BridgeHands

Hello BBO Friends, BridgeHands just published and EMAILed our free eMagazine newsletter #15 to our subscribers. That means our prior issue #14 is now available online. These articles discuss Forcing and Non-Forcing bids. Each newsletter is over 10 pages so we get into considerable depth on each topic. In fact, in part 2 many of the concepts and bidding scenarios are for the more seasoned intermediate (Life Master) level. http://bridgehands.com/Services/eMagazine_.../eMag_NN_14.htm Along with our newsletter, we've also prepared an online 20 question quiz to test your knowledge. If you computer is equipped to play audio, we've also included several music selections to enjoy while working on the quiz: http://www.bridgehands.com/Quiz/Forcing_Bi.../quizmaker.html BridgeHands welcomes you to subscribe to our free newsletters (Newcomer-Novice or Intermediate-Advanced): http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101095662918 Happy trails, BridgeHands

Hello Bridge Friends, We are delighted to offer BridgeHands listeners our wrap-up interview with Gerry Fox, Bridge cruise ship super-agent, teacher, and director. Gerry knows what he speaks about, having logged over 150 cruises. And as a Bridge cruise agent, Gerry support over 100 Bridge cruise directors that travel the world on luxurious six star ships. In our third session, Gerry shares insights of what it takes to become a successful Bridge cruise director/teacher on the high seas. Having taught Bridge for over 37 years, Gerry really knows what he's talking about - learning to read student's faces, avoid getting blindsighted by gifted students, allowing your personality to emerge, the power of listening and observing (management by walking around), how to evaluate lesson effectiveness after class, making a positive appearance and impression, and many more tips. So if you're interested in Bridge on the high seas, you won't want to miss this audiocast! Gerry's lessons are oriented for everyday social Bridge players and his books have excellent hand illustrations (order via phone at 707-252-1257 or EMAIL gfoxbridge@aol.com): Partnership Bridge - An Easy Guide to Standard American Bidding Partnership Defence - An Easy Guide to Defender's Play at Contract Bridge Tricks for the Taking - An Easy Guide to Declarer's Play at Contract Bridge Contract Bridge in 28 Lessons - A Manual for Teachers Bridge in Brief - A Shortcut Through the Rules of Bidding (With Opening Leads, Too) To listen to Gerry's interviews, please visit our website: http://bridgehands.com/bridgeblog/ If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: Here on the this Forum support@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 http://bridgehands.com/ (via your PCs microphone) Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hello BBO Friends, We are delighted to offer BridgeHands listeners a three interview sessions with Gerry Fox, a Bridge cruise director super-agent, teaching professional for over 30 years and book author. In our first session, Gerry shares wonderful stories about how to deal with Bridge teacher-student misunderstandings, difficult Bridge concepts and methods to make breakthroughs, converting a challenging student to “staight man”, counteracting crafty duplicate Bridge players, the importance of partnership harmony and trust, and benefits of understanding versus memorization. In our second session, Gerry continues discussing the importance of partnership harmony and trust, why bidding is easier to learn than play (especially count signals), why students often go wrong learning conventions, Gerry creation - The Rule of Seven, overcoming newcomers fear opening Notrump with a worthless doubleton, how teachers ears can make a big difference, the future of Bridge, Gerry discusses his Bridge books (order via phone at 707-252-1257 or EMAIL gfoxbridge@aol.com): Partnership Bridge - An Easy Guide to Standard American Bidding Partnership Defence - An Easy Guide to Defender’s Play at Contract Bridge Tricks for the Taking - An Easy Guide to Declarer’s Play at Contract Bridge Contract Bridge in 28 Lessons - A Manual for Teachers Bridge in Brief - A Shortcut Through the Rules of Bidding (With Opening Leads, Too) Stay tuned for the third audiocast where Gerry discussed teaching and directing Bridge on the high-seas. http://bridgehands.com/bridgeblog/ If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: Here on the BBO General Forum support@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 http://bridgehands.com/ (via your PCs microphone) Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hello Bridge Base Friends, We invite you to listen to our interview with Jude Goodwin. Jude is the web-mistress of the premiere www.GreatBridgeLinks.com website and leading Bridge cartoonist. However, her successes haven’t slowed her down - she’s recently launched www.GiftsForCardPlayers.com and written “Go Ahead, Laugh!