Customer Reviews

Introduction to Declarers Play

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

 

 

This is the best introduction to declarer's play. Not in depth, but you MUST know what's here before you can progress to the next level. After you are done you can read the introduction to defence by the same author. However, to get to expert level in declarer play and defence, you have to read "Card Play Technique" by Victor Mollo.

Just last week our wonderful. US government made online Poker illegal. I had been playing Poker online since in started in 2000, and I played steadily except for a two-year hiatus when I feared they would make it illegal ... and I pulled my money out. This time they caught me unawares and have my Poker money tied up God knows where. During that last hiatus, I took up Bridge (again for the umpteenth time) and updated my Bridge book collection. I played exclusively on Bridge Base Online which I heartily recommend. I became a solid intermediate player and did develop interest in the game, but when it seemed safe to go back to Poker, I did so. A few years later they caught me. Well, I need my entertainment and since I'm no longer any good at sex, I returned to Bridge.

This time I had a bevy of books to choose from, all those that had lain dormant for the past few years. The question was whih ones would get me back on track the soonest. I started with a series of book which had been pretty easy before but now presented problems. A particular on the play of the hands was Seagram's and Byrd's book 'Plan the Play of the Hand' said to be for newcomers. I realized how much I had slipped by getting only about 50% of their quizzes right as about near 100% before. Clearly I had slipped and slipped badly. So I recommend this book very highly, but don't try it till you have gone through a simpler text. Thus came in Kantar's 'Introduction to Declarer's Play', the kindergarten book on play. The most excellent advantage was I could whip through it like a dervish and understand it and retain it all. Then I returned to Seagram's and Byrd's book and found it to be much much easier.

I then divided my study into three phases, declarer's play, defender' play (Kantar's 'Introduction to Defender's Play'), and I've yet to settle on the bidding book. Even though it is some twenty years old, 'Commensense Bidding' by William Root may be the foundation text for bidding. We shall see. Audrey Grant's Bidding Book endorsed by the ACBL is definitely more up-to-date and is beautiful bonded. Follow by 2/1 bidding by Rodwell and Grant, and you may had a solid winner in getting back to the player you used to be.

I think that it is important for a Bridge book to be fun to read and follow the practical jokes line by line. This draws you to play, kid around and really have an enjoyable evening. Should an evening end with sex, seems to be up for grabs.

I am a beginning bridge player. A friend of mine who has played bridge for many years AND is in the same bridge club as Warren Buffet in Omaha, NE (!)recommended this book and the accompanying one to me. No one source is all encompassing, but I've found this little book enormously helpful as I struggle to figure out how to learn strategic play in this game.

Together with his "Introduction to Defender's Play" makes a great introduction to Bridge plays, the second and equally important part of every Bridge board.

Although the declarer's play is easier to learn than defender's play, this book presents in the concise and logical way main methods of declarer play.

The book is little old, but still, it is a very good begiining to learn bridge play.

It was one of the first bridge book I read and I found it very useful. It gives you a good base to understand declarer's play.

CONTENTS:

Foreword

Part I - Notrump Play

1. Sure Tricks
2. Establishing Tricks
3. Taking Tricks with the Spot-Cards
4. Taking Tricks by Finessing
5. The Hold-Up Play
6. The Danger Hand

Part II - Trump Play

7. The Trump Suit
8. Counting Losers
9. Creating Extra Winners
10. Long Suit Establishment
11. Trumping in the Short Hand

Index

Haven't really had to opportunity to use this book yet but it appears to be useful. I purchased a used copy there are some scribblings in it but it doesn't interfere with the text.

It's a small paperback book that was just was what I was looking for. The advertisement was perfect and I received it in good order, priced very reasonably.