Bridge For Dummies [Paperback]

Eddie Kantar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2006

Bridge, as any player will tell you, is simply the best card game ever. It’s challenging—each hand presents a different set of conditions you must figure out and solve. It's very social—you play with a partner and two opponents. And best of all—it's fun.

Bridge For Dummies, 2E gives you a step-by-step explanation of the fundamentals of the game in terms you can understand. It walks you through the different aspects of bridge, featuring real-life examples, so that you can feel comfortable with the basics before you ever start to play. And if you're already experienced at the game, you'll discover a wealth of tips and hints that can make you a better player. You'll learn all about:

• The basics of nontrump play
• How to play the hand in a trump contract
• Bidding for fun and profit
• Taking advantage of advanced bidding techniques
• Playing a strong defense and keeping score
• Playing bridge on your computer
• Playing in bridge clubs and tournaments
• Where to find other great bridge resources

This newly revised edition features an expanded section on playing bridge online, with updated web addresses and other resources, along with new information on the latest bidding techniques. For anyone from novice to pro wanting to learn bridge or learn techniques to improve their game, Bridge For Dummies, 2E makes an ideal partner!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For the beginner or near-beginner, the revised Bridge for Dummies  by Eddie Kantar is the best choice." (The New York Times, December 16, 2006)

From the Back Cover

Find out how to strategize with your partner

Hone your bridge skills and trump your opponents in no time!

Bridge isn't a game for wimps, but this helpful guide opens the door to understanding bridge with plenty of illustrated example hands, the latest bidding techniques, and an updated resources list. Bridge champion Eddie Kantar demystifies the strategies you need to succeed at this challenging game.

Discover how to

• Understand bridge terms
• Count and take sure tricks
• Strategically rank, decode, and respond to bids
• Find ways to double and redouble
• Keep score using different styles
• Search for bridge resources

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (September 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471924261
• ISBN-13: 978-0471924265
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Bridge

More About the Author

Eddie Kantar, a transplanted Californian, is one of the best-known bridge writers in the world. He has more than 30 bridge books in print, some translated into 8 languages, and is a regular contributor to the Bulletin, The Bridge World, Bridge Today, and many other bridge publications.
Eddie, a two-time World Champion, is highly regarded as a player and known as one of bridge's great ambassadors.
Eddie learned to play bridge at age 11. By the time he was 17, he was teaching the game to his friends. Eddie was so enthusiastic about bridge that he often took his bridge books to school, hiding them behind his textbooks so that the teachers couldn't see him reading about bridge during class. At the University of Minnesota, where Eddie studied foreign languages, he taught bridge to pay his tuition.
Eddie gained stature as a player by winning 2 World Championship titles and 11 North American Championships. His North American titles include wins in the Spingold Knockout Teams, the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams, the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, and the Grand National Teams. Eddie is a Grand Master in World Bridge Federation rankings and an ACBL Grand Life Master. Today Eddie is best known as a writer, and many of his books are considered classics. When not playing bridge or writing about the subject, he can be found playing paddle tennis (an offshoot of tennis) or bridge at the paddle tennis courts at Venice Beach (come and join the fun in either game). By the way, Eddie is the only person ever to have played in both a World Bridge Championship and a World Table Tennis Championship (he did better at bridge).
Eddie was inducted into the Bridge Hall of Fame in 1996, the same year he was inducted into the Minnesota State Table Tennis Hall of Fame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book That Saved My Bridge Game, October 30, 2002

By 

Scott Snyder (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bridge for Dummies (Paperback)

I would have to disagree with other reviewers who write that this book is not for the rank beginner in bridge. I was a rank beginner in bridge who tried to read other bridge books and got absolutely nowhere. This was the book that turned the lights on for me at the bridge table. Kantar writes in a lively, funny and informative way that I found to be the "spoonful of sugar" to help the medicine go down. With this book, I went from a frustrated and confused player to one who really enjoys the game. Now, the bridge column is the first thing I read in the papers, and I'm always ready for a hand.

An excellent book. One of my favorites. Get it and improve your game dramatically.

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Useful, August 30, 2000

By 

Karel Kramer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bridge for Dummies (Paperback)

This is the best book I've found on Bridge because Kantar explains the "why" behind the conventions. Once I understand the logic of a convention, and it makes sense to me, I can easily "use" the knowledge in my play. My game has definitely improved as a result of reading this book.

My husband, too, has found it useful and he plays at a higher level than do I. (He plays Duplicate regularly.) My Dad, who has been playing for 30+ years, picked up this book when he was visiting and has asked me to buy him a copy.

Thank you, Mr. Kantar!

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ditto: Great approach to teaching a sophisticated game, February 9, 2004

By 

Carlos N. Velez "carlos_n_velez" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bridge for Dummies (Paperback)

I am also new to bridge, and have also tried several other books on the subject. The three that I tried previously started with covering hand evaluation and bidding. By the time I get to the sections on "Responding to Responses at No Trump", I was getting lost. Kanter's approach is just the opposite. He teaches the mechanics of playing the hand first, THEN teaches how to evaluate the hand and bid. This is a great approach because once you learn how the play should be done, you are in a much better position to understand WHY you should evaluate and bid the way a hand demands you should. I've only studied the first 65 pages or so, but can already see a dramatic improvement in my bidding and my play. I can't wait to continue to study this great book.

Overall, a terrific approach to teaching this great game. I can't wait to read some of Kanter's other books as well.

Addendum: I continue to read and carefully study the chapters on play which preceed the chapters on bidding. There is lots of great material here. Don't let the "For Dummies" title fool you. This is a great book by a great teacher.

Addendum 2: Here I am 6 months after buying this book, and am I glad I did. I'm playing online regularly, and am gearing up for my first NABC in July! I'm still a novice, and there is a tremendous amount of learning and practice ahead, but this book has been a tremendous first step. I think that of all the beginner books that I've read on ANY subject, this has been the best in terms of preparing me for the next level.