[kenberg]

Many have already commented on Reese-Jourdain, and on Love. I like both books very much. R-J is more intuitive, L writes like a mathematician (which he was and I am).

Here is one piece of advice from Love, which anyone can learn and will often help even if the player finds the general study too much: Running your trumps, ALL of them, will often produce an extra trick. In many, many hands I watch my partner, the declarer, run all the trumps but one, cash the tops in the side suits, then the last trump, then give up the last trick. In quite a few of these hands, cashing the last trump earlier would cause a trick to simply fall into declarer's lap. Of course this isn't always right, maybe the tops in one of the side suits should be cashed first, but cashing all tops and then the last trump, hoping opponents will just toss wrong, seldom works.

I read Love a long time ago. It forced me to think about the play of the hand in a different way. This may be the most valuable feature of the book. I always enjoy Reese.

Ken

[Chamaco]

"Opening lead" by Tony Sowter.

Much better than any other opening book I had read before:
- Ewen's book
- Blackwood's book
- Lawrence's book (Opening leads)
- Lebel's book (The killing lead)
- other card play/defense books (e.g. Kantar books on defense, Mollo, Bil Root's books, Watson's play of the hand, etc etc)


In particular, it is especially helpful the section designed to explain when to make an aggressive lead or a passive lead

[ArcLight]

Uncontested Auction: Mike Lawrences Bidding Quizzes #1

Mike Lawrence has his own version of the 2/1 system, presented in his 2/1 CD and also in his 2/1 Workbook. 2/1 is complex and even with study you make not always make the right bids. (Lawrences methods have a few differences from those of Hardy)

This book has around 600 bidding sequences and hands and asks you what to bid. It explains why a bid is good and why others are bad. A great way to reinforce your understanding of the system. What makes the book valuable is it doesn't just show easy auctions, it shows someone in between hands. The reader learns how to interpret what an unusual bid can mean. The problems cover both declarer and responder bids, up to the 4 level.

Great book, I rate it an A (if you are interested in 2/1).

[ArcLight]

Building a Bidding System by Roy Hughes

A good overview of bidding methodologies and theory.
It covers:
relays - one side, asking for info
transfers -
dialogs - balanced transfer of info

Frequency of occurences of bids and useful bidding spce. Hence you should design the system with the more frequent bids having a lower value.

Slam Bidding, Constructive bidding, Destructive bidding.
Modern things like transfer advances and preempts. Their strengths and weaknesses.

It also has a short discussion of several popular systems (MOSCITO, SA, PRECISION, Polish Club). The author also presents a home made system.

Its a decent book, and I rate it a B.

To earn an A it would have had to have a section like "Common problems" or "what to look out for" when you design your own system. The book doesn't give me enough knowledge to design a system. It gives just enough knowldge to be "dangerous". I would like to have seen things like:

1) how Precision was refined and what its early problems were (and how system designers could avoid them)

2) be taught enough to evaluate a new system with holes. (either my own or someone elses)

A while back ZAR presented his ZAR Backbone bidding system. Some of the members here felt there were problems. I think some of the things they didnt like were:

a) an in bewteen bid (1D) halfway bewteen an opening bid, and a strong bid (like a 2 Club in SAYC).

the vulnerability to this system to interverence because you hadn't yet determined shape and fit

c) perhaps some NT issue.

It would be nice to have the author take us through some evaluative steps.

3) A "Check list" of evaluative steps to see if a sytem is robust.

What I'm asking is A LOT and would require another book.
The current book is good, but its just an introduction, like Building A Bidding System 101. I want to see BABS 201 and 301 and 401.

I've not seen any book like it. I found it far better than "Theory of Bidding" by Norman Squire.

[mike777]

Bridge Additions96 144 pages.
Matthew Granovetter

On sale for 10$ including shipping.
Grade=A-

A short book and a fast read.
Very short articles on a wide range of conventions, leads and carding subjects.
Great short articles on Robot Leads and the Nothing System .

[ArcLight]

True Bridge Humor by Mike Lawrence

This is the only Mike Lawrence book I've read that I thought was bad. There are a few funny quips, but by and large I didn'y find the situations all that humorous. At least it was short. Play Bridge with Mike Lawrence is funnier than this, and thats a fictional representation of events.

I rate it a D. Anyone want to buy my copy? I'll trade it for almost anything (like Mike Lawrences book on Scrabble) and throw in "The Theory of Bidding" by Norman Squire (from the Library of Albert Moorehead). I've also got "common Sense Bidding" by Bill Root and "Play of the Hand" by Watson to trade.


