Declarer Play Lessons

Sharpen your declarer play technique with lessons on planning, finesses, squeezes, and endplays.

How the Academy works with your kit

1
Browse Find lessons from expert bridge teachers on bidding, play, defense and more.
2
Purchase in the App Download the lesson and its curated hands right to your phone.
3
Deal & Play at Home Use your Bridge@Home kit to deal and play the hands with friends.
4
Learn as You Go Get teacher commentary and analysis on every board you play.
Learn more →
Watch: How a Lesson Works
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 5: Reading the Clues $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
The bidding and defense are talking — are you listening? This lesson teaches you to read the opening lead, place missing honors from the auction, and adjust your plan as new information emerges. The roadmap isn't static. It updates with every trick.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
Entries: The Hidden Currency, Part 1: What Entries Are and Why They Vanish $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
Every declarer has experienced it: you establish a beautiful long suit, then realize you have no way to reach it. This four-part course teaches the art of entry management — counting entries before trick one, preserving them through ducks and hold-ups, creating them from nothing, and integrating every technique under pressure.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards ★★★★★ 5.0 (1)
Introduction to Notrump Play Free
Fred Claws Fred Claws
Your first steps in notrump play - from counting winners to hold-up plays. 8 hands, 8 concepts, zero fluff.
Beginner Declarer Play 8 boards
Trump Management: Playing in a Suit Contract Free
Fred Claws Fred Claws
8 boards that take you from draw trumps always to knowing exactly when and how to manage your trump suit.
Beginner Declarer Play 8 boards
Entries and Communication: Getting to the Right Hand Free
Fred Claws Fred Claws
Learn to manage entries between your hand and dummy — the key to unlocking your tricks in both notrump and suit contracts.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
Counting the Hand: A Declarer's Secret Weapon Free
Fred Claws Fred Claws
Master the art of counting as declarer! This lesson teaches you to track the defenders' distribution using opening leads, carding, and logical deduction across 8 carefully crafted hands. From partscore to slam, learn how counting transforms guesswork into certainty.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 1: Counting Your Way Home $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
The foundation of every good declarer: before you play a card, stop and count. In notrump, how many winners do you have? In a suit contract, how many losers? This lesson builds the counting habit from the ground up, starting with clean examples and progressing to hands where the count reveals the only winning line.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 2: Finding the Source $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
You know how to count — now learn where to look. When the count falls short, your extra tricks must come from somewhere: establishing long suits, taking finesses, or ruffing losers in dummy. This lesson teaches you to identify the right source and execute the plan.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 3: Keeping Control $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
You can count your tricks and you know where to find more — but can you keep the opponents from destroying your plan? This lesson introduces the danger hand, hold-up plays, and trump control. Because in bridge, it's not just how many tricks you lose — it's who you lose them to.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 6: No Training Wheels $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
No hints. No labels. Just you and the hand. These eight boards test everything you've learned across the entire course — counting, suit development, danger hands, sequencing, and reading the clues. The roadmap is yours now. Trust it.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
The Declarer's Roadmap, Part 4: When Plans Collide $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
Most hands offer more than one way to make tricks. A finesse, a long suit, a ruff — but which do you try first? This lesson teaches you to combine chances, sequence your plays correctly, and always have a Plan B.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
Entries: The Hidden Currency, Part 2: The Duck and the Hold-Up $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
Every declarer has experienced it: you establish a beautiful long suit, then realize you have no way to reach it. This four-part course teaches the art of entry management — counting entries before trick one, preserving them through ducks and hold-ups, creating them from nothing, and integrating every technique under pressure.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
Entries: The Hidden Currency, Part 3: Creating Entries from Nothing $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
Every declarer has experienced it: you establish a beautiful long suit, then realize you have no way to reach it. This four-part course teaches the art of entry management — counting entries before trick one, preserving them through ducks and hold-ups, creating them from nothing, and integrating every technique under pressure.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards
Entries: The Hidden Currency, Part 4: Putting It All Together $4.99
Victoria "Vicky" Hart Victoria "Vicky" Hart
Every declarer has experienced it: you establish a beautiful long suit, then realize you have no way to reach it. This four-part course teaches the art of entry management — counting entries before trick one, preserving them through ducks and hold-ups, creating them from nothing, and integrating every technique under pressure.
Intermediate Declarer Play 8 boards

Meet Our Teachers

Ready to improve your bridge game?

Download Bridge@Home and access these lessons on your phone or tablet.

Are you a bridge teacher? Publish your lessons on the Academy and start earning →