Bridge Books for Beginners

           
  Contract bridge, usually simply called bridge, is a trick-capturing card game of skill and chance - the relative proportions depend on the varition of the game being played. The main variations of the game being rubber bridge or Chicago, Teams bridge, or Pairs (Duplicate) bridge. Rubber bridge or Chicago are usually played for money and with just four participants; Teams and Duplicate bridge are much more common in bridge clubs and are what is played in tournaments. Any number of players (hopefully a multiple of four) can play in a duplicate bridge competition. Bridge is played by four players who form two partnerships and the partners sit opposite each other at a table. The game consists of the auction (often called bidding) and play, after which the hand is scored. The bidding ends with a contract, which is a declaration by one partnership that their side shall take at least a stated number of tricks, with specified suit as trump or with no trumps. The rules of play are similar to other trick-taking games, with addition of the feature that one player's hand is placed face up on the table as the "dummy" with his partner - the declarer - playing the cards both from his own hand and from dummy.
This is a selection of bridge books suitable for beginners - improvers.
 
     
 
bridge book  

The ACBL Bridge Series

 
  This popular series of five books is a comprehensive lesson plan which takes students from absolute beginners to confident players. The first three books cover bidding, declarer play and defense, the last two books cover conventions.  
 
     
 

The Club Series

Bidding in the 21st century.
Updated by Betty Starzec to reflect more modern bidding methods, this text book now has nine lessons. The chapters are titled: Getting Started, Objectives, Responses to 1NT, Responses to One of a Suit, Rebids by Opener, Rebids by Responder, Overcalls, Takeout Doubles and Responses, the Stayman Convention.
     
 

The Diamond Series

Play of the Hand in the 21st century.
Updated by Betty Starzec to reflect current bridge playing standards, the book now has nine lessonson developing strategy and playing the hand to win the contract. Chapters are titled: Making a plan, Developing Tricks - Promotion and Length, Developing Tricks - the Finesse, Eliminating Losers - Ruffing and Discarding, Watching Out for Entries, Watching Out for the Opponents, Managing the Trump Suit, Putting it all Together, Jacoby Transfers.
     
 

The Heart Series

Defense.
This book has eight lessons. Chapters are titled: Opening Leads vs NoTrump Contracts (covering the rule of eleven), Opening Leads vs Suit Contracts, Third-Hand Play, Defensive Signals, Developing fedensive Tricks, Interfering With Declarer, Making a Plan.
     
 

The Spade Series

Commonly Used Conventions .
This book has eight lessons. Chapters are titled: Stayman Convention, Jacoby Transfer Convention, Major-Suit Openings and Responses Part 1, Major-Suit Openings and Responses Part 2, Minor-Suit Openings and Responses, Subsequent Auction, Weak Two Bids, Strong 2 Club Openings.
     
 

The NoTrump Series

More Commonly Used Conventions .
This book has eight lessons. Chapters are titled: Negative Doubles, Other Doubles, Overcalls, Two-Suited Overcalls, Blackwood and gerber, Finding Key Cards, Leads and Signals, Two-Over-One
     
 
 

 

bridge books  

Five Card Major Bridge Teaching Series

This set of books by Shirley Silverman is the best-selling bridge teaching series in history. It has now been completely revised/re-written with the help of Pat Harrington and Harry Silverman to reflect the most popular current theories.
 
"Elementary Bridge Five Card Major Student Text" is written for the absolute beginner. The ten lessons cover the mechanics of bridge, basic vocabulary, opening suit and NoTrump bids and responses, scoring, opening leads, signals, competitive bidding, slams, basic play of the hand and the finesse.
 
"Intermediate Bridge Five Card Major Student Text" has ten lessons all on phases of the bidding. The chapters include a review of the basics, forcing and non-forcing sequences, Stayman, play of the hand, preemptive bidding and balancing.
 
"Advanced & Duplicate Bridge Student Text" has twenty lessons featuring conventions such as the strong two club opening and the weak two bid, negative doubles, forcing NoTrump response, Jacoby, and counting out the hand. The duplicate lessons explain the mechanics of duplicate bridge and cover match point and team-of-four play and tactics.
 
