5 Weeks To Winning Bridge

516 Pages·1960·42.557 MB·English

by  Alfred Sheinwold

WEEKS TO
5
WINNING
RIDGE
.MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
(SEE FIRST PAGE) <
ALFRED JIHVdUll
BY
Editorof The Bridge World magazine, master player, teacher,
lecturer and syndicated bridge columnist
\99l9U wOUISO l*Uvollllg ail aioa9 ui
ding anlSK^v^Mll bridge players. From the simplest fun-
damentals to the latest improvements in Point Count, from
tIGINAL elementary play t the newest Italian bidding systems,
NOTA
EPRINT this boo'/ is designed to make you a consistent winner.
/^
y^
l^i
^h>^
^
(Confinvecffrom thehack cover)
Keeping the danger Defensive rules-and
ousopponentofflead when to break them
•2$4>)When to drawtrumps Qp Deceptive play
/^ How the experts
Spcount /jX Third review and self-
\/ testing quizzes
Ge) Planning your play
XX /33\ Modern bidding con-
Watch your entries ^^
ventions (including
the Italian systems)
Expert plays (safety
/28)and throw-in plays,
v (u) Manners, morals
the trump coup and v
and laws
squeezes)
29^What to lead Final review
Now your five-week home-study course is over. You won't be able
to win a world championship, but if you've done your part faith-
fully, you'll begin to win more and oftener. /
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
If a careful reading of this book does not improve your
bridge game, tear off the front cover, write your name
and address on the back and send it to the publisher.
Your money will be refunded with no questions asked.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alfred Sheinwold returned to bridge after serving as Chief Code
and Cipher Expert for the O.S.S. during World War II. In four
years of tournament play, he amassed the amazing total of
2,000 Master Points and won, among other trophies, the U.S.
Master's Team Championship.
He has written five previous books on bridge, is editor of The
Bridge World magazine and is Cards Editor for Argosy magazine.
His daily column appears in overtwo hundred newspapers. Player,
writer, lecturer, teacher-Alfred Sheinwold is one of the leading
figures in the international world of bridge.
OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR
How to Play Winning Bridge
(Coauthor Edgar Kaplan)
101 Best Card Games for Children
First Book of Bridge
Second Book of Bridge:
The Play of the Hand
Third Book of Bridge:
How to Bid and Play in
Duplicate Tournaments
Fourth Book of Bridge:
How to Improve Your Game
i
^^ PERMABOOKS NEW YORK
•
This original Permabook edition is printed from brand-
new plates made from newly set, clear, easy-to-read type.
5 WEEKS TO WINNING BRIDGE
Permabook edition published January, 1960
1st printing November, 1959
X.
Copyright, ©, 1959, by Alfred Sheinwold. All rights reserved. Pub-
lished by Pocket Books, Inc., New York, and on the same day in Can-
ada by Pocket Books of Canada, Ltd., Montreal. Printed in the U.S.A.
Permabook editions are distributed in the U.S. by Affiliated
Publishers. Inc., 630 Fifth Avenue, New York 20, N.Y.
Permabook editions are published in the United States by
PocketBooks,Inc.. andinCanadabyPocketBooksofCanada,
Led,—theworld's largestpublishers oflow-priced adultbooks.
.
CONTENTS
How to Use This Book xiii
I. Bidding Without Opposition 1
1st DAY:
How to Value Your Hand 2
The Point Count 3 Dummy's Points 8
How Points Are Used 4 Defensive "Points" 9
Whose Hand Is It? 5 Quick Tricks 9
Good and Bad Points 6 Playing Tricks 10
Declarer's Points 7 The Effect of the Bidding ...10
2nd DAY:
The Versatile One-Bid 11
When to Bid 12 Two 5-Card Suits 19
Fourth-Hand Bids 15 A 5-Card Suit and a 4-Card
Which Suit to Bid 16 Suit 21
When Is a Suit Biddable? ...17 Two 4-Card Suits 22
Two 6-Card Suits 18 Three 4-Card Suits 23
A 6-Card Suit and a 5-Card In Short 24
Suit 19
3rd DAY:
How to Handle Your Notrumps . 25
The Basic Rules 25 Responding to One Notrump .35
Distribution 26 The Stoyman Convention ....36
STthoeppReirgsht Count 2287 SRetsapyomnadninagt tHoigHhiegrhLNevoetlrsum.p..37
Opening with Two or Three Bids 38
Notrump 31 Rebids by the Opener 39
