Prison life has a silver lining for Tim - bridge. An expert player, he finds that his ability earns him unlooked-for respect amongst his fellow-prisoners. This is a bridge novel filled with unusual characters and great deals - and a bridge game that gives new meaning to the term 'cut-throat'!

The stories and anecdotes in this collection have one thing in common: in every case, the contract is 6NT! The first half of the book features the world's finest players at work, tackling all manner of 6NT contracts - some commendable, some truly awful. You will have a chance to plan your play in these contracts yourself before seeing what fate befell the original declarer. The second half of the book contains humorous short stories, featuring many of David Bird's well-loved characters: the bridge-crazy monks of St. Titus Monastery, the nuns of St. Hilda's Convent, and the Rabbi and his entourage. There is further action from Cholmeley School, from the missionaries whose main task in life is to convert the Bozwambi tribe to the Acol bidding system, and even some tales involving Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the much-maligned Sir Guy of Gisburne. Although some of these stories have been published in bridge magazines around the world, none of them have previously appeared in book form.

This short tongue-in-cheek novelty book describes thirty-one techniques for cheating in a four-handed game of Cribbage. Interspersed throughout are appropriate quotations from the plays of William Shakespeare, just to give it some class. A wonderful little gift for any Cribbage player who has a sense of humor--or needs one.

Martha Frankel grew up in a warm, loving family of diehard gamblers, where her father's poker games and her mother's mah-jongg blended happily with big pots of delicious food and endless gossip. As kids, she and her cousins bet on everything?from which of their Weight Watching mothers would lose the most to who could hold their breath longest underwater or eat the most matzo. But once Frankel left for college and later became a successful entertainment journalist, gambling didn't factor much into her life. She thought her family legacy had passed her by.
In this ?fast-paced and amazingly funny? ("The Times- Picayune") memoir, Frankel traces her love affair with poker, an obsession that didn't hit until her mid-forties. And she was good at poker. Frankel won routinely, whether she was playing in her Wednesday-night poker game or in one of the seedy, out-of-the-way rooms she always managed to find when on assignment. But all this changed when she discovered online poker. It was the beginning of what one of her uncles called ?hats and eyeglasses, ? a term used to describe those times when you?re losing so bad your ship is sinking until all that's left on the water's surface are your hat and eyeglasses. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, "Hats & Eyeglasses" is a tale of passion, addiction? and those times in life when we almost lose our shirt.

If you want to prove you're a good poker player, you don't have to battle against the best. Nobody really cares if you ever bluffed Phil Ivey or got Daniel Negreanu to make a bad call. You're at the table for the money, not stories of conquest. A disciplined player, one who's playing for the right reasons, would rather sit with the worst, those he's sure to outplay. He's looking for donkeys and donors. He's hunting fish.
In "Hunting Fish" author Jay Greenspan sets out on a cross-country drive---from Connecticut to Los Angeles---looking for players he can outclass. In casinos, underground clubs, and home games throughout the country, Jay shared tables with the most inept gamblers America has to offer. In South Carolina he wiped out some racial-epithet-spewing good ole boys; in Houston he fleeced the country club set; and in Vegas he happily pounded drunken tourists.
"Hunting Fish" is, however, not merely the story of a hustler's travels. In addition to fleecing suckers, Jay was convinced he could beat the very best and make it as a full-time pro. This trip gave him the opportunity to build his bankroll to the point where he could test his mettle in high-stakes games when he reached Los Angeles. Although to play in the high-limit rooms at Commerce Casino he needed a steady nerve---and a fatter bankroll. In his three months on the road, he needed to pad his roll with an additional twenty thousand dollars. That's a lot of fish to hunt.

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.