“ Listen to her audiocast at: http://bridgehands.com/bridgeblog/ If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml Here's the show notes: Minute: Topic 00-03: Introduction 03-07: Welcome Jude 07-09: Genesis of GreatBridgeLinks 09-13: GreatBridgeLinks site organization and features 13-16: GreatBridgeLinks business model (love of Bridge) 16-22: New book, “Go Ahead, Laugh!” 22-30: New website, www.GiftsForCardPlayers.com 30-34: Jude’s vision of Bridge 34-36: Jude’s love of the game 36-37: Being a good partner 37-39: Bridge Buzz – Honolulu NABC Tourney 39-45: Outtakes We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: This BBO Forum support@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 http://bridgehands.com/ (via your PCs microphone) Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hi all, Nice to hear from you and glad to hear you enjoyed Eddie's interview. Eddie not only has an awesome history as a pro and leading teacher, but he is also very thoughtful and kind gentleman. It's great to acknowledge his numerous achievements. We will post our next interview with GreatBridgeLinks leader, Jude Goodwin, in one week; Jude has also worked very hard over the years to offer us useful websites (5000+ weblinks!!!). FYI - along with the most recent interview, past interviews are always available at our "blog" (newest at top of the blog). See: http://www.bridgehands.com/bridgeblog Bid Em Up: Our home page at http://www.bridgehands.com only has the most recent audiocast interview, but you can click on "Blog" at the top of any of our thousands of webpages to reach all of our audiocast interviews (or click on "Archive" near the player widget on the home page). Yes, Claus, we are very careful to keep our page URLs stable! We've been online for one year now and haven't restructured any of our thousands of webpages (nor do we have any intentions to do so). The structure for the 1500+ bridge book web pages will remain constant and the 500+ pages in the encyclopedia are all locked in using the alphabetic structure. Both these sections have *numerous* cross-links not available on other websites we've visited on the net - all these indexes are stable. Regarding the (WordPress) blog, the categories track with the BridgeHands website so the URLs are also stable - perhaps we might add additional categories if we try a videocast someday. And other sections such as the hundreds of web pages for the ACBL NABC/WBF major tourney bulletins, ACBL Laws, Appeals, Director Decisions and Tech Files, etc are all stable. In the rare instance when we have a change of heart, our philosophy is to have two instances of a web page (such as "double barrel stayman" and "forcing two way stayman"). Claus, thanks also for the link to BridgeHands. Based on feedback from our friends at BridgeGuys, earlier this year we added a directory of outgoing links to other notable bridge websites such as your site. Similar to our encyclopedia, the link indexes are organized alphabetically (see "Link" hyperlink at the bottom of any of our web pages); so your site would is located here: http://www.bridgehands.com/Admin/Links_B.htm As most webmaster are aware, the number and quality of inbound links helps to promote the importance/relevance of search engine "hits" - hopefully our links are helpful to yours and other bridge sites. Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hello Bridge Base Friends, We invite you to listen to the conclusion of our recent audiocast interview with Eddie Kantar at: http://bridgehands.com/bridgeblog/ If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml Here's the show notes: Minute: Topic 0-3: Introductions 3: Teaser - Jude Goodwin - Great Bridge Links 4: Eddie’s critique playing online with Yvonne 5: How Pros help clients win 6: Being a good partner 10: Adventures playing with Marshall Miles 15: Coauthoring books 17: Books, large and small 18: Computer-based instructions 21: Evolutions in bidding philosophy 26: Avoiding excessive conventions 29: Fast Eddie at table tennis 31: Money Bridge 32: Online Bridge Play 36: www.KantarBridge.com 38: Everyone loves Yvonne Kantar 40: Closing joke and the world’s best game 42: Dear Dummy - “Kantar 2 Notrump over a minor” 49: Crystal gets her wish We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: