[Vampyr]

 BunnyGo, on 2012-September-22, 21:58, said:

Yes, I wondered whether I should teach rubber scoring or not. It certainly can be more fun with just friends to play for small stakes or a beer or bragging rights, or something--but of course I'm not allowed to encourage any of those things (except bragging) with my students.

I think that maybe rubber scoring would be best to learn first, because then the students will understand the rationale behind duplicate scoring, Also, as you say, rubber (or Chicago) is the only thing you can play when there are four of you.

I would not teach any of the other games mentioned above,-- why have them learn something and then have to unlearn it? Just have them practice taking tricks and then playing in assigned (by you) contracts, and then maybe auction bridge. You only need to do a few hands of each, really, until they understand what they are doing.

I recommend that you not teach finesses. After a couple of hours of play one of the students will figure it out for herself, and then you can tell the others what happened. It will mean more to them that way.

[debrose]

Maybe it makes sense to teach rubber scoring. My problem is discomfort with introducing the idea of part-scores carrying over, if people are eventually headed toward duplicate bridge. It seems like an unnecessary complication in learning a game already complicated enough.

Perhaps this is just my bias. I learned to play Chicago with duplicate scoring from my grandfather. You can still play for bragging rights (or a small stake). You can still learn the rationale behind the absolute scores (100+ point trick score for a game bonus). Just teach 50 point bonus for a part-score, instead of having them carry over. That way each deal is independent of the others. It's simpler, and since I don't think any bridge book they are likely to pick up will address bidding strategy with a part-score (is there one?), seems better to me.

[CSGibson]

 debrose, on 2012-September-23, 10:21, said:

It's simpler, and since I don't think any bridge book they are likely to pick up will address bidding strategy with a part-score (is there one?), seems better to me.

True, unless they pick up a book by an english author from the 50s-70s, which is unlikely to appeal to a beginner.

[Cthulhu D]

 BunnyGo, on 2012-September-15, 08:27, said:

Interesting. It sounds a lot like Euchre, which is a popular game here (especially in Michigan).

It's actually an American invention from Euchre, but was supplanted in America by Auction and Contract Bridge. It was brought to Australia and held on here. Lots of people know how to play, though it's dying out a bit, but of a random selection of 28 year olds, probably 1/3rd will have played before.