How Do You Play Bridge With Friends Online?

Why Play Privately Instead of Joining a Public Table?

Public tables on any platform match you with strangers, which is fine for practice but is not the same as your regular Tuesday four. A private table keeps the game closed: only the people you invite can sit down, kibitz, or even see the game is happening. That matters if you want to keep an established partnership together, run a family game across different cities, or simply avoid playing against opponents you do not know.

The good news is that setting one up takes only a couple of minutes on either of the two platforms most people use for this: Bridge Base Online (BBO) and RealBridge. They serve slightly different needs, so the right choice depends on what you want from the evening.

How Do You Set Up a Private Table on BBO?

BBO is free, has no software to install, and is the easiest way to get a private game running with people who already have a login. Here is the process from start to finish.

1. Make sure everyone has a free BBO account. Each of your three friends needs their own username, which takes under a minute to create at bridgebase.com.
2. Go to the Casual area and start a table. From the main lobby, choose to host a new table rather than joining an open one.
3. Set the table to invitation only. This stops random players from wandering in while you wait for your group.
4. Invite your friends by username, or reserve their seats. You can type in their BBO names directly, or leave seats reserved so only they can claim them.
5. Agree who plays which hand and start dealing. Once all four are seated, the auction begins exactly as it would at a physical table.

Because BBO is text-chat only, many groups open a separate voice call, on the phone or a video app, running alongside the game so the conversation flows the way it would at a club.

How Do You Set Up a Private Table on RealBridge?

RealBridge is built specifically to recreate the feel of a club table, with live video and voice for every player, so it is worth the small amount of extra setup if your group values seeing each other while you play.

1. One person creates the session as the organiser. This is usually whoever is hosting or running the game that week.
2. The organiser sets the date, time and deals the boards. RealBridge can generate hands automatically or use a saved set.
3. Share the session link with your three friends. No RealBridge account is required for players to join through the link.
4. Everyone clicks the link and allows camera and microphone access. This takes seconds and needs no software download.
5. The table opens with all four players visible on video. Bidding and play work like any other online table, with live conversation throughout.

Because there is nothing to install and no account required for guests, RealBridge is often the simplest option for friends or family who are not regular online bridge players.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

What If Someone Can't Make It?

Every group runs into this eventually: three players are ready and the fourth cancels at the last minute. On BBO, you can open your reserved seat to the public just for that session, which usually fills within a few minutes given the size of the player base. On RealBridge, some organisers keep a short list of willing substitutes among their wider club or family network and simply send the session link to whoever is free. Neither situation should cancel your evening.

Do You Need to Agree on Bidding Conventions First?

If your group has played together before, whatever agreements you already use at the table carry over online exactly as they are. If you are forming a new online group, it is worth a five-minute chat beforehand about the basics: which conventions you are using for no-trump openings and slam tries, so nobody is caught out mid-auction. Our conventions hub covers the most common agreements if your group wants to standardise before the first session.