Dennis teaches one class on a specific topic each morning for about 2½ hours. Usually the topic is defense, sometimes declarer play. The goal is to teach you how to think at the bridge table.
You cannot play this game by memorizing a lot of rules! There are just too many exceptions, and in the heat of battle the rules you have so faithfully memorized often go flying out the window. Instead you need to learn how to analyze each situation logically, one step at a time, developing a process that you can use on every hand you play. This adds tremendously to your enjoyment of the game and to your confidence.
He speaks for about 15 to 30 minutes, then each table simultaneously plays pre-duplicated hands designed to illustrate the topic. When all the tables are done with each hand, everyone puts his or her cards face up on the table and we discuss the bidding, play, and defense. This leads to questions on many different aspects of the game.
These classes attract people with widely different levels of experience. The hands are challenging enough so that even very experienced players do not get most of them right, but at the same time they are easy enough to explain so that even very new players can understand the thought process.
Dean runs relaxed duplicate games in the afternoons and evenings, coupled with shorter lessons to reinforce the morning's topic.
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