The topic – Why do people make learning this game so hard – has also been bothering me for some time now – and in response I have created a board game, HOOL, which sits somewhere between MiniBridge and Bridge. http://youth.worldbridge.org/introducing-hool-by-amaresh-deshpande/ (You can also read the rules of HOOL on the site.) While the board game has been out for about a year, we have just released the beta-test version of online HOOL. It can be accessed at: hool.org (The site will say 'not secure' but thats only because we haven't got the certificate yet - the site is safe) The software currently has limited capability, but in time we hope to offer functionality similar to BBO. The software works best on windows laptops, macbooks and ipads – and soon we will be releasing the Android and iOS app for mobile phones. It would be great if you guys can test the HOOL software and send me your feedback at: amaresh.deshpande@gmail.com (For testing you will need 4 players, since no one knows about it yet.) Amaresh