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.

R.U.N.T. - the Really Unusual No Trump Master Point Press author Ken Rexford provides the first authoritative description of the R.U.N.T. Convention. R.U.N.T. is actually a two-way overcalling structure to distinguish a very sound takeout double from a weak three-suited takeout by way of an artificial 1NT overcall - preempting and intervening in the auction safely and effectively. Do you find a 4-3-3-3 hand with three Jacks a reason to sleep, or is this as good a reason to bid as any? You know who you are. Do you secretly enjoy declaring Two Clubs doubled, trying to find a fifth trick before the opponents find their ninth trick, instead of defending a boring 3NT? If you find it amusing to interfere with as many auctions as possible, this book is for you. Rexford introduces you to this effective and proven two-way overcall structure. With more advanced versions of the convention, you can add a very strong option, making the 1NT overcall almost a Multi type of takeout. After all, bridge is supposed to be fun, right?

An Honors Book from Master Point Press. Author Ken Rexford has developed an intriguing new approach to overcalling 1NT openings that may revolutionize this area of bridge. If you are unhappy with Cappelletti, DONT, Brozel, and the like, this book introduces you to a new approach for tackling the opponent's 1NT opening, with an entirely new way to handle one or two-suited hands. Can your current approach tell partner whether you have a strong or a weak overcall at the two-level? Can you tell partner which suit of your major-or-a-minor is longer? Can you identify the specific minor with your major, again at the two-level? All of these are possible using Ken Rexford's methods. Imagine describing more hands than the Woolsey defense handles, all with easy but novel methods that fit (unlike Woolsey) into the ACBL's General Convention Chart! You can also use these methods to improve your response structure to your own openings and in other auctions. Imagine hearing a Four Diamond overcall of partner's Two Clubs opening and being able to describe any one suit at game or any two-suited holding, all without giving up a cooperative double. Impossible? Not with this new technique. Can you show one or both minors and slam interest after a 2NT opening, and tell partner which specific minor you have, at the three-level? Yes, using Rexford's methods.

Everyone knows that control-showing bids are the expert route to slam, but it is remarkably hard to find a comprehensive treatment of this vital area of the game. Until now, that is. This is an exhaustive work, covering a lot of territory. The average reader won't want to use everything they read about here - and it would be a mammoth undertaking to try to adopt it all - but it will get them thinking about their bidding and offer many ways to improve it. After all, bridge is the ultimate game for thinkers. This book fills an important gap in the literature of bridge for serious players. Foreword is by Brent Manley, editor of the "ACBL Bulletin".