Many bridge books feature magical and inspiring hands but hands that are never seen in day-to-day play at the bridge table. Bridge: Winning Ways to Play Your Cards concentrates on the type of hands that will make a real difference to your scores and which will help you improve your game. Discover how to assess your opponents' strengths and weaknesses - in relation to your own - and win!

Play the System National Champions Play Over the last 20 years a consensus bidding system among American national champions has been chosen and is now the lingua franca for hundreds among the pro circuit, top junior players and strong tournament players. This book will introduce you to the system, called Standard Modern Precision (or SMP), with lots of examples, quizzes and real-life hands bid by actual world champions. Part 1 covers the basics, and provides a working knowledge of the system so you can start playing and winning right away. A partnership may choose to continue on to Part 2 (The Full System) or Part 3 (Optional Gadgets). Also included are step-by-step instructions for setting up hands to practice on Bridge Base Online and a cheat sheet for reference when bidding. It's time to start winning with the high-octane system that more tournament players are using, just like the pros.

First published in 1988, this book has been out of print for several years. It's a mystery and a bridge textbook all in one, and accomplishes both exceptionally well. Based on the author's own experiences, and set in and around a Manhattan bridge club, the story includes many real-life characters whose names will be familiar to readers. First in a set that includes I Shot my Bridge Partner.

You asked for it! 25 Conventions You Should Know has sold more than 250,000 copies since it was first published, and continues to top the bridge bestseller lists. Over the years, readers have suggested that it would be an even better book if it offered some way to practice what they had learned. Well, here it is: a brief summary of each of those 25 conventions, together with example hands which can be dealt out and used to apply your new knowledge. Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable.

Be Right by Not Doing Wrong The inimitable Professor Gaston Gitane-Gauloise demonstrates his unique Inverted Bridge Teaching Method, showing you by example what not to do in Bridge, thereby allowing you to improve your game by avoiding the commonplace (and some not-socommonplace) errors to which all are prone. In his humble and self-deprecating manner Professor GG-G wheezes his way into your bridge acumen, and improves it. MIKE DORN WISS is also the author of the acclaimed book Shadow in the Bridge World. Nowadays he divides his time between summers in Victoria, Canada and winters in Thailand, assiduously avoiding any hint of the snows under which he was weaned in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Here is a new edition of this exhilarating and ingeniously laid out guide to improving both your bidding and play. Sixty hands are presented and you must first find the key bid. Then, as declarer, you have to work out the best way to play the hand. By the time you have completed the sixty problems you will undoubtedly be a much improved player.

David Bird is acknowledged as the world's best when it comes to humorous bridge fiction. As the bridge cruise traverses the Far East, the bridge organiser, Richard Knight, visits Pat Pong - the notorious red-light district of Bangkok - and is enticed by three attractive Thai girls into a bridge game. Other hilarious adventures take place in a drug den in Hong Kong, in backpacker land in Bali, in a Shinto monastery in Kyoto, and in the Double Bay Club in Sydney. A mixture of top-class bridge, exhilarating narrative and a host of true-to-life characters.

Beyond Roman Key Card Blackwood! Easley Blackwood introduced and developed the Blackwood Convention. Eddie Kantar then expanded the Blue Team's Roman Blackwood into the Roman Key Card Blackwood that has dominated expert circles for the past half century. Variable Key Card Blackwood may be the next logical step. VKCB allows partnerships to address many problems that neither Blackwood nor Roman Key Card Blackwood solves, while keeping the auction low enough to avoid bad slams. And, better yet, it is relatively easy to use. Suppose you have enough power for slam but only the J732 in trumps, in support of partner's five-card suit. You also know that partner has only one of the top three honors. If the honor is the ace, the slam seems good. If it is the king, the slam is not so good. Using VKCB, partner can tell you which honor he has. What about holding 8732? Now you need partner specifically to have the ace and the jack. VKCB has a solution for that problem as well. In fact, you might also find out about a particular side king, all before committing to a slam and without any cuebidding. VKCB solves your problem without going past the safety of the five-level. KEN REXFORD (Ohio) is a Master Point Press author known for his contributions to bidding theory. His first book, Cuebidding at Bridge, introduced the bridge world to a modern approach to Italian cuebidding. His most recent books for Master Point Press are Modified Italian Canape System, New Frontiers for Strong Forcing Openings, Really Unusual Notrump (R.U.N.T.), and Overcalling Opponent's 1NT.

BECOME A BETTER DECLARER - AND EDDIE KANTAR PROMISES IT WILL BE RELATIVELY PAINLESS! The problems in this book are not for experts - they are, however, for those whose ambition is to become better bridge players. They involve the everyday cardplay maneuvers that you have to master if you are going to improve as a declarer. As you work through this book, you will encounter more than one example of each theme - endplay, avoidance play, etc. This is intentional - it is important to recognize these situations, and by the end of the book you will be able to do just that. You are making progress if you get a problem wrong the first time its theme appears, but spot it the next time it comes up. And if you have a friend who keeps going down in cold contracts, you could not do him/her a better favor than to give them a copy of this book.

