Although no longer commercially produced, Autobridge is a device invented in the Thirties, and still with a following, used for self-teaching bidding and play. A starter Autobridge set included the game board and deal sheets for beginning to average players or intermediate to advanced players. Additional lesson sheets on assorted topics such as deceptive plays, trump management and matchpoint tournament play were available from Parker Brothers for $2.00 a set.
Autobridge works by inserting a deal sheet into the game board so that only the player’s own cards are shown. As the deal progresses, the player finds that his bids and plays are automatically corrected, and that the bids and plays of the other players are automatically revealed. The board and deal sheets are accompanied by a booklet, in which the hands are set out and the bidding and play explained by experts.
Experts who have composed Autobridge hands include Ely and Josephine Culbertson, Albert Morehead, Richard Frey, Charles Goren, Alfred Sheinwold, Alan Truscott and Barry Rigal.
Instructions (click the image to see it in a larger, more readable size)
