Modern Bridge Conventions

This easy-to-follow book covers in detail more than 50 of the most practical bridge conventions in use today. A glossary, which also serves as an index, lists more than 250 popular conventions, treatments, and systems. "Every bridge enthusiast should have it on his bookshelf."--Alfred Sheinwold, Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

Explains twenty-five bidding conventions, including the grand slam force, lead-directing doubles, negative doubles, new minor forcing, responsive doubles, reverse Drury, splinter bids, Stayman, takeout doubles, and weak two-bids.

This easy-to-follow book covers in detail more than 50 of the most practical bridge conventions in use today. A glossary, which also serves as an index, lists more than 250 popular conventions, treatments, and systems. "Every bridge enthusiast should have it on his bookshelf."--Alfred Sheinwold, Los Angeles Times Syndicate. "From the Trade Paperback edition.

The most complete guide to the modern methods of standard bidding for bridge, from one of America's leading players, teachers, and authorities. With a logical, easy-to-follow style, William Root covers all the bidding essentials.

This text offers instructors everything they need in a course for new students or experienced players who want to learn modern bridge. Bridge Students: Modern Bridge carefully explains the rationale and principles behind each bidding and play guideline. Most books merely present these guidelines as facts. This understanding will make it easier to remember the guidelines. You will be better prepared to handle the enormous number of different situations that cannot be covered in any text. After just seven chapters you'll be ready to start playing in most social bridge settings. The last half of the book introduces you to more sophisticated material which prepares you to play with more experienced players. Exercises appear after each new topic so you can ensure that you understand before going on to the next topic. Experienced Players: This is your opportunity to learn the current American standard the right way - with real understanding of the various bidding and play guidelines. Each chapter contains more than the basic material. The last seven chapters cover more advanced topics such as cue bids, slam bidding, and related conventions. Bridge Instructors: Modern Bridge contains all of the ingredients you need for your class: a great text for your students, sample hands to exercise the topics you just introduced, and lesson plans you can shape to your own style of teaching. Four complete hands with bidding and play commentary (or more appropriate exercises in a few cases) are included at the end of each chapter. Lesson plans for each chapter are available for download. You can use them as they are or modify them to suit your preference.

Modern Bridge Conventions, The Impact of Shape is designed to advance the experienced player beyond the foundation classes where point count is the sole factor in determining the best level for your contract. The importance of hand shape is covered from many perspectives including the popular conventions designed specifically to handle unbalanced hands. We'll identify the factors besides point count that lead to winning tricks. You'll learn to recognize these factors and learn new bidding techniques to better convey the shape of your hand. This material naturally leads to a detailed discussion of the many conventions specifically designed to tell your partner about the shape of your hand such as four-card support for a five-card major, a five-card suit in responder's hand, supporting hands with extreme shortness in a side suit, and hands with two five-card suits. The book reviews basic conventions (jump shift by opener, jump shift by responder, jump to NT by opener, jump to NT by responder, reverse by opener, reverse by responder) and moves on to cover balancing, negative double, Jacoby transfer, 1NT interference conventions, Texas transfer, new minor forcing, fourth suit forcing, unusual 2NT, Michael's cue bid, sandwich NT, control bidding, help-suit game try, Splinter bids, Jacoby 2NT, two over one, Roman key card Blackwood, and Minorwood. While not for the beginner, this book is perfect for the player who wants to take their game to the next level.

Conventions are a vital element of bidding in bridge. Unless they are easily and clearly understood they can be destructively dangerous. This book contains the most common conventions you are likely to encounter at the duplicate table, together with defensive measures you can take, plus countermeasures against each part of the defensive methods. Importantly, however, bridge continues to evolve. The material in the additional chapter covers the most recent developments in bridge bidding and will give you ideas for inclusion in your regular partnerships.