Barbara Seagram, one of the most admired writers in the bridge world and one of the most generous supporters of the game, is conducting an online seminar on August 11 (full information at mkt.com/stpetebridge) for the benefit of the St. Petersburg Bridge Club, where she has been a member and supporter for many years. She recently took the time to sit down with club member Dar Webb (the originator of the Quick Reference Decks) to talk about how the pandemic is affecting bridge and her charitable activities.

Dar Webb: Good morning, Barbara, and thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. It’s always such a pleasure to talk to you about this great game we both enjoy so much.

You have moved boldly into the new model for teaching bridge, using an online Zoom room. I attended one of your seminars a few weeks ago and noticed that you had more than 370 people online at once. From the comments posted, I could tell that all the attendees were thrilled with the seminar. How is it for you, teaching online?

Barbara Seagram: I started teaching on Zoom at end of April. It has been a huge learning curve. Most days there are 450-500 people. The first one was too crazy. I couldn’t mute everyone and we could hear slurping coffee, a toilet flushing, people eating breakfast. It was a zoo. I literally held up sheets of white cardboard as I did not know how to put these things on to the screen. I have now studied and have learned a lot.

Teaching online has been a non-stop learning curve re the technical aspect of it all. I have two volunteers a week who help those who cannot see or cannot hear and they fix the glitches but aside from that I handle all the tech aspects. The prep is endless and consumes me for a whole week. SO much work. But it is getting more and more effective and now I am really into the swing of it all. I teach on Zoom every Wednesday at 4 pm Eastern.

DW: It’s clear, we’ll be doing distance teaching online even after the pandemic threat diminishes. Do you see other changes in the bridge world? Do you think the game will change? Will bridge clubs do things differently? What changes will we have to make?

BS: I truly hope we can all get back to face-to-face bridge. In the meantime, I implore people to say hello when they arrive at a table in BBO.

Back at the club, we will have to have hand sanitizer on every table, insist on masks, and insist that people sanitize and wash their hands often and well. Maybe we take temperatures at the door. We will have to spread out tables and not have full houses. One club I know of has plexi glass screens but this is expensive. Clubs would be wise to continue some online presence, perhaps in the evenings? Until a vaccine is developed anyway. I do think people will embrace the idea of all getting back together to see their friends. This is the best game in the world and we are so lucky to have all been able to play throughout Covid times. Hurrah for BBO and ACBL for upgrading their platform and accommodating us all so that clubs can benefit from the revenues. Most of all, we have taken so much for granted for so long. We are so lucky both in Canada and in USA. Spoiled rotten really. I think we will appreciate each other and the privilege of face-to-face bridge when we all get back together. 

DW: You are known throughout the bridge world for your devotion to charitable causes, and especially your support for schools and other needs in Cambodia and Laos. How are they doing?

BS: In April, May and June, all funds raised went to our Cambodia project. In 10 weeks, we raised $50,000.00 CAD. The bridge world has been so generous. Cambodia is our main responsibility. We now have five schools that we have built and sustain in remote villages in Cambodia. We also have outreach programs for landmine victims and others. Anyone interested in our program can contact me at barbaraseagram@gmail.com. People can donate on our website at www.barbaraseagram.com

Both countries are handling Covid-19 successfully. Our schools are closed but we continue to pay our teachers and directors full salary. We have 16 full time Khmer employees. Every dime raised goes to the cause. We have no administration fees. All volunteers pay their own air, accommodation and meals. In Laos, we fundraise for hundreds of water filters in remote villages. We work with Adopt A Village in Laos.

DW: These days, developing players don’t have access to mentors or the kind of casual learning opportunity that used to happen at the table after a particularly interesting hand. Do you have any advice for developing players who have to grow their games without these opportunities?

BS: I would guess that many teachers are willing to answer emails with questions from students. I know that pre-Covid 19, I answered 200 emails a day. Now it is 400-500 a day. It does take hours but I never mind doing this. I would recommend taking online lessons. Merry Schainblatt is doing a wonderful job teaching at the St. Pete club; I would highly recommend that novices and intermediates sign up for her online lessons (contact her at mschainblatt@gmail.com).

DW: Opening leads are probably something every player should review regularly. On August 11 you will conduct a seminar, “Opening Leads,” to benefit the St. Petersburg Bridge Club, which we appreciate more than you can imagine. Thank you a hundred times, Barbara, for donating this seminar to the club and for all you have done for us and for the world of bridge. You are the greatest!

BS: This is one of our very favorite bridge clubs anywhere. It is my pleasure to be able to help a bit. Thank you, Dar and Joanne Wharton for making this possible. Thank you to Mike Jacobs and Carol Garnett for doing this extraordinary newsletter every month.

Click here to register for “Opening Leads,”
a two-hour online seminar by Barbara Seagram,
Tuesday, August 11, 4 to 6 pm Eastern time.
Just $20, the seminar is a fundraiser for the St. Petersburg Bridge Club.
Email stpetebridge@gmail.com for more information.

Barbara Seagram is one of North America's leading bridge teachers. Her 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know has sold over 300,000 copies in English alone. David Bird co-authors with Barbara and is one of the world's best-known bridge writers, with more than 135 books to his credit.

Barbara has a School of Bridge in Toronto, and has won several awards for teaching. She and her husband have travelled to 168 countries. Seagram and her colleague Patti Lee, with the support of the bridge community, have now built and sustain 5 schools in Cambodia, and have supplied hundreds of water filters to remote villages in Laos.

Dar Webb plays at the St. Petersburg Bridge Club when it is not closed due to pandemics. She is the author, along with Bob Vollbracht, of the Quick Reference Deck series, published by the St. Petersurg Bridge Club. The series, which premiered in 2015, now includes Welcome to Bridge, Basic Bridge, Intermediate Bridge, Doubles and Redoubles, Two-Over-One Toolkit, and Guidelines for a Great Game. Each deck includes about 30 loose-leaf index cards, each devoted to a single concept or convention.