LEARN DECLARER PLAY FROM AN EXPERT This classic book, a bestseller for more than forty years, has been updated for this edition by Gail Greenberg, a frequent partner of Dorothy Truscott, and like her a World Champion. Dorothy had a unique ability to make complex bridge concepts simple to understand, and everything here, from the basics to the most complicated squeeze or endplay, is described in an interesting and easy-to-follow way. In addition to the technical material, the reader will also learn when and how to use deceptive tactics to give the opponents a chance to make mistakes. Each chapter has many sample hands to test and challenge the reader. Dorothy Hayden Truscott (1925-2006) was the top-ranked woman bridge player for many years. She won four World titles and twenty-eight National titles including the Life Master Pairs and the Blue Ribbon Pairs. She also came in second in the Bermuda Bowl and placed third in the World Open Pairs, the highest finish ever by a woman. Dorothy was a World Bridge Federation Grand Master, and was elected to the Bridge Hall of Fame in 1998. She is the author of the classic bridge book Bid Better, Play Better, and she co-authored several books with her husband Alan Truscott. Among her contributions to bridge theory are splinter bids and DOPI.

This is the definitive book on the oldest - and most useful - convention in bridge, the takeout double. Originally published in 1994 (Magnus Books, 978 0963753 31 1), this book quickly became recognized as a 'must-read' for any would-be bridge expert, and has never been out of print. Now, almost twenty years later, the author has revised and updated the text to take into account modern developments in competitive bidding, one of the most rapidly changing parts of the game, not least in the new and varied uses of doubles.

Start playing a winning system.

Not since the introduction of Precision has a new bidding system created such an immediate impact as Fantunes, the unique methods of Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes, the world's number one ranked pair.

The Italians have several world championship wins to their name, and their system has played a major role in that success. This book delves into the system, explaining how it works and just as importantly, why it works. Two words best describe Fantunes: natural and fun. It is the definitive text for those who would like to try an innovative and proven new bidding system.

Bill Jacobs has won many Australian national championships, the most recent three playing Fantunes, and has twice represented his country at Open level. He regularly provides astute vugraph commentary on Bridge Base Online. For the last ten years, he has been editor of the monthly bulletin of the Victorian Bridge Association.

An in-depth 'over-the-shoulder' look at top-level bridge. While describing almost 200 deals that he played in World and European Championships, one of the world's best players, Boye Brogeland, discusses bidding and cardplay, as well as his approach to the mental side of the game. A fascinating glimpse into the thought processes of a champion bridge player, as well as a look at state-of-the-art bidding methods, some of which are described here for the first time. Boye Brogeland (Norway) has won both the World and European Championships, and is a regular participant in North American tournaments. David Bird, who lives near Southampton, England, has written more than 100 books on the game. Despite spending much of the year travelling, he still finds time to write new stories every month for a host of magazines around the world, usually featuring his best-known characters, the monks of St. Titus Abbey. He is also a regular commentator on BBO broadcasts of top-level competitions.

Take All Your Chances at Bridge was published in 2009 and has already been reprinted twice. It won the American Bridge Teachers 2010 Book of the Year Award for best intermediate-level book. In this sequel, Kantar presents another collection of play problems for advancing players. Again, the theme is not just finding a good line of play: the trick is to combine as many possible lines as possible to optimize your chances of making the contract. Full of Kantar's inimitable humor and extra tips, as well as lots of good bridge, this one is another sure winner. Eddie Kantar (Santa Monica, CA) is one of the most popular and prolific bridge writers in the world. A winner of two World Championships, and a member of the Bridge Hall of Fame, his many books include Modern Bridge Defense, Advanced Bridge Defense, the hilarious Kantar on Kontract, and of course, Roman Keycard Blackwood. His work appears regularly in many bridge magazines around the world.

Duplicate Pairs is the most absorbing and demanding form of Bridge: a true mental combat sport. Starting with the mechanics of the scoring system, through the key philosophies for success, to detailed tactical advice, esteemed author Paul Mendelson takes the reader through all the steps needed to improve your scores, boost your enjoyment and become a successful Duplicate Pairs player at club level and beyond. In the second part of the book, sit at Paul's shoulder and play a Duplicate Pairs tournament with him, observing the inferences taken, myriad components considered, and decisions made. Paul Mendelson is the UK's best selling Bridge author and his books are sold worldwide, having been translated into numerous languages. He writes weekly for the Financial Times and contributes to numerous magazines. He has also written books and articles on Poker and casino gaming

The "Financial Times'" weekly bridge columnist offers a completely revised and updated guide to sharpening bridge techniques, with more than 20 new tips and fresh material For the social bridge players who knows the rules and can play a reasonable hand, but want to refine their skills and improve their understanding of the game, this is the perfect guide. Packed with those gems of knowledge it usually takes years to accumulate, this invaluable book offers solid advice on how best to deal with a variety of situations. The tips range from simple to more advanced and all are clearly explained and are illustrated by an example hand and a reader's test. There is no simpler or more enjoyable way to improve bridge skills.

