HOW TO PLAY AND WIN AT BRIDGE

Bridge and poker are considered the world's greatest card games and for the bridge enthusiast there is no competition for the top spot. Poker is about gambling but Bridge is an intellectual pleasure, with social benefits deriving from a strong relationship with your regular partners. For Bridge enthusiasts the game is a way of life. This book assumes that the reader is starting from scratch and the early chapters explain the basics, but later sections incorporate advanced moves and an analysis of championship games by top players. David Bird has written over 100 books and has contributed regularly to Bridge columns in the press. The game developed from Whist at the end of the 19th century, and Auction Bridge, the modern game, is the result of changes made to the scoring method by Harold Vanderbilt in 1925. Following his rules, the element of skill was greatly increased because a partnership had to assess accurately the trick-taking potential of their two hands together. The game was popularised by Ely Culbertson, a refugee from the Russian Revolution, who realised there was a business opportunity, supported by his chic wife who was herself a keen player. Culbertson's reputation was consolidated in 1931 by a showcase match against the celebrated Sidney Lenz. After three chapters on basic bidding, card play and defence, the author moves on to intermediate skills involving slams, doubles, dummies, ruffs and cross-ruffs, and choosing an active or passive defence. Advanced bidding includes manoeuvres such as two-suited overcalls, splinter bids and lead-directing doubles, all with full illustration from actual games. A section on famous players features Omar Sharif, Helen Sobel and Terence Reece. 22 x 28.5cm, 256pp, glossary, colour photos and sample games throughout.
Click YouTube icon to see this book come to life on video.