This BBO Forum support@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 http://bridgehands.com/ (via your PCs microphone) Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hi ArcLight, Good question - here's the structure Eddie enjoys (recall 2N=13-15HCP): 1C......2NT 3C.................Balanced Stayman- in theory no singleton, .....................however with a singleton king or ace, you might try it 3D,3H,3S.......Singletons (presumably a queen or lower singleton) 3NT...............To play 4C.................Keycard for clubs 1D......2NT.....This one is a little different because opener can have .....................a minor two-suiter 3C......Forces 3D 3D......3H.......Singleton club ..........3S.......5-5 minors (not as strong as 5C directly) ..........3NT.....2-2-5-4 with 4NT playing strength (otherwise 3NT ....................with this distribution) 3D................Stayman with no singleton except, perhaps, the king or ace. 3H,3S...........Singletons 3NT..............To play 5C................5-5 or 6-5 minors, slammish 4D................Keycard for diamonds BTW, Eddie continues to add addendums to his excellent RKC book on his website at: http://www.KantarBridge.com Good luck, BridgeHands

Hello Bridge Base Friends, We invite you to listen to the first segment of our recent audiocast interview with Eddie Kantar at: http://bridgehands.com/bridgeblog/ If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml Here's the show notes: ...Lead-in 0-3 ...Agenda 2-3 ...Introducing Eddie Kantar and the Show 3-6 ...Eddie’s Favorite Conventions 6-8 ...Disliked Conventions 8-12 ...The Early Days 12-13 ...Bridge Opens Doors 13-14 ...Eddie, The Author 14-16 ...Slam Bidding 16-19 ...Eddie’s Website 19-22 ...Evolution In Teaching 22-29 ...Eddie and Yvonne Play Online 29-30 ...BridgeBuzz: EBU Teachers 31-34 ...It’s Your Turn: Bridge Cruises 34-36 ...Outtake Revokes 36-40 We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: This BBO Forum support@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 http://bridgehands.com/ (via your PCs microphone) Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands

Hello Bridge Base Friends, We have recently added an interactive Bridge weblog (blog), audiocast, and podcast to our BridgeHands website at: http://www.BridgeHands.com/bridgeblog If you have iTunes or another aggregator player with "Real Simple Syndication" (RSS), the XML address for the Podcast is: http://www.BridgeHands.com/feed.xml We invite you to read our blog articles and listen to our audiocasts/podcast. Our latest half-hour audio interview includes: BridgeHands Interview ....Introduction: Minute 0 - 2 ....Hal gets whacky: Minute 3 ....Interview Format and Target Audience: Minute 4 ....Interview Benefit: Minute 5 ....Interview Journalistic Type: Minute 6 ....Interview Benefit to Listener: Minute 7 ....Multi-media Bridge History: Minute 8 ....Why no Bridge Media Today: Minute 11 ....Internet Multi-media Bridge Opportunity: Minute 12 ....Michael Nistler’s Bridge Background: Minute 13 ....BridgeHands is Born: Minute 14 ....BridgeHands Website Layout: Minute 15 ....BridgeHands eMag EMAIL Newsletter: Minute 17 ....How BridgeHands help with Education: Minute 19 ....BridgeHands Blogs: Minute 20 ....BridgeHands and ”web 2.0?: Minute 21 ....BridgeHands Blog Categories: Minute 22 ....What is Podcasting: Minute 24 ....How iTunes and Aggregators Manage Subscriptions: Minute 25 BridgeBuzz - Baron Barclay acquires ACLB Product Store : Minute 27 DearDummy - How to contact BridgeHands: Minute 29 Outtake Revokes: Minute 31 Music and Galicticast Credits: Minute 32 In future audio programs, our interviews will include notable Bridge professionals, businesses, organizations, teachers, authors, and players. We also EMAIL free eMag newsletters to Newcomer-Novice and Intermediate-Advanced Bridge players. Please sign up for our no-strings-attached newsletters at: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101095662918 A few months after transmittal, archive articles are available at: http://bridgehands.com/Services/eMagazine_Archive/Index.htm We look forward to your feedback about our blog and audio programs at: supp...@BridgeHands.com FAX/VoiceMail: 707-780-3052 Phone: 707-769-4499 And if you have a microphone on your computer, you can also reach via the internet using our online VoiceMail player/recorder at: http://bridgehands.com/ For those using our online VoiceMail (MobaTalk Comment System), please inform us if you wish to have your comments made available to others at our home page. Warm Regards, Michael Nistler BridgeHands