This is the fifth (and according to the author, the very last - but don't hold your breath!) edition of what is acknowledged to be the definitive book on a convention that every serious player uses. Completely revised and updated from the previous version, this newest version contains even more leading-edge ideas, and is full of examples, quizzes and practice hands. A must for the tournament player. Includes, among many other features: - Why you should play 1430 and 3014 RKB responses, and when - The extensions of RKB: the queen ask, the specific king ask, and more - How to handle voids, as asker or responder - RKB in minor-suit auctions - 60 practice hands for you to bid with your favorite partner This is the only book that explains every facet of one of the most popular conventions in modern bridge. Eddie Kantar (Santa Monica, CA) is one of the most popular and prolific bridge writers in the world. A winner of two World Championships, and a member of the Bridge Hall of Fame, his many books include Modern Bridge Defense, Advanced Bridge Defense, the hilarious Kantar on Kontract, and of course, Roman Keycard Blackwood. His work appears regularly in many bridge magazines around the world.

This is the most important technical bridge book published since Larry Cohen's To Bid or Not to Bid (60,000 copies in English alone), and may well reach an even bigger audience. There are two aspects to this book, both unique. First, Rodwell describes and explains a host of innovative ideas in cardplay, strategems that can be used as declarer or defender. Second, under the heading 'Common Mistakes', Rodwell talks about the mental side of the game: areas that mark the key differences between an average player and a successful one. The first draft of this book has been in existence for more than fifteen years, but it is only now that Rodwell is prepared to allow his 'secrets' to become public knowledge.

The answer to your prayers - a simple, effective convention for competing over the opponents' 1NT opening bid! Originally self-published in 1996, the first edition sold out quickly, so that this much sought-after treatise has been unavailable for several years. The book describes how the convention works, and how to use it against various ranges of 1NT opening bids, as well as over strong 1 Club openings. Jerry Helms (Charlotte, NC) is both a top-level professional player, with numerous tournament successes to his credit, and one of America's leading bridge teachers.

In the November 2001 Venice Cup final, Germany trailed France by 47 IMPs starting the last set. In this book, world champion Sabine Auken tells the thrilling inside story of their comeback world title win, every bid and every card. She also uses each of the sixteen deals from that final session as a starting point for discussion, and distills from each of them general principles and advice that will help anyone looking to improve their own game. Among the topics covered here are the rationale for her own system agreements (the pros and cons of mini-notrump openings, multi-purpose two-bids, the merits of forcing club systems, etc.) and carding methods, as well as team chemistry, table presence and even dressing for success!

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Canasta was all the rage. Fast forward forty years or so. Canasta is still played, though mostly by people who learned the game more than a generation ago. However, somewhere (I do not know exactly where) someone (I do not know exactly who) decided that Canasta needed to have new life breathed into it, thus this new variation called Hand & Foot. It only takes a quick practice hand to teach the gist of the game. Though it's similarities to Canasta are unmistakable, Hand & Foot is an edgier game that allows players to be more aggressive. Everyone has a strategy, some quite elaborate, others quite generic, but the caveat to each is "if the cards cooperate." The luck of the draw is a variable everyone has to take into account. Among Hand & Foot players there are often heard frustrated sighs and disgusted groans. There is also breathless anxiousness as players sweat out an opponent's turn hoping they will not go out before a "Foot" can be played or a red three can be discarded. Like a spirited game of Monopoly, Hand & Foot tends to bring out elements of personality heretofore unknown among its players, you know, sort of a playful viciousness. It only takes one round of Hand & Foot for a new player to recognize the objectives and basic strategies, .and the opportunities for deviousness. Also, while a veteran player who plays a solid game has a definite advantage, a novice can have fun and even prevail. It cannot be taken for granted that the best and most experienced player at the table will win a game of Hand & Foot. The cards do not always allow that. And there is that adrenaline rush that comes from just barely pulling out a win. It is probably that adrenaline rush that makes the game so addictive. This is why someone who has just played his first game of Hand & Foot will invariably insist on right away playing a second - he thinks he has figured it out. The Essential Hand & Foot for the first time codifies the rules of the game, holding to the common basics and incorporating the best of the regional variations. It also explains why some players consistently win more than others using such ploys as "priming the pump" and the "honey pot," and why picking a pile containing red threes can sometimes be a good thing. When was the last time you had a blast playing cards?

20 years ago, bridge writer Mike Lawrence published a series of short pamphlets for intermediate players with advice on various aspects of bidding and card play. Long unavailable, this material has now been revised, updated, and republished in three anthology volumes, each comprising about 10 of the original booklets. The topics here include: defence, including opening leads, signalling and third hand play, declarer play including endplays, simple squeezes, loser on loser plays, and timing. There is also a general discussion of the mistakes we all make in cardplay but need to avoid. This is the third volume in a three-volume series, 'Mike Lawrence Bridge Tips', based on bridge tips for intermediate players first published twenty years ago.

A comprehensive, 3-week, day-by-day bridge course for the absolute beginner. Assuming no prior knowledge, this book takes the reader through learning bidding and cardplay in an easy series of short steps so that by the end, they can feel comfortable joining a social game or even venturing out to a local bridge club. Truscott's unique 'asset' method of hand evaluation is simple, and as numerous bridge teachers have found, it works!