Crazy Pineapple 8b Poker covers the rules, strategies and review examples one needs to play this insane version of poker. A popular home game among enthusiasts, Crazy Pineapple 8b is a is a hi/lo split game meaning that the person with the highest hand splits with the person with the lowest hand (with the 8b standing for "Eight or better" - eight being the highest card allowable for a low hand). The game is played initially with three cards unlike Texas Hold'em which starts with two. One card is discarded after the flop. The book also briefly covers Omaha 8/b, Pineapple and Tahoe. The author, Kim Greenblatt, a technical specialist and "poker hater" (though he is pretty good at it), has written the popular book, "Practical Low and No Limit Texas Hold'em Ring Games." Readers of that book wrote in and asked him to write a book on this nutty variation of poker that is still played in some casinos and card clubs. Part of the proceeds from the sales of this book will go to finding a cure for Rett Syndrome.

"Bernard stands out as an excellent teacher of the game. He makes poker more accessible to players of all levels through his writings, radio show and everyday conversations. You will see how his articles convey both his vast knowledge of the game and his passion for the details of play. Additionally, you will enjoy his personal commentary about each column. These comments will give you a very rare, candid look inside the mind of a poker professional. For those of you who are not loyal followers already, I know you will become a fan of Bernard after reading this book ..."
Joe Hachem, 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion

"Bernard is a rare, diligent student of the game. His natural teaching ability draws people to him. His serious, meticulous focus on the finer points of the game has led to his success on the professional poker tour. His future in the world of poker is secure and bright."
Mark Seif, two time WSOP bracelet winner

"A must read for poker players of all levels, as it give you an unusual opportunity to get into the mind of a great poker player and columnist. You will learn something new to better your game with every column you read."
Andrew Feldman, ESPN.com Poker Club Editor

"Bernard has an amazing ability to take complicated tournament strategies and make them easy to understand. To say that he is a master teacher would be an understatement. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, his lessons will enhance your play and help to increase your bankroll." Linda Johnson, the First Lady of Poker "You play poker. You talk about poker. You write columns about poker. Now you've finished a book about poker. What don't you do?" Norman Chad, ESPNpoker commentator

Review by George C. (author, mathematician, blackjack guru) This book is an enticing and simplified methodology that squeezes every last drop from the KO count. A beginner shouldn't have any problems taking the original KO count and by using the color coded "cool, hot and warm" concepts shown by Daniel to optimize their play. You'll be playing professionally just after reading and applying the concepts that Daniel shows in the first four chapters of the book. I simulated Daniel's betting and playing methodology using both the original KO and his simplifications. The improvement in SCORE was almost 4%. Bottom line is this is a simplification of an already simple system that works well. I've known Daniel for quite some time now and he not only talks the talk but walks the walk. He's made quite a nice haul over the last few years and it's outlined in the book. I highly recommend this book not only for new users but hard-core KO users will find it of interest also.

Winner of the American Bridge Teachers' Association Book of the Year award in its original self-published edition, this book takes an entirely new approach to teaching bridge. It is intended to be a short first course on bridge for newcomers to the game. No prior experience with any card game is necessary, and the ideas are developed in short, easy steps. Gary Brown is a Canadian who now lives in Melbourne, where he runs the Brown School of Bridge. A successful tournament player, he is also an experienced high school teacher, and ideal background for his current profession. A regular columnist for two bridge magazines, he is already working on his next book.

This is an author who has been there and seen it all. As a multiple world champion, and former president of the World Bridge Federation, no one is better placed to discuss the big issues that face the game today. He can talk authoritatively about cheating at the top levels of the game, destructive bidding systems, sponsorship, professional players, and the other big issues - and he does. He opens the closets of the bridge world, and shows us the skeletons inside that no one wants to talk about. Wolff names names: as the title implies, he has always been prepared to call a spade and let the chips fall where they may. Wolff describes his own life and career in bridge with a brutally honest and emotional appraisal. This book will receive major review attention, and will be as controversial as one would expect a book from this author to be.

This book gives the reader a chance to watch an expert play a number of hands, either as declarer or defender. Most of the hands come from the author's own experience in top-level play. As usual in this type of presentation, the reader is offered the opportunity to make his own decisions at critical points in the play, and will be able to learn from situations where an expert took a different line of play - rightly or wrongly! It is aimed at advanced skill levels.

