World-class kibitzing at U. S. Open Team Trials

The 2010 United States Bridge Championship (Open Team Trials) -- the event that will select one of the two U.S. teams for the 2011 Bermuda Bowl -- will be held from June 18-27 in Rosemont IL. The competition features an all-star lineup of 23 expert teams from throughout the U.S. Information and team lineups are on the USBF web site.

Thanks to Bridge Base Online (BBO), thousands of kibitzers from around the world will be tuning in to the action. BBO has a full schedule of free Vugraph presentations that give you a tableside seat for watching the bidding and play, plus commentary and analysis from experts. 

US Bridge Championship sessions begin at 10:00 am, 12:25 pm, 3:45 pm and 6:10 pm (Central Daylight time) on most days. The Vugraph broadcasts will start on Sunday afternoon with the Round of 16 and continue daily through June 27. For more details on daily schedules and coverage of other bridge events around the world, see the BBO Vugraph schedule site.

To watch the Vugraph shows, you must be a member of BBO, which is also free. To sign up, go to http://www.bridgebase.com. Choose the web interface or the software (for download and installation on your home computer) to access BBO and create your login and password. You can then watch Vugraph and play bridge through either the web or the software version.

After logging in to BBO, find the "Explore bridge" box (center row of the screen). If a show is currently in progress, the box will include a scrolling message. Click the box, then "Vugraph theater" to display a list of tables in play. Roll your mouse over each line to show which players are at the tables. To join as a kibitzer, just click the table line.

The red "Back" button at the bottom left of the screen will take you back to the Vugraph table list, and clicking "Back" again will take you to the home screen. Click the red "Help" box at the bottom right of any screen for instructions and tutorials on how to use BBO to play bridge, watch Vugraph, use the Partnership Bidding tables and access other features.