A complete refresher course for bridge players returning to the game in middle age, summarising the key changes to the game that have occurred over the last thirty years. Bridge is a game that people often decide to learn as empty-nesters. There are also those who learned the game when they were younger -- but while they would like to start playing again, they are nervous about how much the game may have changed. There are new ways of bidding, new conventions, and other things they will need to know before they are confident about playing even with friends. That's exactly the audience for this book -- those who are 'coming back to bridge'. It summarizes the key changes that someone who has not played for twenty to thirty years will encounter, and explains simply and clearly what they will need to know to be comfortable in the modern game. Skill level: Intermediate

Based on The Times Bridge column, an extensive bridge guide aimed at the less experienced or social player who longs to improve their game, with instructive deals and tips, as well as a helpful Index. Andrew Robson, The Times Bridge Correspondent, is both a champion Bridge player and an inspired teacher. He teaches and tutors at his Bridge Club and has acquired great practical knowledge about how people learn to play Bridge. Based on Andrew Robson's daily column in The Times, common scenarios are presented with an outline of what actually happened, as well as what should have happened. Along with every deal is the very popular handy tip 'If you remember just one thing...', which features throughout the book. The first section of the book, 'The Game', is a basic outline providing the key to playing a sensible game of Bridge, subdivided into 'Bidding', 'Declarer Play' and 'Defence'. The reader can either read 'The Game' first, paying particular attention to the tips, or they can dip in and out of the book, picking a common mistake at random, with the option to cross-reference to the same tip in 'The Game' section. Bridge is now reaching a new audience, and is being played by people of all ages. Let Andrew Robson help you to improve your game! Previously published in 2005 as The Times Bridge: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Andrew Robson, world champion player, teacher and columnist, offers an insider's guide to the game of bridge for more experienced players. Broader in scope than The Times Bridge: Commons Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Andrew has selected his best columns from The Times, which cover a wide range of themes. By explaining sample deals, aspects of the game are clarified and the reader's understanding of the game improves. Each deal begins with an engaging discourse before moving on to explain the technique. The book assumes a level of experience beyond that of beginner and targets those players as well as social players and club and tournament players. Chapters cover: Partnership: clarification, anticipation, communication. Andrew imparts the secrets of being a successful - and popular - partner. Double Trouble: when to double and when to keep quiet - that is the question. Opening Lead: how can you find the best lead, when you can't even see dummy? Some dramatic deals illustrate how to make the choice. Trick One: how to avoid making a fatal error on the all-important first trick. Finessing Fun: fascinating card-play tussles made simple. Guess Who? Which opponent has the crucial missing card - and why? Spot Cards: making use of all your assets is one secret of the winning player - ignore the lowly eights and sevens at your peril. Never say Never: when to break normal guidelines - and why. Mind of an Expert: Andrew gives away the secret workings of the world's best players. Experts Err: even the best make mistakes. Let's all learn from them. Freaks: we all love wild deals, and here are some of the wildest. Bridge around Britain: some say it's fading. Nonsense - as these deals will testify. Bridge around the world: New York, New Guinea or New South Wales - Andrew considers global bridge issues, and looks at some wonderful deals. Stars of the future: School Bridge, Youth Camp Bridge, World Junior Championships...we feature some of the best young players, and look ahead to a bright future for the game.

A large print bridge guide aimed at the less experienced or social player who longs to improve but keeps repeating the same mistakes, often not knowing that they are mistakes. Andrew Robson, The Times Bridge Correspondent, is both a champion bridge player and an inspired teacher. At his bridge club he teaches and tutors and has acquired great practical knowledge about how people learn to play bridge. Based on Andrew Robson's Friday column in The Times, common bridge mistakes are presented with an outline of what actually happened and what should have happened. Along with every mistake is a handy tip 'If you remember just one thing..' which has proved very popular with The Times readers. The first section of the book, 'The Game', is a basic outline providing the key to playing a sensible game of Bridge, subdivided into Bidding, Declarer Play and Defence. Included within this are all the 'If you remember just one thing' tips that also appear in the main body of the book. The reader can either read 'The Game' first, paying particular attention to the tips, or they can dip in and out of the main body of text, picking a common mistake at random, with the option of cross-referencing to the same tip in 'The Game' section. Bridge is a growing enthusiasm and is now being played by a much wider age range - it is no longer a game for those who have retired. This is a long-awaited first book aimed at the vast majority of bridge players who would like to avoid falling into the same trap time and time again.

