About the Book
Duplicate Bridge is a fun and yet challenging card game, the world's best mind sport.
Let me be your newcomer guide and mentor. Learn from my mistakes/experiences.
I still remember my first game: I just walked into a bridge club without a partner, not knowing anyone in the hall, where thirty tables were set up for the afternoon game. I knew how to play bridge, but not in the Duplicate style. I was apprehensive, understandably nervous, and a little intimidated.
"A Handy Bridge Player's Guide to Duplicate" is just what the director ordered, whether you are an aspiring student taking lessons, a contract bridge player (like me) who wants to try this different bridge game format, or a former player wanting to return to the game after several years' absence who would benefit from a refresher course.
This book is a wonderful resource to help better prepare the reader for the experience of club play.
This handy guide presents the basic information needed to learn and master the Duplicate game formats, environments, and bidding, playing and scoring procedures.
Learn about bridge etiquette, zero-tolerance and play-nice programs; the different game formats, equipment, and useful how-to procedures-fill in a convention card; making a call using a bidding box; make an opening lead; arrange, inspect, and count tricks; prevent partner's revoke; make a claim or concession; understand BridgeMate; total-point and master-point scoring systems and so much more.
For the more experienced players, there is a separate chapter for interesting Topics; Comparable Bids, Psychic Bidding and bidding and playing techniques (Principle of Fast Arrival, Principle of Restricted Choice, Principle of the Transferred King, and the Rule of 15).
Frequently referred to Bridge rules and Laws are clearly explained. This knowledge will empower you to confidently make a Director's call when an infraction occurs to your advantage.
There is so much to absorb along your journey that you will read and reread this resource book. These are informative chapters on Awards and Rank Requirements, The National Grading Scheme, Online Bridge and Youth Bridge to keep up your interest.
A special feature of the book permits the reader to get a glimpse of how the game is played in "Twin Bridge Clubs", Stamford Lincolnshire UK and Mississauga Oakville Community Bridge Club in Ontario Canada. You will learn the principal differences of the games and will quickly be able to adapt to the English British Union (EBU) and the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) game styles.
A Handy Bridge Player's Guide To Duplicate was written with humour and contains over 110 colourful images/illustrations enabling learning Bridge procedures most informative and enjoyable. For example, "A pass out is not a bridge player who has consumed too much alcohol, nor a stamped concert ticket to allow in/out privileges. A pass out hand occurs when the Dealer's pass is followed by three more consecutive passes".
Extensive Appendices simplifies the learning process with the forms, charts and pertinent articles right at your fingertips.
I wish I had this Handy Guide when I started playing. Lucky you, now you do! While reading this book, my main goal was to keep you smiling and hearing you say,
"I didn't know that...That will be useful"!
About the Author :
Brian R. Gray is a retired professional consulting geotechnical engineer. He enjoyed playing bridge so much that five years later he wrote his first bridge book, "A Newcomer's Guide Stress-Free Introduction To Duplicate Bridge" in 2020 with the North American player in mind. Brian was fortunate to be partnered with two experienced players who mentored him on the bridge regulations and the game itself. He thought it would be very helpful to newcomers and contract bridge players (like himself) checking out Duplicate to have the necessary information for success in a single book at their fingertips. March 2020 came, the Covid-19 pandemic struck and the 3,200 bridge clubs across North America were closed. During the lockdown and months that followed, Brian checked out the bridge scene in the UK. Not surprisingly, the English Bridge Union was encountering similar problems as that of the American Contract Bridge League; namely, the difficulty of students leaving the comfort of the classroom and contract bridge players to successfully and confidently transition to the club game environment. Hence, this companion book, "A Handy Bridge Player's Guide To Duplicate," was written. Brian thought he would add a little twist to the storyline based on "A Tale of Two Cities," except in this instance, "A Tale of Twin Bridge Clubs"; namely, Stamford Bridge Club Lincolnshire UK and Mississauga Oakville Community Bridge Club Ontario Canada. Since November 2020, Brian has split his time when playing, regularly on the EBU and ACBL virtual BBO sites. Brian was exceedingly fortunate to have two very meticulous book editors: Anne Sixsmith and Selwyn Kossuth, Ruby and Bronze Life Masters respectively. Anne, a former Lancashire lass owns and directs her own 20-year old Washago bridge club. Selwyn, who was a regular at the Oxford Bridge club several years ago, is the author of two bridge theme books, "Weak Two" and "Deep Finesse". During the pandemic, Brian has written and published several Covid bridge theme articles listed below and others are available on his website http: //bridgebeginnermentor.ca Bridge Advice World's Best COVID-19 Defence Plan ABTA The Quarterly Magazine Fall Edition 2020. "Safety Plays" a three-part series CBF The Kibitzer magazine Winter2020/2021, and Spring and Summer 2021 editions. "Teach Me to Be A Smart Dummy" "A Big Heart is Not Restricted To Club Size" "Director Please!" Before Covid-19, Brian played bridge twice weekly with his twin brother, Wayne, and looks forward to reconnecting when face to face bridge resumes. We all are anxiously waiting for the return to the new normal later in 2021 as the vaccination programs roll out. Pre-Covid, Brian and his wife Rosemary enjoyed playing social bridge with family and friends. She plays socially twice a week with friends and at the condo bridge club while he is down at the MObridge club doing his thing. Brian and Rosemary have had to put any cruising and travel plans on the back burners until 2022. It will be satisfying enough to get back to leisure activities; golfing, bowling, singing in the musical group (The Noteables), cottage time at Soyer's Lake (parts of both bridge books written there while on vacation) and time with friends and extended family.