Unique in the literature of the game, this book describes and classifies hundreds of tactics, stratagems and coups used during the play of the hand at bridge. Each technique is illustrated with an example deal, and its application fully explained. The topics run the gamut from the simplest finesses to the most complex squeeze positions, and cover literally everything in between. This book will be an essential component of any bridge library.

The late Terence Reese, perhaps the greatest bridge writer of all time, introduce the "over-the-shoulder" style of bridge writing in his classic "Play These Hands With Me." In this wry homage to the master, Horton leads the reader through a plausibly logical line of play on each instructive deal, but usually a line that ends in failure. In each post-mortem, the "expert" realizes how he could have improved on his play, and (usually) made his contract. The deals are all from top-class events, which prove to be a remarkably fertile source of such material. A book filled with subtle humor and great bridge.

Endplays are an aspect of bridge declarer play that many intermediate players think are beyond them. Yet while they can be extremely complex, the basic principles are not. Five years ago, David Bird wrote "Bridge Squeezes for Everyone," a book about an even more complex topic that has become a modern classic. Using the same straightforward, conversational style with recaps and quizzes that characterized the earlier book, this new title will make endplays understandable to many readers who have been afraid to attempt to learn them.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Written for complete beginners, this book is based on material that Barbara Seagram uses in her own classes to introduce hundreds of new players to the game every year. The book will take readers to the point where they can enjoy a social game with friends or begin to explore their local bridge club.

Itas no news that cheating pervades American culture. Americans cheat on taxes, tests, sports and spouses. But the largest arena for cheating may be at the poker table! With an estimated 60-80 million Americans playing poker every weekafor the highest stakes everayou can be sure that not everyone is playing by the rules!
In this fascinating look at the card sharperas artafrom its origins in Renaissance Italy to the high-tech methods of todayadeception expert Allan Kronzek reveals 52 of the most diabolical scams ever invented. Topics include codes and signaling systems, hidden cameras and miniature ear pieces, false shuffles, cuts and deals, peeking and flashing, deck and card switches, culling, instant stacks, marked cards, alocation play, a the acooler, a and dozens of other devious devices.
Each chapter zeroes in on a single cheating concept and provides expert advice on how to spot and foil the scam (when possible!). Youall learn the secrets of "shade, flash," and "juice"athe subtlest marking systems; why cutting the cards doesnat guarantee an honest deal, how a crooked dealer can stack the flop in hold aem, why casino card rooms are "not" 100% safe, and how cheating crews crush the opposition "without" marked cards or sleight of hand.
Thoroughly illustrated and researched, and enlivened with historical sidebars, "52 Ways to Cheat at Poker" is essential reading for anyone who plays cards for moneya or anyone interested in the ingenious ways cheats steal your money while appearing to do nothing at all.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Julian Pottage worked on a number of books with the late Terence Reese, and this one pays homage to a man who was certainly the best bridge writer of his time. One of Reese's classics "Play These Hands With Me" pioneered the 'over-the-shoulder' style of bridge writing. What that book did for declarer play, this present one will do for defence: the reader can follow the thinking of an expert player, stopping at critical points in the play to make their own decisions about how to continue...This is both a tribute and a sequel to one of the most famous bridge books ever published: "Play These Hands With Me" by Terence Reese. It is intended for intermediate to advanced skill levels (for serious club and tournament players).

Originally published in London 1890. This interesting little book gives descriptions and advice on fourteen different variations of the game of Dominoes and a chapter on Solitaire. Skill at dominoes is founded on accurate calculation, ready observation, and rapid deduction. The author deals with these, and the various rules, in a professional but straight forward manner. The book is well illustrated with explanatory line drawings.Keywords: Straight Forward Manner Dominoes Line Drawings Accurate Calculation Author Deals Solitaire Variations Observation London Game

In bridge, the 'declarer' is the one who nominates which suit is trumps; his/her partner's hand becomes the 'dummy'. Every intermediate bridge player is familiar with the routine techniques of dummy play. What this book describes are less well-known stratagems that may save the day in non-routine situations.