Customer Reviews

Bridge: 25 Ways to Compete in the Bidding (Bridge (Master Point Press))

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One of the best-selling books on bridge, and an essential for novice / intermediate players, is Barbara Seagram's (with Marc Smith) popular text "25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know." We picked up a copy of this follow-on -- "25 Ways to Compete..." -- guessing that it would be the same quality as the earlier book and hopefully just as interesting and useful. We were not to be disappointed!

Like "25 Conventions", "25 Ways" has 25 chapters, each covering different methods for getting into the auction once the opponents have opened the bidding. Rather than organize these topics somewhat at random by difficulty, this book organizes the topics by broad competitive area, dividing the discussions into six groups: Suit Overcalls (5 chapters); Takeout Doubles (4); Notrump Overcalls (2); 1NT Defenses (3); Bidding over Preempts (5); and General Competitive Issues (6). While some of the chapters are as short as 5 or 6 pages, others go into more detail by presenting more alternatives. For example, the chapter on conventional defenses over a 1NT opening describes Landy, Cappelletti, and DONT, while mentioning that plenty of others exist. As Eddie Kantar points out in his forward, there are even chapters (his favorites) introducing the subjects of the Law of Total Tricks and Hand Evaluation.

While some of this material can be handled by advanced beginners, we suspect most of the techniques will appeal to intermediate players {experts will probably have already traversed most of these roads!}. Sometimes it takes frustration with current bidding limitations to see the real motivation behind many of the methods disclosed herein. But the chapter summaries, sample problems, and explanatory answers echo the quality we discovered in the author's other work. To become a nastier opponent, get yourself a copy of "25 Ways"!

This is another great bridge book from these authors. My partner and I have used their earlier books ("25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know" and "25 More Conventions ...") as the basis of our partnership agreements on bidding. I am an experienced duplicate bridge player and did not expect to learn much from this book. Looking through the contents, I thought I knew most of the topics that were covered. But once again, the book brings a clarity of thinking and discipline to the important area of competitive bidding. This is not just a book for novice bridge players or even solid intermediates. Any student of the game will benefit from reading it. Read it and I guarantee your game will improve.

I have a huge bridge library. This book and its companion book make a great set of "BEST SOURCE" books for intermediate players - 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know" and "25 Ways to Compete."

Very readable, well illustrated with clear examples, its a breezy way to get in-depth knowledge.

Not since Bill Root (world's best bridge instructor) passed away, have I read something so straight forward, and clear, on what could be a very complex topic.

The authors make it seem easy, not intimidating.

I loved it.

This title is the third in the "25 Ways ..." series that I've enjoyed. The lessons are bite sized, with clear text, concise summaries, and problems to be solved. I've played duplicate bridge for about four years, and for me the level of instruction and presentation was perfect. Highly recommended, if you are at my level of proficiency, approx. 100 mps.

I found this book (second Hand) to be very informative and easy to undertand. It has become my Bible for Bridge. I recommend it for intermediate players wanting to improve their playing without the expense of private lessons.

I payed for this book but still have not received it. When will I get the book?