The perfect book for when you're ready to move beyond 52-card pickup Feeling rummy? Ready to bridge the gap? In the mood to go fish? Card Games For Dummies is your source for rules, strategy, and fun. You'll learn everything you need to know to play and win at your family's favorite games, plus a bunch of others that are probably new to you. If you're the gambling kind, you can get started with poker, blackjack, and other casino favorites, right here. This handy guide takes card game enthusiasm to the next level and explains the tips and tricks that can turn game night into some serious competition. Learn the official rules for all your favorite card games Discover strategies for winning at bridge, poker, hearts, and many more Play easy games that are perfect for the whole family Get started in the world of online card gaming Card Games For Dummies will whet your appetite for play. Start shuffling!

Try a hand at bridge and outsmart your opponents Bridge is the most popular card game in the world and, as any player will tell you, is simply the best card game ever. Whether you're new to the game or a long-time player looking for new tricks, this new edition of Bridge For Dummies walks you through the intricacies of the game and arms you with tried-and-true tips and strategies for being a better player and beating your opponents from the very first draw. Covering not only traditional contract bridge, but other popular variations of the game including ACOL, Rubber, and Duplicate Bridge this hands-on, friendly guide takes the guesswork out of this beloved game and arms you with the knowledge and know-how to make your game mates your minions. From knowing when and how high to bid to bringing home the tricks when you end up in a trump contract, it'll take your bridge skills to the next level in no time! * Strategize with your bridge partner * Confidently play bridge in clubs and tournaments * Use basic and advanced bidding techniques * Find bridge clubs and tournaments all over the world Are you ready to trump the competition? Success is a page away with the help of Bridge For Dummies.

A one-stop practical guide on how to play and master the fascinating and rewarding game of bridge with expert advice throughout from Andrew Robson, the Times bridge correspondent, the world's most famous and successful player and teacher of bridge. Previously published as Collins Need to Know? Bridge. Now with additional practice deals. Andrew Robson, the Times bridge correspondent, shows you how to play bridge - starting from the basics and taking you through the learning process step-by-step. Using clear illustrations and accompanying text, Andrew gives the reader a complete course in learning the game, including sample hands and ways to practice. You'll also learn about bidding, tricks, scoring and dealing, and etiquette whilst playing. Above all you'll begin to develop the skills you need to play bridge, and win - including ingenuity, working well in a partnership, and a good memory. Contents include: basic bidding and card-play strategies; etiquette and how to score; examples and practice tips; different types of bridge; conventions; evaluating a bridge hand.

The reader sits on the shoulder of the expert player, following his or her thought processes on each individual deal. The book analyses deals, played by some of the key players in bridge today, in major tournaments, including some in the author's native India, and focuses on the crucial decisions that affected their outcome. Each chapter is themed, with the aim that the reader will have learnt a specific technique at the end and will move towards a better understanding of the thought processes of the expert - or talented - player. Conversational in style, the book focuses on the dual roles of logic and intuition in the game of bridge and in so doing it offers sound instruction as well as much food for thought.

