Recommended Books (Bidding)

Introduction

Relatively few of the many bridge books concentrate on bidding, and very few of those on bidding systems other than Acol and SAYC. However, I can recommend a number of very useful books that all intermediate and advancing club players would benefit from reading. All of these books are available from Amazon (click on the links) or other suppliers. I have colour-coded the list to help you decide whether the book is suitable for you: green will suit all players, yellow will suit serious players, while red is for boffins only!

General Bidding

The books in this section will be of interest to all players, no matter what system they play. They cover topics like hand evaluation, the Losing Trick Count, competitive bidding, sacrificing, etc.

"The Modern Losing Trick Count" — Ron Klinger

Personally, I have found the Losing Trick Count (LTC) the simplest and most productive bidding tool I have ever used. Everybody should use it — it really is that good. Furthermore, the LTC is the one bidding tool you can use unilaterally. There is no need to agree it with your partner. He may not even know you are using it and will just think that you're a better bidder than most! The first few chapters of Ron Klinger's book will give you all you need to get started with the LTC confidently and successfully.
I have a spare copy of this book that any club member is welcome to borrow. Just ask.

"Understanding the Contested Auction" — Ron Klinger & Andrew Kambites

A recommended book for everyone who has not yet given considered thought to the competitive auction. It deals with the essential topic of the Law of the Total Number of Tricks (called "LTT" here, but also variously known as "TNT" and "The LAW"). It covers overcalls, protective bidding, all kinds of doubles, and many other topics of competitive bidding.

"To Bid or Not to Bid" — Larry Cohen

A classic that should be on every bridge player's bookshelf. It is a complete discourse on the Law of the Total Number of Tricks (referred to in the book as "The LAW"), More than any other book I have read, this book has helped me to make the right decision more frequently. And Cohen's writing is a pleasure to read.

"Bridge: TNT and Competitive Bidding" — Dick Payne & Joe Amsbury

Out of print but easily obtainable used from Amazon. Highly recommended.
This is a serious study of Law of the Total Number of Tricks. Any serious student of the game who likes to compete in the auction but who wants to do it in a winning way will benefit from buying this book. Some of the conventions Dick Payne proposes are suitable only for advanced partnerships, but the general ideas make a great deal of sense and will help your game.

"Secrets of Success" — Tony Forrester

Another out of print book that is easily obtainable used from Amazon, and at very cheap prices!
This is a very straightforward and sensible book that gives bridge players of all standards an insight into many areas that really matter. The book is not just about bidding — all aspects of the game are covered. You will get a lot from this book, and it is very easy to read.

"Points Shmoints!" — Marty Bergen

This is a book for new players who are familiar with the game but wish to improve. You will either love or hate Marty Bergen's literary style. I find the book rather disordered, almost as if it had been thrown together out of various scraps and anecdotes. But the scraps are of high quality, and all beginners and improving players will benefit from Bergen's sound advice, which is clearly presented. Beginners have been taught the High Card Point count, of course, and every bridge player uses it all the time. But HCP is not everything, and this book shows you why, through well-presented examples. "Points Schmoints!" is not entirely about bidding, however. There is also plenty of helpful advice that is sure to improve your cardplay. English players should be aware that this is an American book, written on the assumption that everyone plays a 15-17 1NT opening bid. You'd might as well get used to this different 1NT range, though, if you plan to read plenty of bridge literature!

Bidding Systems

Five-Card Majors

"Five-card Majors" — Ron Klinger

Klinger's account of Five Card Majors is a description of various modern bidding approaches rather than a prescriptive off-the-shelf bidding system. This book should be read by all intermediate and advancing players, since it presents ideas, treatments and conventions that every serious player ought to understand and become familiar with, and many of them can be used by a partnership to improve their current system. About half of the book covers ideas that apply equally to four-card major systems, such as forcing minor suit raises (aka inverted minors), the losing trick count, support doubles, splinters, trial bids, and even Puppet Stayman over 2NT.

Two-Over-One Game Force

This is my favourite method (it is part of my "Double Club System"), and is the method that many experts use. Yet it is easy to use and understand.

"2-over-1 Game Force" — Audrey Grant & Eric Rodwell

This is a basic but useful introduction to the Two-Over-One Game Force method. Everything is explained very clearly, and you will quickly become comfortable with the method. If you are serious about Two-Over-One you will need more than this, but I recommend this book as a very good place to start.

Extending Your Bidding System

"Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge" — Ron Klinger

This book covers more than just bidding — it covers tactics and card play as well. However, it presents a number of easily added extensions to a partnership's existing bidding system. The Lebensohl convention (which I highly recommend) is well-covered (but see the note below).

Conventions

No Trump Response Systems

Stayman and Jacoby transfers are commonly played. But there are other, admittedly more complex, approaches that you may wish to consider if you have ambitions to find the best contract possible. In my opinion, any such improved system that you choose should provide a 5-card Stayman capability, and all of those in this list do so.

"Bid Better, Much Better After Opening 1 No-trump" — Ron Klinger

Describes a full-featured 1NT response system based on the "Gladiator" approach. The system is known as "KERI", which I believe is named after a child of Klinger's who tragically died. There are some nice ideas and innovations presented here. Altogether it is a very playable and comprehensively described system. Any partnership could easily switch to KERI. With a copy of this book each, and a few nights of independent study by both, you can quite simply replace your current 1NT responses with KERI. Many players have done so (not me yet, however), and the feedback appears to be very good.

"5-Card Major Stayman" — Ron Klinger

Klinger describes a 5-Card Major Stayman system, which is much easier to assimilate than the KERI system above since it changes only the Stayman part of the partnership's system. Once again, with a book each, a partnership can easily switch to this system.

Other

"Bridge Conventions, Defences and Countermeasures" — Ron Klinger

A useful guide to many of the bidding conventions that you will play or you will meet. It tells you how to play them, how to defend against them when your opponents use them, and how to survive the opponents' attempts at disrupting your use of them.

"Roman Keycard Blackwood: Slam Bidding for the 21st Century" — Eddie Kantar

This is the "official" guide to RKB. But it is complex, detailed and involved. And Kantar's jocular style seems out of place in such a technical tome. You need to be very serious and dedicated if you want to put Kantar's complete system into action, although this book is a valuable reference for anyone with an interest in bidding and conventions. For most players, however, a cut-down RKB is more appropriate. In truth, the simple extension of Blackwood to Five-Ace Blackwood is, for most players, the most sensible compromise.

Notes

Variations in the Lebensohl convention. In Ron Klinger's "Guide to Better Duplicate Bridge" he states "Using 2NT Lebensohl and following up with a strong action shows a stopper [in the opponent's suit]. Showing a strong hand without [going via] 2NT denies the stopper. Other versions exist but this is the popular treatment." The last sentence is very pertinent, since in both "Bridge Conventions, Defences and Countermeasures" and "Understanding the Contested Auction", jointly authored by Klinger and Andrew Kambites, the opposite treatment is given. Very strange. Why can't Mr Klinger make his mind up?

Gladiator. Gladiator uses 2 as a puppet to 2, after which responder, rather than opener, describes his hand. This keeps opener's distribution hidden from the defenders.

More recommended books

I have also prepared a list of recommended books on card play.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club