Mentors are experienced players willing to donate their time back to the game they love to help bring a new generation into the game of bridge. Mentors agree to play at least one one-hour learning session with their adopted learner per week (an average); answer questions via e-mail; and generally support their learner’s bridge education process. Experience, patience, interest and humor are important characteristics of the successful mentor.

In this program, which is active on OKbridge, The Fifth Chair Foundation assists mentors and novices in forming relationships to further the participants’ bridge understanding.

To volunteer to be a mentor, please contact us and tell us a bit about your bridge experience, language fluency and availability.

Program Info and Recommendations

Team Games
Program

Mentor-Novice
Tournament
Program

BBO 2/1
Teaching Table

Other Programs

Mentor Program Info & Recommendations

1. Mentors are intermediate-plus, advanced and expert bridge players who wish to give back to this wonderful game by helping those who are learning. Mentors agree to play an average of one one-hour session (or more/longer!) per week with their adopted novice, answer questions and generally support their novice’s learning process. It is suggested that mentors schedule the first mentoring session within one week of receiving an assignment.

2. Mentors and learners should log the hands played so questions, explanations, thoughts and suggestions can be e-mailed back and forth with a common frame of reference.

3. To give the learner a good workout during playing sessions, it is suggested that bidding proceed as normal, but that the novice sits in the declarer’s seat for all the pair’s contracts.
    
4. Humor, fun and patience are key elements of successful mentoring.
   
   
5. Fifth Chair does NOT in any way investigate the mentors and learners that take part in this program. The foundation, including its volunteers, officers and directors, accepts NO liability for the conduct of program participants. Online bridge is like other online communication services - people can and do misrepresent themselves in order to take advantage of the unsuspecting, sometimes resulting in unfortunate financial, emotional and physical consequences. Online bridge players, mentors and learners alike, are encouraged to be extremely cautious in disclosing personal information to others on the Internet.
   

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In this innovative program learners bid and play hands in a team game format with follow-up commentary by an expert at each table. This also offers the learners an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers immediately following each hand. Table managers seat players and kibitzers are welcome.

On OKbridge, Fifth Chair sponsors two separate team games, one for novices and another for intermediate players. 

OKbridge Novice SAYC Team Game Schedule*:
Team games are on Saturdays at 8 am Pacific Daylight Time
April – October: 7 hours after GMT
November – March: 8 hours after GMT

OKbridge Intermediate 2/1 Team Game Schedule:
Saturdays, 1:30 pm Pacific Daylight Time

*Please note that this team game is for novices working to improve their use of Standard American Yellow Card. Reservations are not taken prior to the game and all seating is handled by table managers.

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On OKbridge twice a month mentors and their adopted novices compete head-on in special tournaments. These events give novices a chance to test their developing skills against a more even playing field and are enormous fun for all participants. These free tournaments are 20 boards and afterwards participants receive an e-mail outline of all hands played.

OKbridge Mentor-Novice Tourney Schedule:
Second Thursday of each month, 6 pm Pacific Daylight Time
Third Saturday of each month, 3 pm Pacific Daylight Time

The rules of contest: Each partnership must be made up of one player with stats below 50%.  Partnerships of two players below 50% stats are also welcome. All OKbridge convention cards are allowed, but no other conventions.

If you want to play in this tournament and your novice or mentor cannot play, OR you do not have a mentor, join the partnership desk 15 minutes before the game.

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A one hour playing session for those who want to learn the 2/1 system with Teacher commentary and rotation of players so more participants get a chance to play. Learners have the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers after each hand.

Saturday - 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight TIme - Bridge Base Online (in the Relaxed Bridge Club)
Host/Teacher: Dan Neill, djneill on BBO

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Fifth Chair Trophy
Every year The Fifth Chair Foundation awards the only major trophy given in a novice event at the Spring NABC to the winning pair in the national 49ers event.

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