For the past fifty years, Monday afternoons in New Haven have always been the same: Roz, Rhoda, Bea, Jackie and Bette - the Bridge Ladies. A card table with four folding chairs (and one dummy seat). A plate of homemade cookies or brownies on the kitchen counter somewhere, largely untouched. And once they begin the game, hours of silence, punctuated only by the sound of cards being plucked up or snapped down. As a child, Betsy Lerner thought the Bridge Ladies were fascinatingly chic, with their frosted hair-dos and shiny nylons. To the teenage Betsy, they seemed hopelessly square. As an adult, working in New York City, they were a relic of her past. But when her husband accepted a job in New Haven, she found herself right back where she started. Suddenly, the Bridge Ladies came hurtling back, their Monday lunch and Bridge Club still ongoing. They had accepted their lot in life and were, mostly, grateful. They didn't talk about their problems, much less those involving sex, relationships, or their children. On paper, they were unremarkable, even dull. But once Betsy started really looking at them, she realized that they were anything but. Wildly perceptive and, in turns, hilarious and fearlessly vulnerable, Lerner's memoir is required reading for anyone who has ever had a mother. And it teaches us an important lesson: Facebook may connect us across the world, but social media can't deliver a pot roast and it won't dry your tears.

Starts at the beginning, introducing the mechanics of the games. It covers bidding, play and defense.

Checkers, backgammon, chess and Go. Poker, Scrabble and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules and the ways their design makes them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across fourty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against "modern rationalism" and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon programme so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt; the Indian origins of chess; how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programmes better than any human player and what that means for the games-and for us. Funny, fascinating and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history and how play makes us human.

The perfect stocking filler for lovers of Bridge. When you open this little book, the state secrets of the game of bridge lie in your hands. They cover everything you need to know to go from being a bridge beginner to an international mastermind! The book is split into short, concise and easy-to-follow tips that will help to improve all aspects of your game and strategy. They reveal how to play a good defensive hand, how to devise a bidding system, what you can read from an opponent's play, plus lots more. The beautifully decorated pages and luxury pocket style make this book something a little bit special. With it by your side you'll always come up trumps!

Learn how to play bridge with this simple step-by-step guide. While good bridge classes are, of course, of great value, this book is itself the complete tutorial. It will help you to learn properly without other help and give you a solid foundation on which to start playing this absorbing game. Work at your own pace Understand the key basic principles Learn about the Acol system of bidding Discover how to play a hand, both as declarer and in defence

An expert bridge coach's guide for beginners who are looking to move their game up to the next level. This book is for readers who have finished their beginner lessons, and are trying to move their game up to the next level. The tips cover all aspects of bridge -- bidding, play and defence. Advice and examples are drawn from material Barbara Seagram has developed for her students over the last twenty years -- it's like having your own personal bridge coach sitting beside you!

In 2007, Mark Horton wrote Misplay These Hands with Me, (Master Point Press, ISBN 9781897106280, now out of print) a deliberate homage to Reese's classic Play These Hands with Me. The difference was that the declarer in Horton's book always made an error, sometimes obvious, sometimes not so much. This successful book was the basis of a long-running column in the American Contract Bridge League’s Bridge Bulletin, a sequel in 2019: Misplay More Hands With Me (published by Honors ISBN 9781771402019). Now the same author turns to the topic of defence, and once again gives the reader a chance to learn from someone else's mistakes. All the deals are taken from top-level play.

Chess and bridge have been two of the world's most popular games for centuries, and this superb instructional book will tell you everything you need to know about them, from their intriguing histories to how to play and win. Biographies of the most well-known players are included, from famous bridge players such as Terence Reese and Omar Sharif to world-class chess players such as Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.With stepby-step guidance and over 1200 photographs and illustrations, this easy-to-follow book will show players how to play and increase their enjoyment of two of the most tactical and complex games around today.

If you're like most beginning bridge players, you want to know more about bidding systems, and especially conventions. Even if you just play socially, it can't hurt to add a few choice gadgets to your bidding arsenal. This book describes and explains 25 basic conventions that you can easily assimilate into your own bidding. Each one is clearly and simply explained, and you'll see how it fits in the ACOL system if you decide to use it. Each chapter includes a helpful summary of key points and a quiz with full explanations of all the answers.

