BBO (bridgebase.com) can be somewhat overwhelming when you first start using it. Fortunately there are many web resources available to help you understand how it works.

As might be expected, ACBL has a large collection of tutorials explaining how to use BBO, which can be found here.

Alternatively, for a very good and short introduction (assuming you understand Australian), try this video by Peter Hollands.

Once you’re familiar with BBO, Pete will help you with table play here.

► How to self alert

► How to set up a casual table to play with your friends

Maybe you just want to play an open-ended casual game with some friends. It’s easy to set up a table. Watch this short video and you’ll be up and running in no time.

► How to buy BB$ without paying extra fees.

If you play competitive games on BBO, you’ll need to keep a credit balance in the form of BB$. You might be using an app to play BBO on your device, however when it comes time to buy more BB$, don’t use it. Instead go the website (bridgebase.com), log in and click the blue BB$ box in the top right corner (shown below).

You can then choose the Purchase option and pay with a credit card or through Paypal with no additional third-party fees. If you use a US$ credit card, then of course you pay no exchange or administrative fees. And you can set up automatic payments and never have to worry about running out just as you’re about to start a game.

► Finding your friends on BBO

If you’ve logged onto BBO and would like to play with someone you know, you need to know their BBO username, aka “handle”. To make it easier for Victoria players, we have created a webpage with the names and handles of local players. Currently, 96 Victoria players have signed up. You can do so by clicking here. Note that the list is only available to registered players.

The next step is to actually befriend the person on BBO. You might be friends in real life but BBO doesn’t know (yet). So you need to ask your prospective friend and he/she then needs to reply. You do all of this on BBO through a few clicks. I’ve put together a two-minute video featuring me (HikerJP) and my friend-to-be (stonecrop1) going through the steps.

► Tutorials from the Sagamore Bridge Club

The Sagamore Bridge Club is another excellent resource offering a series of videos on various aspects of BBO.

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