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Lesson notes and hands for March 7th 2021

Click here to review and print the notes from our free lesson with Sam Marks and A.J. Stephani on March 7th.

Click Here to download PBN life with the 6 lesson hands. You can play those hands in Shark Bridge Game. 

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Sam Marks - Platinum Life Master and an ABTA Master Teacher
 
 
A.J. Stephani - Bridge Professional at the Cincinnati Country Club

 

To begin you need a Shark Bridge App, you can download it from one of the links below. After your fully-functional trial ends, you can order for $25 / year ( $20 the first year). The yearly charge is not automatic after a year, so you never pay if you don't need it. With your first order, you get unlimited random hands and basic online play for life. 

iPad (5th gen or newer) and iPhone (5s or newer)

Minimum iOS 11

 Click Here

Apple's Mac (late 2009 or newer)

Minimum macOS 10.13.6 ( High Siera) 

Click Here

Windows 10

Click Here

  

 

 

Shark lets you import and play deals from PBN or LIN files, the teacher can send you those, or you can download from sources like the Common Game and BBO. 

  • How to import deals on iPhone/iPad
    • Open an email with attached pbn/lin file, or locate one in your Files App
    • Touch and hold the file name and you will be prompted to select an App to open it with. 
    • Choose Shark Bridge from the available options, Shark will open and you can go to Deal Library.
  • How to import on Mac or PC
    • Open an Email with attached pbn/lin, and save the attached file to your disk. Remember where you saved it. Alternatively, some email programs will ask you which program to use to open the file you can choose Shark Bridge if you do that skip next step.
    • Open Shark Bridge go to Deal Library. From the top left choose Import Pbn/Lin, Shark will ask you to navigate to the file, select it, and choose 'Open'.
  • All Imported files will show as groups in your Deal Library
  • Now choose a group, select a deal, and choose Replay to play from scratch, for hands that have saved auction or tricks you can choose Play to continue the hand.

 

You can play online with 1,2 or 3 other students or friends, if you are missing a player Shark Robots will fill in, unlike BBO there is no charge to run robots.

  • Step 1. Open Shark and go to Online Bridge Club on the bottom main menu ( the diamond suit ). If it is the first time you opening Shark it will prompt to Login or register if you don't have an account.

The following steps explain how to create a friendship between two people, note that your friends can't see who your other friends are, privacy for us is essential. You don't have to do those every time you want to start a table. 

Important note: To become friends, both people need to be in the Online Bridge Club at the time.

  • Step 3. Once you are in Online Bridge Club, select Friends and Players from the top of the screen. A list of player groups will show up. 
  • Step 4. Select Online Players and locate the person you want to be friends with. You can also use the search box at the top of the groups. 
  • Step 5. Now that you have your friends in the list press on their nickname, and then press on "Add Friend", if that option is missing, it means you are already friends.  

Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each player you want to be friends with. When you are done, focus on the table's list, on mobile devices choose Tables on the very top of the screen, and the tables will load.

You can quickly see if any of your friends are playing by selecting 'My Friends" on the left-hand side of the tables' list, and you will only see tables with your friends. If there are no such tables, touch / click 'My Friends' again, and you can see all the tables.

Starting a table. 

  • Step 1. Select 'Start New Game' on the top right corner.
  • Step 2. From 'Who can join your game' select 'Friends Only'.
  • Step 3. Robot's skill is not very important when you plan to play with 4 players, as they will be available to give hints when you ask. 
  • Step 4. Next is essential when you plan to play without robots, select Robot's play, choose the last option 'No Robots'
  • Step 5. Selection of bidding system is only valid for robot hints if you are playing with four people
  • Step 6. Select practice ( hands can be skipped and played with all cards face up), allow or prevent kibitzing. 
  • Step 7. Press Play, and in a second or two, you will be sitting at a table. 

Now for those that are going to join

The creator of the table did all the work

  • Step 1. Find the table with your friend
  • Step 2. Press on 'Play for XXXX' the seat you want to take, in 1-2 seconds you will be at the table 

Inviting players to a table you are sitting at:

  • Step 1. Press on the tray for the seat you want to invite a player. You get a list of player groups.
  • Step 2. Select the appropriate group, find the player you want.
  • Step 3. Press on its nickname and then press on 'Invite Plyer'

If you touch on a player's name in the hand tray, a small menu comes up with brief players stats and the option to 'Add as a friend', ' Boot' or 'Block player'. 

Loading hands from your library on the online bridge club table:

Mac and Windows - After creating the table, right click with the mouse on settings button in the top right corner.  Click "Load From Library".  Chose the set you want and click on "Upload deal set".

iPad - After creating the table, touch settings button in the top right corner. Two options will pop up.  Select "Load From Library".  From the list of your files/groups select the set you want to play and touch on "Upload Deal set".