I'm finishing up Tony Sowters "Bridge" Improve Your Defense". Its a good book. Clearly written (Chamaco should like that!). Based on the first chapter on opening leads I will definitely buy Sowters book "Opening Leads in Bridge" recommended by Chamaco a few posts above.

[mike777]

Gee I love Root's and Watson's book. Reading workbook 2/1..ya I know 18 years old but never read it...I vote this the worst Lawrence book so far but not done yet so will withhold judgement. BTW I would rate both Root and Watson A+ and I am tough grader . How the heck did this Lawrence book set off a revolution in ACBL land? If I did not have both those books and read them many times I would trade in a second.

Both Root's "standard" bidding book and Watson's play book are classics and a must for any serious bridge player. Trade Now!

[ArcLight]

Roots Bidding book is good, I never said it wasnt. But I dont want it anymore. I (think) I know the material, and I never look through it anymore. (Roots books on Bidding Conventions and play are excellent).
Same for the Watson book because I have Mollos book, and a bunch of Reese books. I'll never look at the Squire book again.


I read Mike Lawrences 2/1 system book after doing his 2/1 CD so I got a bit out of the book. But it was kind of a hodge podge of things. I took 9 pages of 2/1 system notes in MS Word off his 2/1 CD and book. HIs Uncontested Auctions is a great book.

It would have helped A LOT had he had some kind of summary.

[Chamaco]

Quote

Roots book is good, I never said it wasnt.  But I dont want it anymore.

Are we talking of Root's books on bidding or of card play ?
I still like to open some pages at random of the card play books once in a while... and it sure is not worse than many quizbooks.
All in all, I'd say it still VERY useful, IMO much more than Watson's book.

But I consider Root's book on bidding more of a tool for novices/beginners than something I'd reread now.

Quote

I read Mike Lawrences 2/1 system  book after doing his 2/1 CD so I got a bit out of the book.  But it was kind of a hodge podge of things.  I took 9 pages of 2/1 system notes in MS Word off his 2/1 CD and book.  HIs Uncontested Auctions is a great book.

It would have helped A LOT had he had some kind of summary.

Yes, that's the problem of ML's books: lack of a systematic approach.
At first this drove me crazy.
But once I got used to it, it became just like reading tales: every hand is a different story, not a chapter of a bidding system.

ML is "teaching by examples", and in this respect, th "Uncontested auction" book is much better than the 2/1 workbook for a very simple reason: there are more example hands :-)

ML's books on bidding are hardly comparable with other systems books because he rather teaches judgment than the system itself.
In my view, his books might be compared to Marshall Miles' or Woolsey's books , but not to Bil Root's book on Modern bidding.

Just my 2 cents :-)

[ArcLight]

The No Trump Zone by Danny Kleinman

In depth coverage of the strengths and weaknesses of the different NT ranges. Not just obvious things like HCP, but what are the implications. What does this do to your other bids? What should an NT bid look like, pattern, rebid problems, implications. The author seems fair and reasonable in his arguments and presents both sides.

The author seems to know the history of Bridge and bidding and conventions very well, as he explains how things developed over time.

Although I don't agree with everything, the guy REALLY knows his stuff. This is a fantastic book for anyone designing a bidding system. Its a bit heavy and theoretical for non advanced players. He gives a lot of conventions, and his suggested improvements, even Cappelletti. (Ben should like this book!)
The downside is most partnerships will never use them, and thats more than half the book. A lot of food for thought and issues to consider.

Interesting book for advanced players or established partnerships.
I rate it a C for intermediates and an A for advanced players and system designers. This is probably of more use to them than Roy Hughes "Building a bidding system". Its a very good book, but a bit theoretical. I'd like to have seen more quizzes.

[CarlRitner]

ArcLight, on Oct 21 2005, 10:58 PM, said:

Although I don't agree with everything, the guy REALLY knows his stuff. This is a fantastic book for anyone designing a bidding system.

I rate it a C for intermediates and an A for advanced players and system designers. This is probably of more use to them than Roy Hughes "Building a bidding system".

I agree with your observations, and thanks for all of the thoughtful reviews.

This is Danny's 23rd or so book, but the first one not privately published. The rest of his material is equally as interesting, but it's hard to find.

Danny is a bidding theorist that deserves to get more of his material into the mainstream, so I'm looking forward to the re-issue of a lot of his earlier titles.

