Bridge Tutor Advanced

First it is important to realise that Spectrum Bridge Tutor is not a bridge playing program in the true sense. It is an interactive tutor comprised of a series of hands especially designed to illustrate particular aspects of bidding and card play. Because it is a Tutor only one bid, or card, ie, the correct one, can be made or played at each turn. This is not to say that another bid or card is incorrect but that it is not the recommended bid or card to lead through the aspect being illustrated.

The 40 hands, on both the Beginners and Advanced tapes, are independent of each other and there are no part-game scores carried from one hand to another.

The bidding system used is Acol, including a strong INT (16 to 18 points) opening at all times. The Blackwood and Stayman conventions are also used where appropriate. You are always South, and if dealer, you will open bidding.

For bidding, the display indicates the dealer, gives a bidding chart, and shows your hand. For the card play the display shows your hand again at the bottom of the table and North's hand at the top. Each card, as it is played, is displayed on the table. The display also shows the deal (hand) number, the contract and the number of tricks taken by North/South and East/West and who won the last trick.

At the end of card play an explanation is given of the bidding and card play. West and East hands are not shows in order to encourage you to picture the hands that they may hold from the evidence of your own and North's hand, any bids that they may have made and their play.

After the explanation you have the following options: re-read the explanation; replay the hand; load the next hand.