Designed for those who have finished a beginner course and would like something easy to carry around for reference, this handy little book will fill a major gap in bridge literature. In a humorous, conversational style, it covers all the basics of Standard bidding as well as offering some ideas on play and defense. The book includes a scoring table and a useful glossary of technical bridge terms. Designed to fit in a purse or pocket, this book will be perfect for those times when you want to point to something and say "Look partner, it says here you should have done this!" and win your argument! This book is aimed at the same market as 'The Biggest Little Bridge Book in the World', which is published by a New York bridge club, and not readily available elsewhere. This guide is, however, much more comprehensive in its content.

Patrick O'Connor established himself as a leading author for beginning players of bridge with his first book, A First Book of Bridge Problems, which won the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year award in 2012. Now he addresses the hardest aspect of cardplay: defence. After carefully explaining the basic concepts, he takes the reader through forty problems, using an `over the shoulder' style, and explaining every play as it is made. Beginners typically have more trouble with defence than any other part of the game, and this book will go a long way towards removing their unease.

Regarded as one of the best ever written on the topic of signaling in the game of bridge, this book will help you defend better regardless of your experience or skill level. It explains several ways to describe your holding which are commonly used by experts but not generally known.

It compares new methods with old, including the pros and cons of upside-down versus standard signaling. It explains how to draw inferences, not only from partner's signals, but also from what he fails to do. Even if you are an expert and think there is nothing about defensive signals you don't already know, you will probably see a few situations you haven't thought about and discover how other experts handle them.

Originally published in 1995, this book has been unavailable for more than 20 years.

Runner-up in the beginner/novice category of the American Bridge Teachers Association 2020 Book of the Year Awards. Bridge is a hugely popular pastime enjoyed by millions, and yet whole books have been written about single aspects of the game, and learning the seemingly complex rules and language can be a daunting idea. So this is the essential guide to beginning your journey and getting in on the fun, covering everything you need to know to get started and progress, from bridge basics, language and no-trump declarer play to analysing hands and working with trump suits. Defence play is then covered before going into bidding essentials and further bidding techniques and conventions. Keeping score and advice on taking things further rounds off this invaluable guide for the beginner. Clear explanations and examples make learning easy, and fresh writing from seasoned expert Mark Horton keeps things interesting, while a glossary of terms is a handy at-a-glance reminder of the meaning of key words and phrases. Suitable for standard playing methods used worldwide.

Revised and updated. Winning advice on bidding and play for the intermediate, based on five card major openings.

The world of bridge has winners and also-rans. What would you rather be? Winning might not be everything, but it is much better than finishing second or third, and way ahead of being out of place. This book examines the attributes and skills you need to be on the winner's dais more often--not only the personal qualities and psychological requirements, but also the methods you are using and the standard of card play required. This overview is a challenge full of tips and telling advice, which, if followed, will produce a positive lift to your game.

Ever wonder why some partners seem to be able to read each other's minds? Why they are so successful at anticipating the other's intentions, avoiding all pitfalls and traps, and seem to win every time? The answer is that they are not usually guessing - by learning defensive signals it is possible for even novice players to drastically improve their game.Defence is the most difficult part of bridge, but it can be made easier by using signals to help your partner along the way to success. The book will enable readers to use, recognise and understand all the standard defensive signals used in bridge and to gain an awareness of alternative methods.

About to go out and have a game of bridge? Just like an athlete needs to warm up before an important event, so a bridge player can improve performance by a warm-up of the little grey cells. Delve into this book, solve a problem or two, and you will be better placed to have a good game. The book contains more than 80 problems from recent tournaments, and covers constructive and competitive bidding, opening leads, defensive and declarer play. Working through the problems is bound to improve your game. You will also find the lighter side of bridge after each solution. Hopefully these will brighten your day if your session with your partner has not done so!