Online Bridge Club
ACBL Masterpoint games and hosted online clubs
Online Bridge Club is where The Shark Bridge Company runs its ACBL-sanctioned bridge games. Play against robots any time of day and see your results right away, or join a weekly game where a teacher goes over the hands after each round.
The games are sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), and Game Day, Insta-Game and Play & Learn all award ACBL Masterpoints. You do not need a partner for the robot games: you take one seat and three Shark robots take the others.
Bridge clubs can run their own games on Online Bridge Club too.
Play ACBL-Sanctioned Games and Earn Masterpoints®
Play 18 or 12 board robot games over the course of a day with three bots. Earn Masterpoints, badges, and free credits for more games. Each Game Day ends at 4:00 AM Eastern Time, and results come out after that.
Play a 12-board game and get feedback instantly. After each board, you see your final score and what was possible. Each game costs 2.25 SB Credits and can earn ACBL Masterpoints.
Join a weekly game-and-lesson on Shark. After each round, your teacher reviews the hands just played.
Three ways to play on Online Bridge Club
Game Day#
Game Day is a month-long challenge. Shark runs four games every day, robot games of 18 or 12 boards, and you play them over the course of the day at your own pace, with as many breaks as you like. Every Game Day game awards ACBL Masterpoints. Each Game Day ends at 4:00 AM Eastern Time, and results come out after that.
Along the way you collect monthly badges, climb the monthly leaderboard and earn free SB credits for more games. The Game Day strategy guide explains the badges and how to pace your month.
Insta-Game#
Insta-Game is for the times you want feedback now. You play a 12-board game against robots, and after each board you see your final score and what was possible on that board, so you know right away how close you came. Each Insta-Game costs 2.25 SB Credits and can earn ACBL Masterpoints. You can start one at any time of day or night.
Play & Learn#
Play & Learn is a weekly game and lesson. Each game has its own lesson topic and teacher. You play the boards for a round, and before the next round starts your teacher goes over the hands you just played. Play & Learn games are sanctioned by the ACBL and award Masterpoints, so you learn and score in the same session.
The Play & Learn page lists the upcoming games with their topic, teacher and start time in Eastern Time, and describes how each one runs.
How to start playing
- Open the Online Bridge Club arena at arena.sharkbridge.club and choose a game: Game Day, Insta-Game or a Play & Learn session.
- Log in. The Shark login screen offers five options: Google, Apple, Microsoft, ACBL, or your email address with a password-free link. We recommend your ACBL account, so your games connect to your ACBL membership from the start.
- No ACBL account yet? Log in with Google, Apple, Microsoft or email, then choose Get ACBL Guest Membership and fill in the short form. How to Use the New Shark Login walks through every screen.
- Link your Shark and ACBL accounts. You only do this once; after that you go straight to your game screen every time.
- Play your first game. Before you join, Shark asks you to confirm the entry and your bidding system. New players start on SAYC, and you can pick another system on that screen. If you would like a hand getting registered, send us a message and we will help.
New to duplicate bridge?
Masterpoint games are duplicate games: the same deals are played at many tables, and your result on each board is compared with the other players who held the same cards. That is why a game against robots is still a fair contest, and why a bad hand does not have to mean a bad score. What Is Duplicate Bridge explains how a duplicate board is scored, with worked examples.
Want to warm up first? Shark Bridge Game is our bridge app for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Windows. It is free to install and try, and you sit with three robots for as long as you like. On Android, the Shark Classroom app also lets you play solo against three robots. If you would rather not play for Masterpoints at all, the free daily Social Games run in the same arena. Our guide to solo four-hand bridge shows what a practice table gives you.
The Student’s Manual covers the details, including earning ACBL Masterpoints on Shark and setting the robot skill level in the app.
Online Bridge Club questions
Are the games on Online Bridge Club sanctioned by the ACBL?#
Yes. Online Bridge Club runs ACBL-sanctioned games. Game Day, Insta-Game and Play & Learn games all award ACBL Masterpoints.
Do I need a partner?#
Not for the robot games. In Game Day and Insta-Game you take one seat and three robots play the other hands. Each Play & Learn game describes how it runs on the Play & Learn page.
When do I see my results?#
In Insta-Game, after every board: you see your final score and what was possible. Game Day ends at 4:00 AM Eastern Time each day, and results come out after that.
Do I need an ACBL number?#
We recommend logging in with your ACBL account. If you do not have one, you can get an ACBL guest membership from the Shark login screen. How to Use the New Shark Login shows each step.
What is the difference between Online Bridge Club and Shark Bridge Game?#
Online Bridge Club is where the ACBL-sanctioned games run, in the Shark arena. Shark Bridge Game is the app you install to practice and to play with friends or robots. A Shark Bridge Game VIP subscription does not cover ACBL Masterpoint games.
Can my bridge club run its games here?#
Yes. Bridge clubs can run their own games on Online Bridge Club. Contact us to talk it through.
Ready to play?#
What's New
Two new login screens for your classroomLoad Web page/resource on top of the Shark table
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