A Room without Bridge Books is Like a Dummy without a Hand

Yes, dears, The Book is still around and will be for a few more years.

If you are learning to play bridge, as you are a beginner bridge player, or even if you are the world champion, you still need good bridge books to get you through the day.

You can read them on-line, under the bridge table, in the bath or whilst sitting in the looney bin waiting for Dolores the Dummy to finish her appointment.

You simply cannot operate on the bridge table without having read at least 5!  What else are you going to talk about, I ask myself, counting my 13 cards?

Here are 5 recommendations for learning to play bridge – A beginner’s bridge book guide:

1. Everyday Bridge Adventures by Dennis Zines. This is an amusing book about Zines’ experiences at the bridge table.  He states: Bridge has its random side and is shockingly unconcerned with fairness.

2. Introduction to Declarer’s Play by Eddie Kantar. This is one the best bridge books on card play ever written. This is a must for beginner’s bridge, and in fact all bridge players.  It has been in print since 1968 – so that tells an interesting bridge story. Learn about sure tricks and establishing tricks in No Trumps, counting losers and creating winners in Trump contracts.

3. Declarer Play at Bridge: A Quiz book (Seagram/Bird). This will give those who are classified as near beginners a chance to practice the principles on which sound declarer play is based: count your winners, count your losers, make a plan. It comes in paperback and can also be digitally downloaded.  So no excuse.  You can practice everywhere.

4. Bridge in 3 Weeks (Truscott) Again this comes in paperback or can be digitally downloaded. It is a comprehensive, 3-week, day-by-day bridge course for the absolute beginner. It assumes you have no real knowledge of the game of bridge. It takes you through basic bidding and card play; all in short steps so that by the end, you can feel comfortable joining a social game or even venturing out to a local bridge club. Heavens alive!  Be brave – read this book. Truscott covers what is called a unique ‘asset’ method of hand evaluation. It is simple and as numerous bridge teachers have attested to, it works.  And you know if something works, use it, don’t knock it.

5. Pocket Guide to Bridge (Seagram/Lee) Paperback or a digital download. This book is designed for those who wish to learn the fundamentals of bridge or have finished a beginners’ course. It is easy to carry around for reference so it can form part of your bridge equipment box.

The book includes a scoring table and a useful glossary of technical bridge terms. Designed to fit in a purse or pocket this book will be perfect for those times when you want to point to something and say “Look Harry the Hog, it says here, as I told you, you should have lead Spade K!”