Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In spite of the title, this book provides the information you need to understand how to play bridge, not just a list of recommendations to be learned by rote. The author starts at the beginning -- how to play, goals of the game, how to score -- but he does not waste time on the fundamentals. He continues by explaining how to bid, providing rational and easy-to-understand logic so that the reader understands what is happening, both how to bid and how to deduce as much information as possible from others' bids. This explanation is provided in a logical sequence which matches the bidding in a typical game. After explaining how to bid, there are hints on how to play the hand.

Although pitched at the beginning player, the explanations are quite complete and the author covers several advanced techniques. There's plenty in this book to enable a new bridge player to have the confidence to not look like an idiot while playing with experienced players.

Robin Thompson

This book is filled with good information for players, especially the beginning chapters about bidding. The later chapters on the play of the hand are much shorter and sketchier. The book is not really written for novices. Mr. Medley's style is more like that of a newspaper bridge column, rushed and slangy, and, although the frequent sidebars make a valiant attempt at keeping up with his use of bridge jargon, he seems to have forgotten what it's like to be a beginner without step-by-step help at climbing the learning curve. Eddie Kantar's funny and helpful "Bridge for Dummies" is a much better introduction.

But if this is, say, your third bridge book (as it was mine) and you are willing to fine-tooth-comb it a bit, you'll learn a lot.

By the way, isn't it interesting how the marketeers assume that, if we want to learn something new, we either are or feel like "dummies" or "idiots"?

H. Anthony Medley read a degree in Chemistry at UCLA before later taking up bridge - quite successfully it seems. This ostensible piece of trivia is actually important, as most of the book is set out quite logically and the reader may feel some confidence that it is written by someone with scientific training.

The book starts by slowly going through the rules of the game, which is obviously essential. The remainder can then be divided into three parts: bidding, play and advanced techniques. By far the major share, in terms of number of chapters, goes into teaching bidding techniques - largely focussing on how to find the correct contract when the partnership has points short of game, but also discussing Strong Two bidding, pre-emptive bidding and slam bidding (including Blackwood although not Gerber). Advice on bidding takes up approximately 50 per cent of the book. In most cases, the rationale behind bidding (ie. counter-balancing the dangers of overbidding with the inherent waste of underbidding) is explained to give the reader an understanding of why bids are made, instead of merely presenting the reader with a long list of conventions to memorise.

The sections on play (20 per cent of the book) are also helpful, although less comprehensive and not justified in as much detail as the bidding sections. The advanced sections (10 per cent) are concisely and very effectively written, covering topics such as Weak Two bidding, transfers and cue bids used for finding slam.

The single greatest strength of the book is the time the author takes to clearly explain the motivation behind bidding; any careful reader should - if they wish - be capable of devising their own bidding principles after having read the book. That being said, if Medley wants to present the book as some sort of intellectual undertaking it falls considerably short of this, as he contradicts himself several times in the bidding chapters. Although most of the contradictions are relatively minor (involving, for example, a choice between rebidding a 5 card suit at the 2 level versus passing partner's 1 No Trump response), nonetheless it is frustrating for a dedicated reader to be faced with such inconsistencies, and this reader thought someone with scientific training could have done better.

The writing style of the book is decidedly anecdotal, which is a strength or weakness depending on the individual taste of the reader. Perhaps an aspiring beginner could expose themselves to contrasting writing styles by purchasing this book in conjunction with a less informally written book such as "ACOl Bridge for Bright Beginners" by Kambites & Kelsey. Nonetheless, Medley's book thoroughly deserves its status as a best seller.

I am an avid chess player who has been told for years that I should play bridge. Well, I finally decided to give it a go. I began by attempting to read The ABC's of Bridge by Root. I felt that this book is anything but elementary and quickly became discouraged. I read some favorable reviews of Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge and gave it a shot. I am 3/4 through the book in 10 days and can't say enough good things about it. It is clear, concise and packed full of excellent explanations, examples, and quizes. The authors take you by the hand and gently lead you through the nuances of this fascinating and challenging game. I have already put my preliminary knowledge to use playing on the internet. I have already experienced the deep satisfaction of making a 3NT (3 No Trump)bid as declarer using finesses and ducking. I have enjoyed setting the opponents several times using many of the techniques outlined in the book. I am well on my way to learning how to communicate well with my partner. If you are interested in learning about Bridge, I strongly urge you to buy this book now!

I once read a book, which was recommended to me as the authoritative text on the subject. I read it, enjoyed it, and carefully shelved it. But not once, not being a doctor, did I attempt Brain Surgery. The only caveat to Mr. Medley's book I can offer is this.

If you don't play bridge, you will never learn bridge.

I must admit, and I am still a beginner at this classic of card games, that Mr. Medley's book has made me a better bidder, and I play the cards better. My partner still screams at me, but I know now that screaming is part of the game.