What to Do with In-Between In Short 39
Hands 32
4th DAY:
Responding to the Opening Bid 40
WRahiiscihngTaypeMajoofrRSeusiptonse? . . .4410 TNwoot-rouvmepr-ROensepoRnessepsonses 5419
Single Raises 42 The Jump Response in a New
Double Raises 44 Suit 52
Triple Raises 45 Raising a Minor Suit 53
The Forcing Principle 46 Responses by a Passed Hand .55
One-over-One Responses 47 In Short 57
vl Contents
5th DAY:
Rebids—Where Judgment Begins 58
After a Single Raise 59 After a One-over-One
After a Double Raise in a Response 64
Major Suit 60 After a Two-over-One
After a Triple Raise in a Response 67
AftNMeaorjtorarumRSpeuistponse of One 6611 ARRceecbvieedrpssteinbagyndatnhSekIiRnpev-isLtpeaovtenildoenBrids...,..777302
After a Response of Two Tips on Rebidding 74
Notrump 63
6th DAY:
—
Two-Bids Strong and Weak 75
Requirements for a Strong Responding to a Weak
Two-Bid 75 Two-Bid 84
Responding to a Two-Bid 78 The Opening Bid of Two
Rebids After a Two-Bid 79 Clubs 85
Limited Two-Bids 82 In Short 88
The Weak Two-Bid 83
7th DAY:
How to Bid Your Slams 89
Normal Slam Requirements ..89 Cue Bidding 98
Controls 90 Fake Cue Bids 101
The Blackwood Convention ..91 Help from the Enemy 102
When Are You Conventional? .94 Showing a Singleton 105
Stopping at Five Notrump ...95 Direct Slam Bidding 106
Showing a Void Suit 96 Declarer's Skill ............108
The Gerber Convention 97
8th DAY:
First Review and Self-Testing Quizzes
1st Through 7th Days 109
II. Competitive Bidding Ill
9th DAY:
Bidding with a Part Score 112
Your Part Score 112 Mild Slam Tries 118
The Expanded Notrump ..113 Trapping the Enemy 120
Playable Suits 114 Opponents' Part Score 121
Semi-Forcing Bids 115 Light Overcalls and
Opening Two-Bids 116 Takeout Doubles 121
Suit Raises 117 InShort 123
Jump Takeouts 117
.1
Contents vil
10th DAY:
Overcalls 124
.
Points or Tricks? 125 Weak Jump Overcalls 133
Risk Versus Gain 126 Responding to the Weak
The Rule of 500 Points 127 Jump Overcall 134
Requirements for When Silence Is Golden ....135
Overcalling 128 Overcalls in Notrump 136
Responding to an Overcall ..129 Free Bids 136
Jump Overcalls 132 Free Rebids 139
Strong Jump Overcalls 132 In Short 140
nth DAY:
Doubling for Takeout 141
Takeout or Penalty Double? 142 When Not to Double 151
Requirements for a Takeout. In Short 153
Double 147
12th DAY:
After a Takeout Double 154
The Doubter's Partner 155 The Opening Bidder 166
Responding in Notrump ..157 After Partner Passes 167
Free Responses 157 After Partner Raises 167
After a Redouble 158 After Partner Redoubles ..167
The Penalty Pass 159 After Partner Bids a
Rebids by the Doubler 161 New Suit 168
Opening Bidder's Partner ...164 Short 168
1
13th DAY:
Shutout Bids 169
Risk Versus Gain 170 The Case Against Strong
Shutout Bids of Three-Bids 176
Three or More 173 Responding toa Shutout Bid .177
Examples of Shutout Bids ..175 In Short 182
14th DAY:
When to Sacrifice 182
The Value of Game 183 The Advance Sacrifice 187
Advantages of Sacrifice Discouraging a Sacrifice ....188
HoBwidMduincgh Will You Be Set? .118854 TBihdeoFrorDcoiunbgleP?ass 119920
Encouraging a Sacrifice ....187 In Short 193
viii Contents
15th DAY:
Penalty Doubles—Low Contracts 193
Light Doubles 195 In Short 203
Doubling into Game 201
16th DAY;
Penalty Doubles—High Contracts 204
Game Doubles 204 Slam Doubles 214
Counting Tricks Other Lead-Directing
for a Double 207 Doubles 215
Inferential Doubles 209 In Short 217
Doubles of Three Notrump ..211
17th DAY:
Reopening the Bidding 218
Bid or Double? 219 Reopening After o Raise ...224
Responding to a Reopening The Unusual Notrump 226
Bid 221 Non-Fit Auctions 227
Opening Bidder's Rebids 222 In Short 228
18th DAY:
Second Review and Self-Testing Quizzes
9th Through 17th Days .229
III. The Play of the Cards 231
19th DAY:
Simple Finesses 232
The Principle of the Two-Way Finesses 240
Finesse 232 Finessing Against the Jack ..241
Finessing Against the Ace ..234 Double Finesses 242
WFihneesnsintgo ALgeaaidnsHtigthhe King . .223375 TFriinpelsesinFgineasnsesOpponent's 243
Finessing Against Lead 244
the Queen 238