Customer Reviews

Introduction to Negative Doubles: A Must-read for the Aspiring Player

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

 

 

Finally, an expert has put all the pieces of the negative double puzzle into a single, comprehensive, comprehensible book. If you play bridge competitively, you and your favorite partners need this book. Any two bridge players will have at least four opinions about any bidding sequence involving a negative double. Thus, you and your partner probably miss each other more often than not after an opponent overcalls your side's opening bid. Bergen explains clearly and comprehensively how you and your partner can change that.

Exactly copying Bergen's ideas may not be for you and yours. That understood, studying his ideas and considering the alternatives can only help your partnership develop your ideas and understandings. With a united position on negative doubles, an adverse overcall will lose some of its sting. Better, you and your partner will know much better when and why lowering the penalty pass boom on the overcaller is better than bidding on.

Bergen's Negative Doubles is a foundation stone in the competitive bridge player's library. Read it, let your partner read it, apply it, and watch your opponents weep.

Finally someone wrote the definitive book on negative doubles! This book is well organized, methodically studying each possible opening-overcall situation and looking at the alternatives to a double and the proper responses to a double in each situation. Marty's numerous examples make his ideas clear.

This book misses my 5th star for two major reasons: (1) a method of bidding over a negative double by the overcalling side would be welcome, and (2) the book does not address the alternative "negative free bid" approach (although this may be beyond the scope of this book). However, it's good to see the scientist in Marty (if you've only read "Points Schmoints" and "Marty Sez", check out the "Better Bidding with Bergen" series!) return in the Thrump Double concept!

Novice to advanced players will benefit from this book, and even experts will find some meat here.

You may quibble about some of his point ranges but this is a good book with a large number of examples and bidding sequences.

Not only does the author address the Negative double, but he discusses hand evaluation and some other bidding.

Good value for the money.

The negative double is one of the most important bidding tools in modern bridge. Popular author and teacher Marty Bergen has written the definitive work on one of the most widely-used conventions. Marty clarifies the best way to play each sequence; so you can avoid any misunderstandings with your partner. Responses to the double are detailed, and new concepts such as Thrump doubles will be interesting to the more advanced player.