"Play of the Hand as Declarer & Defender" has ten lessons on declarer and defender play, hold-up plays, finesses, placing the cards and 'thinking through' a hand. It is suitable for the beginner, intermediate or social bridge player.
 
"Five Card Major Bridge Teachers Manual/With 4 Student texts" is intended for the teacher and covers all of the above bridge courses (50 lessons) in one binder. In addition there are lesson plans in teaching a class in two-over-one game force. Complimentary copies of the four above texts are also included.
 
 
bridge made easy  

Better Bridge Series

Audrey grant has a worldwide reputation in the field of bridge education. Her vision, commitment and research have enabled her to produce the world's best introductory bridge information. Her books have received the American bridge Teachers' Book of the Year awards and thousands of teachers use the Grant method of teaching bridge.
The 'Better Bridge' Series comprises three 'Bridge Basics' books and two 'Improving Your Judgement' books.
'Audrey makes bridge fun to play on your own. her approach is refreshing and it';s simple to follow' - ACBL BULLETIN
'It's easy to see why Audrey is the most popular bridge teacher and author in the world' - Randy Baron
 
"Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction" starts at the beginning, introducing the mechanics of the game. It covers the fundamentals of the three aspects of bridge: bidding, play and defence. 32 prepared deals carefully give you a chance to practice what you've learnt.
     
     
     
       
"Bridge Basics 2: Competitive Bidding" covers the concepts needed when both sides are bidding for the contract. It introduces the basic competitive tools - preemptive opening bids, overcalls, and takeout doubles. The concepts and information presented are the most popular at this time, developed with the assistance of the game's top champions.
       
     
"Bridge Basics 3: Popular Conventions" explains popular conventions used in modern bridge play. There are chapters on the Stayman convention, Jacoby Transfer bids, strong opening bids, and slam bidding (Blackwood and Gerber). 32 deals provide practice. One appendix covers Audrey's ABC's of declarer play, which guide you in devising a plan for making the contract, and the other goes over material on Texas Transfers.
       
     
       
"Improving Your Judgement 1: Opening the Bidding" introduces concepts that will have you confident and capable of making good decisions when you are in a position to open the bidding. You will discover how to: Use the rule of 20 in first and second seats, make light opening bids in thirs seat, Benefit from the rule of 15 in fourth seat, Make effective use of preemptive bids, Produce the most descriptive bid with powerful hands.
       
       
"Improving Your Judgement 2: Doubles" shows how the many uses of the double can dramatically improve your game. The book reviews the basics and introduces tools to improve your judgement. Topics covered include: The takeout double, responding to the takeout double, rebids, negative doubles, balancing and other doubles.
         
bridge made easy  

Bridge made Easy Teaching Series

Teachers have used Caroline Sydnor's Bridge Made Easy series sucessfully in the classroom for over 20 years. The books are also suitable for self-teaching outside the classroom.
'I never saw better books for students. Each one gets better' - EASLEY BLACKWOOD
'This series is the cleverest teaching I have ever seen' - BILL ROOT
 
Bridge Made Easy Book 1 (Elementary).
Ten lessons for the beginner. Mechanics, NoTrumnp bidding and play, opening bids, responses, overcalls, slam bidding, responses to 1NT, doubles, preemptive bids, and basic reference charts.
 
Bridge Made Easy Book 2 (Intermediate).
Ten lessons including card plays that create tricks, rebids, opening leads, the rule of 11, defensive bidding, the cue bid, and signalling.
 
Bridge Made Easy Book 3 (How To Win More Tricks).
Ten lessons on play of the hand. Planning ahead, trump management, suit development, the dangerous opponent, safety plays, counting, end plays, and squeezes.
 
Bridge Made Easy Book 4 (How To Set Your Opponents).
Ten lessons on elementary defense. Leads, signals (attitude, count and suit preference), discards, second hand plays, counting, defensive tricks, and lead directing doubles.
 
     
     
 
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to Beginner Bridge Books page 2
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to Beginner Bridge Books page 5
to Beginner Bridge Books page 6 (Acol bidding system)
to Beginner Bridge Books page 7 (Bridge books for children)
to Beginner Bridge Books page 8 (Bridge Lessons series by Andrew Robson)
to Ron Klinger Bridge Flippers
to Marty Bergen's Winning Bridge Series
 
     
 
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