Oddly enough, the game is easy. It's the scoring that's tough. But a whole chapter is devoted to those who care more about points than about playing the game.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to BRIDGE" is a fun read, easily understood, immediately apllicable <if you play the game>, and damned good writing!

Butlike my book on Brain surgery, unless you try it, you'll never understand it.

Buy the book. Find three other people, and PLAY THE GAME. Then a lot becomes clear.

This book was incredibly helpful! I've been playing bridge for years but always felt a bit shaky on my bidding. 3/4 of this book is what, how, why, and when to bid. The author goes through each part of the game step by step. I found myself comfortably implementing these strategies almost immediately. Easy to read, enjoyable anecdotes. Will teach beginners the basics and give intermediate players a leg up on their game.

After a couple year layoff, I was recently presented with a chance to play Bridge, a game I enjoy a lot. I own and have read a few Bridge books over the years, but in an effort to refresh my memory, I decided to go with a basic book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge by H. Anthony Medley.

The Guide has almost the same format as any general Bridge book. It starts with the fundamentals: the organization of the deck, suit rankings, the basics of taking a trick and what a trump card is. It then goes into basic bidding: opening of one of a suit, one No Trump, strong twos and preempts

The bidding section continues with responses and rebids and the ever popular Stayman and Blackwood conventions. There are discussions of slam bidding, defensive bidding and the different doubles. After this, like other Bridge books, we are given the general techniques for the play of the hand, whether it is in No Trump or a suit. What to lead, when to finesse, when to duck: it's all described. A final section deals with advanced bidding, in particular cue bids and other conventional bids: Jacoby Transfer, Roman Blackwood, etc.

Medley proposes at the beginning of the book that what he has to offer, compared to other Bridge books, is that he is a writer who plays Bridge, not a Bridge player who is trying to write. This doesn't really hold up: Medley's writing is not much better (or worse) than the other big name Bridge writers (Goren, Sheinwold, etc.). As a result, this book doesn't offer anything really special to the owner of other Bridge books - as long as the other books are up-to-date on the latest bidding styles (for example, older books suggest opening One No Trump with 16-18 points, while Medley follows the more recent convention of 15-17, with other differences for higher point counts). If you are buying your first Bridge book, however, this is a decent pick: Medley does write clearly and with the lay reader in mind.

I bought this book after playing bridge for about a month. I had taught myself mostly by using Bridge for Dummies. BFD is a great book and is more entry level. The Complete Idiot's Guide (CIG) is a great book on its own as well. For instance, BFD will talk about bidding game, but doesn't give point ranges for bidding game. CIG shows that clearly.

This book has great information about bidding, playing the hand and also more advanced techniques. You often see things on someone's bidding card like Splinter bids, or Drury. This books gives you these conventions as well as many more. It has a great explanation of cue bids and transfers.

What makes this book stand out is the humor involved and the bridgebits. It tells you much of the history, and little bits of trivia behind the topic at hand. Learning bridge can be dry (and this is coming from an accountant) and this book makes it much more interesting.

this is the book that i learned bridge from, and it's the book that i strongly recommend anyone i know to read if they are thinking of taking up the game.

let's face it--a game is hard to learn from a book. almost any game, much less a game as complicated and complex as bridge! so you should not expect to be an expert just by reading this book. don't read the book in its entirety and then sit down at the bridge table.

read some, then play some, then repeat. if you don't have people who are willing to play very frequently, play online! (pogo.com is one site where beginners can be comfortable, although I'm sure there are others.)

if any book can help you, THIS book can help you learn bridge. but, bridge must ultimately be PLAYED to be learned, so don't forget to play as you go!

The foundation of all bidding must be sound and conservative hand valuation for beginners. The Am. Contract Bridge League,ACBL, has established such standards but this book does not follow them fully and thus players schooled from this book will not be fully compatible with others, who have learnt the ACBL way.

The most glaring deviation is about distributional values. Todays students should be told that shortness is no asset until a trump suit fit of eight or more cards combined has been found. Counting points for voids, singletons and doubletons as opener is premature and is a bad idea
when they are located in major suits because the prime goal of bidding is to find an eight card fit in a major suit. Since modern biddding rules out opening bids on four card majors one must start with a minor suit bid thereby raising the hope with partner that one has at least three or possibly four cards in one or both majors. Thus being short in one or both majors is a handicap and should not be counted as a point based asset when opening the bidding. In short: counting points for shortness before a fit has been established can be "a tragedy waiting to happen" according to bridge champion Eddie Kantar.

Counting points for shortness in majors will lead to overvaluation of marginal hands and likely poor final bids as illustrated on p.58 with the grossly overvalued hand #4. As a teacher I warn students against such foolishness. Only length has potential value for opening suit bids.

There are various other deviations from ACBL standards in the book, not
proper to list here. The experts who reviewed this book before publication did not pay full attention to details.

There is a lot of good material far beyond novice level in the book so look at all the other reviews before deciding to buy.