Club library

Paul Marston is an Australian bridge teacher, writer and player with a long list of national and international success as a player.

Good card play may be an asset but most hands are won or lost before a single card is played. This book shows you how to bid well.

The system is Standard with Weak Twos. It covers both four and five card majors.

There are three sections: the first nine chapters cover uncontested auctions, the next four cover competitive auctions and the last two cover tournament play.

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This book, by Patrick O'Connor, comprises 50 problems in Declarer play and Defence for the Beginner or near-beginner presented in order of difficulty. The idea is to present bridge hands as you would find them at the bridge table. 

Each deal has a single theme. This book doesn't introduce topics systematically, rather it will give you no clue as to what type of play is required. Planning play is emphasised both as Declarer and Defender. 

Enjoy the challenge.

Defence is the hardest part of card play according to Patrick O.Connor.  His book, is titled Demystifying Defense. When dummy tables their cards the declarer can see all the assets of their side and can count potential winners and losers. However, a defender can see dummy and only half of their side's assets. Also, during play defenders must combine effectively to execute a successful defence.

Starting with chapters on Opening Leads and Third-Hand Play and Second-Hand Play with a quiz at the end.  Next is Defensive Signals. The main part of the book contains 40 'over the shoulder' deals where the author invites you to defend with him, trick by trick, with questions and answers. Oh and there is always a Post Mortem! Deals become progressively more difficult to assist all levels of players.

Improvers' Play by Derrick Browne is aimed at the developing bridge player. It features the play of the cards - both as declarer and as defender. There are also bidding tips given for each concept. The auctions shown are based on the standard five-card major system used by Peninsula's Bridge Education.

Each chapter gives a short description followed by examples to illustrate the steps. At the end there is a Review of key points followed by a Quiz on each topic. Of course the Answers to the Quiz are provided on the following page. Then you are given a number of hands to try out. The auction, bidding, lead and suggested play are provided for you to check as you go or afterwards. A copy is available in our library.

This month we have a new addition to the library Competitive Bidding by Audrey Grant.  It covers the concepts needed when both sides are bidding for the contract.  The basic competitive tools: pre-emptive opening bids; overcalls and takeout doubles are introduced.

The material is presented in a clear and well-organised format.  It shows how to use the various competitive options to best advantage using many quizzes and practice deals.  Through this book, you will be taking the next step into the magical world of bridge.

According to Kantar, a lot of the literature on the game of bridge is devoted to bidding and declarer play, with defensive play all but forgotten.  So, after having made practically every error possible on defense over the years, he decided to write a book devoted exclusively to defensive play.

In Kantar’s experience, a good defensive bridge player is always a winner over time and a most desirable partner.

This weighty tome, gives a detailed examination of defensive play and how to ‘think defensively’.  Topics include

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For teachers looking for material for help with play sessions to reinforce beginners classes, and to concentrate on techniques of play rather than overloading on more bidding,  Help with Play fills the gap.

The lessons are structured to help you play and use techniques that match Play Bridge: A Workbook for the Absolute Beginner by Joan Butts.

Topics include Making a Plan; Winners and Losers; Taking Tricks through Promotion; Making Tricks through Length; Mastering the Finesse; Making Tricks by Trumping; Discarding Losers and Combining Your Chances and a two-page Summary ‘Play Bridge’ The System: Standard Five-Card Majors.

Do you ever feel the frustration of bidding a hand to the correct contract and see it fail as every finesse lets you down?  Then a club expert shows you how, with slightly better technique you could have succeeded.

There are three significant stages in a bridge player’s career according to Ron Klinger and Andrew Kambites.   In Card Play Made Easy 1 they say that the beginner knows naught about finessing and cashes winners left, right and centre! 

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