Winning Contract Bridge

I am an old bridge player. I like to play it, but I know, I play it badly. After reading some pages of Edgar Kaplan's "Winning contract bridge" I am sure, I can improve my playing. I have already used some tricks described in this book with success. The book starts with the simplest fundamentals including history of the bridge, bidding and playing for beginners and explains mainly bidding according to the American Standard. A smaller part of the book is devoted to the correct playing and defending bridge contracts. Both parts are written very thoroughly explaining both processes in detail. The work is divided in two books. The first explains the fundamentals, the second is more advanced describing some fine points both of the bidding and playing. The only methods I miss in the book is the squeeze and similar advanced practises like Vienna coup, but despite of it, I appreciate the buying of this book very much. Z. Lutovsky Czech Republic

My first forays into the game of Bridge was dismal. I read "Bridge Complete" Charles Goren, the series of books by Audrey Grant, and the more I read and studied the less I seemed to understand. I was about to throw my hands up in disgust, and walk away from the game. A friend who is a Bridge life master; gave me a little encouragement, and I tried this book, and it helped tremendously. Today I enjoy playing bridge, and I actually win the money quite often. If you are in the same position I was two years ago; GET THIS book and forget everything you read in "Audrey Grant book series", and start bidding on your strength instead of your weakness ie "dummy points" "Dummy points" are a disaster waiting for a place to happen for two reasons. 1. If you are going to add dummy points for short suits; you BETTER have more than three trump because your partner may have to play ALL of your trumps before pulling all of the trumps from your opponents, and you have none left to trump short suits. 2. If your partner changes from a Trump suit a No Trump contract; your short suits are a liability instead of a help. If you add extra points for a long suit like 7 or 8 cards in a suit; after the suit is played twice all of the little cards in that suit will take tricks in a trump bid after the trumps have been pulled, or a No Trump bid. There are only two bridge books I recommend. "Winning Contract Bridge" Edgar Kaplan "Standard Bridge Bidding: for the 21st century" Max Hardy

The fundamentals of both bidding and play are explained in clear concise terms. This is an excellent book for beginners. I have purchased several copies for friends who wanted to learn the game.

This is a very helpful, easy to read book about playing bridge. We were total beginners and this book helped a lot. I am now ordering another copy for some friends who are learning to play. Well organized, easy to follow, complete.