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Product Details:
Author:
Larry Cohen
Paperback:
264 pages
Publisher:
Jordan Press
Publication Date:
1996-09
Language:
English
ISBN:
0966116704
Package Length:
9.88 inches
Package Width:
7.0 inches
Package Height:
0.71 inches
Package Weight:
1.37 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 10 reviews
Description:
This book represents the best thinking of experts on every aspect of the game ... how they bid, play hands, defend, choose leads and decide when and when not to double. Special coverage is given also to team games, building successful partnerships and conventions most regularly used by experts. Finally, there is a designated self-study program to help you be the very best you can be. The unique things about this book are that:
(1) It is the first book in 40 years to deal with the entire game of bridge.
(2) It represents the modern thinking of today's experts who win national championships.
(3) It is especially well-organized and easy to read.
For these reasons the book received the "1997 Book of the Year" award from the American Bridge Teacher's Association and continues to be a best-seller at national tournaments.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Good overview if you don't read bridge booksOct 28, 2007 If you do reead bridge books there is nothing new here, and its just a summary of what you ahev already read.
This is a great book for thos ewho have not played in 30 years and are unaware of "modern" trends in bridge. For most of you thats not reson enough to buy this book.
Its not terrible, just not of much worth, at lest not enough to justify the purchase.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great Intermediate Level BookApr 11, 2007 This is a great intermediate level book for people wanting to take their game to the next level. It has a great study guide at the back that should really help you as well. Like all good bridge books this one focuses on the logic behind the decisions. It shows you how experts think about the game and how to recognize and make strategic decisions.
My one gripe is that the bibliography on bidding is a bit sparse. It includes some very simple books and some very advanced ones, but doesn't have anything to help you make the transition. Here are my suggestions for taking your bidding to the next level:
Most tournament players in the US use a system called Two-over-one. Hall lists the "bible" on the method in his bibliography, but doesn't list any of the books designed to help you learn and use it. I suggest:
Bridge: 25 Steps to learning 2/1
Workbook on the Two Over One System
The first book will walk you through learning the system and the Lawrence book will help you and your partner use the system effectively. It may be useful to get a book on tournament conventions while reading these books (Root & Pavlicek have one and Segram & Smith have a 2 volume set; both are useful; the R&P tend to have more thorough explanations, but S&S is more complete.)
The other problem with the Hall biblography is that while 2/1 is popular among US tournament players, it generally isn't used by the top-tier players. Honestly, the Precision system used by those experts is much easier to use than 2/1, it's just not popular here in the US for some reason. I suggest that you learn it if you are a serious tournament player with a regular partner; it is much better than 2/1 and takes less time to master. Books to help:
Natural precision: Effective, aggressive, but natural precision bidding, Precision in the 90s, Precision Today: Your Guide To Learning The System -- Or Fine-Tuning Your Precision Partnership. The Brown book is short and sweet and could be used by any partnership that knows the basics of bridge. The Rigal book is a bit more advanced, but it has better coverage of the system. Precision Today is targeted at near-experts, but the first several chapters mirror the Rigal book (the latter chapters do as well, but you should stay away from the "advanced" section of the Rigal book until you are a much better player.)
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Good all around coverageDec 26, 2006 The book covers a variety of topics, and discusses changes to the game over the last 25 years (as of the publication date).
Its not going to teach you all that much. Instead it will make you aware of things you may not have known about, and you will then need to get some books to adress those subjects.
Its good, but not great. No way is it a 5 star book.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Fair Intermediate Level bookJul 10, 2006 Its a good overview for Intermedaite level players that are somewhat isolated and haven't heard about Bridge innovations of the last 20-30 years.
Not a bad book. But if you are familiar with modern bridge, and have read other books, there will not be much new here.
All in all its OK, its not a great book by any means.
5 Stars? I'm curious what those reviewers would conside a 3 star book.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Pure DynamiteMar 15, 2006 This book outlines all the strategies required to succeed in tournament bridge play. The book focuses primarily on matchpoint events, but has an excellent chapter on team play. Each chapter includes a nice set of exercises that test the reader's understanding of the material presented.
One minor weakness is that the book describes the "5 Lines of Defense" (active, passive, forcing, defensive trump tricks, and cutting down ruffs), but overlooks a sixth strategy - killing the dummy (for an example of this type of play, see the Merrimac Coup).
All in all, I'm glad I bought this book, and I figure I have won a lot more bridge events because of it!
based on 10 reviews
