with a long suit and little else.10 min 21Bidding a SlamCounting to twelve tricks and asking for aces.11 min

Part 4

Competing and defending

When the opponents open, and when it is your turn to defend.

22OvercallsBidding your own suit after an opponent opens.10 min 23Takeout DoublesAsking partner to pick a suit.10 min 24The Opening LeadThe first card of the defense, and how to choose it.10 min 25Second Hand Low, Third Hand HighTwo defensive habits and their exceptions.10 min 26Defensive SignalsTelling partner what you hold with the cards you play.10 min

How each lesson works

Each lesson is short and covers one idea, shown on real cards and checked with questions before the next idea starts. Every lesson has the same parts.

A short explanation, with hand diagrams and auctions set the way bridge books print them.
A quick question after each idea, on a hand or a holding, with the reasoning shown once you answer.
One full deal to step through trick by trick, with a comment at each step on what declarer or the defenders are thinking.
A practice game at the end, with eight questions dealt fresh every time, so you can play again until the idea comes automatically.

Everything is free and runs in your browser. You do not need an account to read a lesson or to play its practice game.

Who the lessons are for

The first part assumes nothing at all. If you have never held a bridge hand, start with lesson 1, or read how to play bridge first for the whole game on one page. Players who learned at a kitchen table and want to tidy up their bidding can start at part 3. Club players who are new to defense often get the most from part 4.

The bidding follows the standard American approach: five-card majors, a 15 to 17 notrump and a strong 2♣ opening. It is the base most clubs and online games in North America use, and the SAYC and 2/1 guides build on it once you have finished.

What to do after the course

The next step is to play. Bridge is learned at the table, and the lessons are there to make your first games less confusing. Deal some hands with friends, join a beginners' game at a club, or try the opening lead trainer and the other free tools on this site. When you meet a convention you do not know, the conventions guides explain each one with a practice game of its own.

FAQ

Common questions

Short answers to what readers ask most.

Are these bridge lessons free?: Yes. Every lesson and every practice game is free to read and play, and you do not need to sign up.
How long does it take to learn bridge?: The 26 lessons take a few hours to read. Most people need a couple of months of regular play after that before bidding and play feel natural, and players keep improving for years.
Can I learn bridge online on my own?: You can learn the rules, the bidding and the basics of play on your own with lessons like these. You also need to play, ideally with a partner, because judgment comes from hands you have held. Our learn bridge online guide sets out a full plan.
Which bidding system do the lessons teach?: A standard American system with five-card majors and a 15 to 17 notrump, close to SAYC. It is what most partners you meet in North American clubs and online games will expect.
Do I need to know another card game first?: No. If you have played whist, hearts or spades, tricks will feel familiar, but the first lessons explain everything from the start.