Best of bridge blogs


Some of the newest and most entertaining bridge web sites are the growing number of blogs ("web logs"), which are journals of events and commentary. Some blogs take the form of diaries ("here are some interesting hands from last night's game"). Others feature essays, system discussions, instructional hands, quizzes and forums for reader participation. Many blogs offer subscriptions by email or RSS feeds to notify you when new content is posted.

Here are some of the best in the current crop of bridge blogs:

The Old Prof -- "Contract bridge themes with a Midwest accent", offering thoughtful bidding and play problems, system discussions, essays and anecdotes. Hosted by Jeff Miller, Chicago IL.

Just Sayin' -- A mix of bridge and poker, with lots of well-written content, updated frequently. Hosted by ACBL Bridge Bulletin staffer Dave Smith, Memphis TN.

Squeezing the Dummy -- One of the first bridge blogs. Hosted by junior player Justin Lall, Plano TX.

Dealing with Develin -- A juniors-oriented blog affiliated with ACBL's bridgeiscool.com. Hosted by Mike Develin, Berkeley CA.

Doublesqueeze -- Bridge anecdotes, tournament reports and lessons. Hosted by Meg and McKenzie Myers, Charlottesville VA.

Korbel Bridge Adventures -- Reports from tournaments, online play and other bridge events, plus occasional articles on poker. Hosted by Susie & Dan Korbel, Waterloo ON.

Stacy Jacobs -- Commentary and stories from the "tournament trail". Hosted by Stacy Jacobs, Chicago IL.

Becker's Bridge Blog -- Hands and short quizzes. Hosted by a Chicago IL player who doesn't identify himself by name.

Bridgeblogging --  A collaborative effort with posts from Bobby Wolff, Roy Hughes, Mark Horton, Barbara Seagram and other players. It offers the opportunity for you to "co-blog" by joining the group. Main hosts are Ray and Linda Lee of Masterpoint Press, Toronto ON.

Poorbridge -- Tales of disastrous decisions, hosted by a group of players from New Zealand. District 8's Paul Holmes "won" the award for Poor Bridge of the Week with his writeup The Curse of Scotland Strikes Again, posted in March, 2007.

Gerben's Bridge Blog -- Interesting hands in the archives, but no recent updates. Hosted by Gerben Dirksen, Tübingen, Germany.

DavidC's Bridge Blog -- Articles on bidding theory, system design and bridge laws. Hosted by David Collier, Manchester UK.

The Beer Card -- Bridge in the "real" and online worlds, with many hands from the Bridgebase Online club. Hosted by Paul G., Scotland.

Views from the Bridge Table -- Discussion of theory and insights on hands from high-level play, with frequent updates. Hosted by Ulf Nilsson, Swedish internationalist.

Free at the Bridge Table -- Analysis of hands and discussions of conventions and bidding systems. Hosted by Frederick Staelens, Belgium.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- "Assigning blame since April 20, 2007." Hosted by Jonathan Ferguson, Ottawa ON.

Bridgepro -- Accounts of play in worldwide bridge tournaments and poker games. Hosted by Gavin Wolpert, Toronto ON.

Bridge Matters -- A focus on advancing bridge theory with discussions of new systems and bidding ideas. Hosted by Glen Ashton, Ottawa ON.

 

Good choices for beginner and intermediate-level players:

Bridgehands Blog -- Interviews, lessons and tips for advancing players. Also available are audiocasts and podcasts of bridge lectures, free monthly newsletters (two versions for beginners and tournament players) and personalized answers to questions submitted by email. Hosted by Michael Nistler, a bridge teacher from Petaluma CA.

Badmonsters -- "A beginner's journey" through the world of bridge.

Bridge Review -- Discussions of hands played by intermediate players at online clubs. Hosted by Peter Allen and Jacob Martin, England.

Raffles Bridge -- A group blog by intermediate-level players from the RJC Bridge Club in Singapore.

 

Want to start your own bridge blog?

It's easy and free, with many online hosts offering web space for your pages. To start, all you do is sign up for a free account, choose a name and design for your blog, and start typing.

Most hosting services offer pre-formatted design templates that can be used as-is or customized. You enter your content directly from a web browser, so there's no need to learn HTML editing or use separate software to create and upload files. For an easy way to add hand diagrams to your posts, try these free formatting tools:

     HTML formatter from Bridgeblogging.com

     HTML & Microsoft Word formatter from the Himbuv Bridge Club site

     HTML formatter from contractbridge.net

Here are some free hosting sites for bloggers:

    Blogger.com -- Sign in with your existing Google account or create a new login.

    Wordpress.com

    Blogsavy.com

    Blog.com