Intermediate Bridge at Historic Jekyll Island Club

Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the banquet room to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

In a private banquet room at the hotel.

Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is intended for participants who already play social or duplicate bridge who would like to improve their game based on modern bridge guidelines. Intermediate Bridge is a program designed to present modern bridge popular conventions such as Stayman, Jacoby Transfer, weak and strong opening bids and slam bidding, as well as the use of overcalls, takeout, and negative doubles in the bidding process. Modern play of the hand and defense by the opposition are also presented. This program is not intended for rank beginner or advanced bridge players, nor those who wish to focus on tournament play. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Meals are served as a buffet and include a variety of options to meet most dietary needs and preferences. If you have a required dietary restriction that will be difficult to accommodate by self-selecting items from the buffet, a special plate (chef's choice) will be prepared for you. If a special plate is served, the buffet items will not be available in addition to the special plate. Please only indicate required dietary restrictions if you would like a special plate prepared for you. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the hotel’s Victorian-era Grand Dining Room.

Today we’ll study notrump opening bids and responses. We’ll play several hands, with tips for both declarer play and defense. We’ll discuss the Stayman convention and overcalls. Your class all week will be taught by an ACBL-certified instructor. Following our morning session, we will be given a private behind the scenes tour of the Jekyll Island Club where we will learn about the events and people that are a part of the property's fascinating history and how it has maintained its standards of luxurious service.

In a banquet room at the hotel.

We’ll enjoy an afternoon of supervised bridge play with new friends and our instructor. In a relaxed and social environment, we’ll play and analyze hands based on this morning’s subject matter.

At the hotel.

We’ll gather in our private meeting room at the hotel with our instructor to shuffle, play, and relax for an evening with no set agenda.

At the hotel.

We’ll begin a discussion today of Jacoby Transfer bids in response to a no trump opening bid. We will discuss the take-out and negative doubles, asking partner to choose one of the unbid suits.

At the hotel.

After lunch, we will learn about Jekyll Island's rich history and culture on a visit to the Jekyll Island Museum as well as on a guided trolley tour through the historic district. Afterwards we'll return to the hotel for an afternoon of round-robin play with new friends and our instructor. In a relaxed and social environment, we’ll once again play and analyze hands based on this morning’s subject matter.

At the hotel.

We’ll gather for another evening of “no agenda” play, with our instructor on hand to make comments and answer questions. This morning’s lessons are the building blocks for this evening’s play. It’s a great way to learn.

At the hotel.

For our shortened bridge schedule today, we’ll discuss another type of competitive bidding – preempts. What type of hand and what bidding situations lend themselves to a weak opening bid or weak jump overcall at the 2 level or higher? When and how should partner respond?

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The conference room will also be open for participants who would prefer to continue playing bridge.

On your own to enjoy local fare.

At leisure to explore more of Jekyll Island, relax at the hotel, or play more bridge in the conference room.

At the hotel.

Strong hands can be fun – and challenging! Today we’ll discuss slam bidding; and when slam looks like a possibility, we need to know when and how to use the ace-asking conventions, Blackwood and Gerber, and when they are not appropriate.

At the hotel.

We will continue to fine-tune what we learned through play and discussion, then follow up with a review. Remember that bridge is a lifelong game. There are millions of possible hands, each offering its own mystery. While we arrived at Jekyll Island with intermediate skills, we now possess the knowledge and confidence to play with anyone playing the Standard American system.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

We’ll continue “shuffle and deal” play in a relaxed friendly environment, with our instructor available for assistance. We are not only learning bridge with each other; we will also be playing in a club where gilded-age millionaires once enjoyed the game. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on how bridge has been played around the world throughout history. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!