1. Personal Details
2. Player
3. Teacher
4. Director
5. Author
6. Miscellaneous
8. Home Page

Personal Details

• JOHN PROBST

• Email John: john [nospam] at asimere dot com

• 451 Mile End Road
• London E3 4PA

• See London map, enter reference 536660,182620

• Tel/Fax 020-8980 4947
• Tel 020-8983 5818

• Date of Birth : 30 March 1948
• English, Married
• Full Car & M/cycle licence

Player

Learnt Bridge at my Mother's knee, but didn't take it up seriously until after I left University. Joined the Young Chelsea in 1971, since when it's been downhill! Won the Master's Pairs twice in the 1980s, when it was a 3-centre event with 80 + tables, with different partners. Sundry County Championship wins. Now prefer teams and play at County level.

• Available for professional sesssions in London, rates on demand.
• Systems spoken: Acol, Standard, Precision, Blue Club, Maj 5me, and others.
• Favourite Partners: Damian Hassan (Proddy), Tim West-Meads (TimWM) and Gordon Rainsford (GordonR)

Teacher

Became an EBU accredited Teacher in 1976, since when I've taught well over 1000 players. Believe that the purpose of teaching bridge is to allow people to play social bridge with their friends, and that Tournament Bridge is something people can come to if they choose. Believe also that supervised practice after a foundation course is the best way to make sure that plyers start off with good habits and get the best from the game.

Also run intermediate and advanced courses based on pre-set hands to illustrate the points given in the lesson. See little point in teaching advanced conventions to novices or intermediates. I like to concentrate on the fundamentals of good technique, both in the bidding and the play.

• Rates available for small groups, 1-on-1 and groups on demand.
• Favourite system for teaching: There's nothing easier to teach than Acol.

Director

Have been directing for about 10 years and am on the Panel of EBU Tournament Directors. This group of Directors are considered by many to be the best trained and most consistent group of Directors in the world.

Director for the Premier League organised by the BBL, with significant exposure to playing with Screens and ruling a game consisting of International standard players. Generally considered by top players to be firm, fair and friendly. Believe that Novices should be educated rather than punished, within the scope of the Laws.

Contributor to the Bridge Laws Mailing List, which I consider to be one of the toughest training courses available.

Available as Chief TD for County events of any sort, with own Scoring system and options on bringing the infamous "Caddy Pack" who are rated as 2 of the best caddies in England. (Diana has rescued a movement on one occasion just by being observant and asking a TD to check).

Favourite Directors:

David Stevenson for Law interpretation

Mike Amos for his sense of humour

Author

Frequent contributor to the EBU magazine "English Bridge" and other UK publications.

Write the Series "What the Director Sees" which sets out to amuse and to educate. The articles provide the bridge players with a Tournament Director's View of Tournament Bridge and frequently take a common misunderstanding amongst players and discuss it in a relaxed style.

Occasional contributions on theory of bidding and other topics published in IPBM.

Miscellaneous

Scoring programs

Author of several Scoring programs with high functionality and user-friendliness.

Favourite Auction

West	-	East	-
Proddy	-	Me	-
AQxx		Kxx	-
x		xxxx	-
AKQxx		xxxxx	-
Axx		x	-
-	-	-	-
1	-	1	Precision
2	-	4	Splinter, values for 4-level
4	-	4	Cue, well I'd better show my values
6	-	End	+920 -420
-	-	Gold Cup 3rd round 1995, won by 1 imp

West	-	East	-
TimWM	-	Me	-
Qx		AKJx	-
xx		xx	-
AJxxx		KQxx	-
KQxx		AJx	-
-	-	-	-
1NT	-	2	ostensibly Stayman
2	-	2NT	bid your fragments
3	-	3	fragments (non dbltns)
3	-	4	Qx is enough 4S assumed a 4-3 fit
-	-	2004, BridgeClubLive!, a pairs top