Cheers,
Carl Ritner

www.carlritner.com

[ArcLight]

Bridge Odds for Practical Players by Hugh Kelsey.

Very good book, quite clear. Some id pretty obvious, some less so. While Kelsey discusses how to calculate probabilities, he also shows how to use some quick and dirty estimates at the table to improve your chances 3%-15% here and there. Overall I'm not sure how much it will help your play, but its well written and interesting. Worth reading.

* Percentage Play - suit combinations

* Combining Changes - proper sequencing of suits. Ex. How do you play this?
6NT West leads the ♠J

---

Win the ♠Ace and run the ♦J, right? It wins when:
♦K is with East = 50% +
♦2-2, K with West, and Heart finesse wins = 10%
for a total of 60%!



Wrong!


Win the ♠A, finesse the ♥J. If it loses you have 2 entries to Dummy for ♦ finesses. If the ♥J wins, you can lead the ♦Q from hand. If the K doesnt appear, unblock ♣ and lead the ♦10. If West is void in ♦ use the A♣ as an entry and pick up the entire ♦ suit

♥J loses but ♦ finesse right (50% x 50%) = 25% +
♥J wins and West doesnt have all 4♦ with 4+♣ (50% x 98%) = 49%
=74%


* Care of Options - playing in such a way that the opponents dont force you to make a decision before you have more data.

* Changing the odds - Length & Shortage
A K Q T x vs. x x


* Vacant Places - how to use this properly, pitfalls players fall into. Such as when a player is forced to make discards, counting them against the vacant spaces and thinking the other defender is now more likely to hold some missing Queen.

* Freedom of Choice (aka Restricted Choice or Bayes Theorem)

[MickyB]

In general it is a very good book, but some of the stuff on vacant spaces is wrong. Have a look at this thread - the book recommended playing the opening leader for the Q♣ because he would have less diamonds.

Edit: that should have said "opening leader's partner"

This post has been edited by MickyB: 2005-October-28, 09:52

[ArcLight]

>the book recommended playing the opening leader for the Q♣ because he would have less diamonds.

Page 90 - the author says the PARTNER of the opening leader (EAST) will be more likely to have the Q♣. Thats because West had 4 ♦ to Easts 1♦. Thus West has 9 vacant spaces to Easts 12. Hence the odds are 4 to 3 that East has the Q given no other information.

However, there are other factors, such as the bidding and distribution in other suits. The author would say to first explore them, as the odds may change.
He would not say "blindly take the 4/3 chance".

In this example, one might think that West would lead a 4 card major over a minor. If thats so, then its likely West has the Q because East has 8+ cards in the majors.

But the emphasis was on vacant spaces based on cards played, not deductive reasoning based on what West probably should have lead. (The author has a book on that too).

Maybe West had a hunch that his Jxxx in Hearts would be a bad lead?
Maybe your partnership doesn't use Stayman, so the West is unsure that you have a major shortage.
Maybe you almost always open 5 card majos as 1NT, etc.

Again, the point the author was making is given the info available, not counting deductive reasoning.

[MickyB]

Sorry, I managed to write completely the opposite of what I meant then!

Obviously, it should have said that he suggested playing the PARTNER of the opening leader for the Q♣ because he would have FEWER diamonds

[MickyB]

Right, I've found the book now.

I agree with what you say, but I feel that the author should have explained the difference between information you discover yourself and information the opponents give you; and if he didn't want to get into that, he should at least not have used hands like this as examples. Still, it is well worth a read.

[mike777]

Have just reread a couple of older books by Miles.

Bridge From the Top I, 1987, Marshall Miles, 300 pages.
Grade=B

Good overview of bidding styles, recommended conventions and competitive bidding in the 80's. A bit out of date but an interesting read.

Bridge From the Top II, 1989, 260 pages.
Grade=B

Discusses Blue Team Club, Precision and Schenken in some detail. Second half discusses defense and signaling. Again a bit out of date but worth a read.

[Flame]

The Art of psychic bidding by Julian Pottage & Petter Burrows
The main part of the Book give you many examples of real psychs that took place on world class games. There are other discussion but they werent arent interesting to me.
Its nice to read the examples and you might even learn something but at the end you dont get the right tools to make you a good psycher.

[Flame]

Dynamic defence by mike lawrence
This isnt a quiz defence book like most, mike take you step by step into the diffence, which is much more like real life diffence.
The hands arent supper hard, which again make this more of a real hand bridge book.
GRade A for intermidiate and above