1 comments about How to Win at Contract Bridge.

1. Beautiful explanation of hand valuation which has helped me atleast attain a thorough grounding of basic bridge principles. It is 2-3 years after reading this book , while playing serious bridge, that one realises the mark it is left.

2 comments about Safety Plays (Test Your Bridge Technique).

1. The hands cover a selection of problems, from card combinations, to avoiding loss of trump control, over ruffing, and other problems.
   Its not focused only on "safety plays" like how to play A9xx opposite KJxx for one loser.
   
   Overall, I liked most of the problems, and some were devious! :-)
   
   I don't think I got good value for the money because there was lots of wasted space and pages, repeating the hand. The book could have contained 50 - 72 hands in the same space/size. If the price was $6 it would be more reasonable.
   
   Worth reading, if its in the Library.



2. This book is not a tutorial on safety plays, showing step-by-step procedures for handling them. Rather, it's a collection of hands that involve safety plays, and you have to figure out what the safety play is and how to work it. You do learn something out of the book, but you don't learn what you might think you're going to learn.

2 comments about Building A Bidding System.

1. The focus is on components of bidding systems, rather than existing systems like Precision or Polish Club or 2/1.
   The book does a good job of covering bidding system components, such as relay systems, transfers, diaglogs (where both partners share information, like in Standard American), using frequency of hands to structure the responses, constructive vs. destructive bidding, preemption, complexity.
   
   while the book does a decent job covering these components I don't think it teaches the reader much on how to design their own system. Maybe that should be in another book, hopefully a sequel.
   
   I would have liked to see sections on:
   
   1) Common problems with home made systems (complexity, hidden holes, gaps, etc.). Example - introducing a weak NT to a 2/1 system. What do you have to change?
   
   2) Problems and evolutionary fixes to some modern systems. What were the initial problems of Precision, how did it evolve to corrcet them? Learning from the past to avoid future problems.
   
   3) Checklist of things to test and look out for.
   
   4) problem hands to bid. Test your system against these 100 hands to see how well you do. The hands would have a rough frequency of occurence and how well they are handled by current popular systems like 2/1, Polish Club, Precision, etc.



2. 100% worth buying.
   The book touches upon many ideas in budding systems.
   But it left me wanting more. The book is just a starting point. It wouldn't really help you much if you were designing a system.
   This book is of most value to someone who isn't familiar with several systems, philosophies, and lots of conventions.
   It brings you up to speed, but then you are left on your own to do the real work.
   It's an interesting book, but by itself wont be enough to design any worthwhile system.

1 comments about Heart Series: Introduction to Bridge Defense.

1. This is the third book in the ACBL Series by Audrey Grant. The Club Series is on bidding and the Spade Series is on Play. This books assumes that you know bidding at least equal to the first two books. This book is not easy. It takes some thinking and study. It is a thorough discussion of standard leads, signals and defensive play. Anyone who is weak in these methods can learn from this book. It does not include other signals such as Laventhal and upside down discards. To learn about these you need to get Kit Woolsley's fine book on Modern Defensive Signals. Many more advanced books on defense are available including books by Root and Kantar but this book does a great job explaining defensive philosophy to novices.

No comments about Advanced & Duplicate Bridge Student Text.

No comments about Murder at the Bridge Table.

2 comments about Countdown to Winning Bridge.

1. The single most important skill in bridge is the ability to count the hands. Tips and techniques used by experts to "know" where every card is. This book is certain to improve your play and defense.



2. This may be the best book I've read on card placement and deduction, even better than Mike Lawrence's HOW TO READ YOUR OPPONENTS CARDS. And thats saying a lot because How To Read is a great book.
   
   This book has many examples, and covers a wide range of inferential topics. There are sections for defenders, and how to confuse and mislead the opponents. You are really given the tools to solve a great number of hands. Its more than just counting, its using that information, and thinking about what the opponents might have done.

3 comments about Demon Defense And Demon Doubling: Defend With Skill And Double For Keeps.

1. Good, logical progression from the basics of good defense to higher-level principles that manage to avoid being gimmicky. Not a compendium of all bridge knowledge, obvioulsy, but worth several hours of study--and enjoyment. Hope we see more books by Boehm.



2. Having enjoyed Mr. Boehme's other book, Private Sessions, I was looking forward to more. I was not disappointed, although this new book is much more for intermediate (or advanced intermediate) players. The book is well written and logically organized along the lines of Mr. Boehme's teacher-student dialogues. The quizes in the middle and at the end provide a good opportunity for the vicarious student (i.e., the reader) to self-test the knowledge acquired.



3. Are you fed up with iopponents weak (awful) overcalls?
   This is the book for you!
   
   Great Intermediate level book on when to convert Takeout and Negative Doubles to Penalty doubles, as opposed to bidding 3NT or a new suit.
   
   The style is entertaining, with a ficticious student, progressing through some lessons and table experiences. You are shown some hands and asked what to bid (pass for Penalty or bid something), then how you would lead and play teh hand as the dummy comes down. Then teh author reveals the hand and explains some of the pitfalls, and the optimal way to gain every trick.
   
   This is highly practical and can easily be applied.
   
   What was especially interesting is the overcalls (that went for -500 or -800) used in the book were sound! None of these stupid 2 Diamond overcalls on KJxxx. These were sound and still got murdered through proper defense.
   
   The crappy overcalls will go for even more.
   
   There are 2 types of penalty doubles - those based on trump tricks (even A 10 9 8 - which can benefit from trump promotion), and thos ebased on high cards.
   The author discusses how to handle low level penalty doubles vs. high level doubles.
   At the lower levels you want to cash your side suit winners, while keeping an eye on dummys ruffing potential.
   At the higher level you want to pull trumps fast since you ahve the balance of points.
   
   The authors other book (Private Sessions) is also excellent. Very well presented.

2 comments about The Bridge Player's Comprehensive Guide to Defense.

1. I have improved a lot after I got this book. It's very good for advanced players.



2. For Intermediate Plus/Advanced players.
   Perhaps 350 problems in 24 chapters covering all aspects of defense. You will be exposed to many types/categories of defensive problems. Such as:
   
   - opening leads
   - signaling
   - inferences from bidding (shape, HCP)
   - counting the hand (shape, HCP)
   - avoiding end plays
   - 2nd hand High
   - Ducking
   - Giving Declarer a losing option
   - Carding technique (pinning/smother play)
   
   Many of the hands took me several minutes to think about.
   Not that I could do that at the table, but it helps focus you on what the correct thought processes are.
   
   Very worthwhile book

No comments about The Golden Rules of Constructive Bidding (Master Bridge Series).