Holiday
gifts for bridge playersHoliday
gifts for bridge playersIf you're looking for gifts for your friends and relatives who play bridge (or who would like to learn), here are some recently published -- and recommended -- books.
Bridge books published in 2014:
Bidding at Bridge: A Quiz Book
By Barbara Seagram & David Bird. This new title is
presented in the same format as the authors' previous book,
Declarer Play at Bridge: A Quiz Book, which was named the 2013 Book of
the Year by the American Bridge Teachers' Association. The focus here is on
bidding decisions. Each section contains a brief introduction on a specific topic,
followed by problems that allow readers to practice their skills.
Winning Duplicate Tactics (Advanced beginner to intermediate)
By David Bird. Good explanations of duplicate scoring and the factors that
affect decisions in pair and team games -- how to choose contracts and when to
be aggressive vs. conservative, take risks, play for overtricks.
Falsecards: A Mike Lawrence Classic
(Intermediate to advanced)
By Mike Lawrence. A thorough
examination of the many ways you can legally mislead your opponents with
falsecards as a defender or declarer. This is a revised and updated version of
the definitive work on this topic.
Accurate Cardplay and
Imaginative Cardplay
(Advanced to expert)
By Terrence Reese and Roger Trezel. Edited and updated
by Mark Horton, these two volumes
are a compilation of eight highly rated booklets that have long been out of print.
Accurate Cardplay includes
these titles from the original series: Safety Plays in Bridge, Blocking and
Unblocking Plays in Bridge, Elimination Play in Bridge, and When to Duck
and When to Win in Bridge.
Imaginative Cardplay
includes Master the Odds in Bridge, Snares and
Swindles in Bridge, Those Extra Chances in Bridge and The Art of Defense
in Bridge.
The Art of Declarer Play
By Tim Bourke. A unique look at how experts think through the play of a bridge
hand. The chapters and examples explain how to anticipate the likely
distribution, use logic and visualization, "listen" to the cards and other ways
to make "impossible" contracts. Named 2014 Book of the Year by the International
Bridge Press Association.
Bumblepuppy Days: The Evolution from Whist to Bridge
By Julian Laderman. An interesting exploration of the origins of the world's
most popular card game. The author traces the history of whist, auction bridge
and contract bridge with a focus on the fascinating characters who played the
games.
Bridge Crosswords
By Jeff Chen. Bridge players who enjoy crosswords can combine their favorite
pastimes with this volume of 52 bridge-themed puzzles. The puzzles, which range
from easy to challenging, feature clever clues and entertaining themes.
Bridge books on Kindle (All levels)
New titles and old classics formatted for the Kindle, Amazon's e-reader.
Games and software:
Learn to Play Bridge I & II (Beginner) are two self-teaching software programs that make great stocking stuffers for anyone who wants an easy introduction to the basics. Best of all, both are totally free from ACBL. You can download them from the link above (both setup programs fit onto one CD) and give copies to everyone on your list. Print out copies of ACBL's quick-start How to Play Bridge page to go with your gifts.
aBRIDGEd game (Beginner) is a box game that's as close as you can get to "real" bridge, without the complexities of bidding. The set includes color-coded cards and simple rules that can be learned in 20 minutes. It's a great introduction to bridge-style card play and bidding principles for children and adults.
Bridge
Baron 25 (All levels) is the newest update of one of the most skilled
bid-and-play software programs on the market. It features seven sophisticated
levels of play, plus a deal generator, double-dummy solver, ACBL tournament
deals, challenge hands, flow-chart bidding tutorials and a wide range of
conventions. Available for
Windows and Mac.
Need more ideas? You'll find other books and gift suggestions on these shopping pages for bridge players:
Karen's Bridge Library Bookstore features short reviews of recommended bridge books, along with an updated listing of the newest books and software. Books are grouped by skill level and can be purchased at discounted prices from Amazon.com by following the links.
Great Bridge Links offers a full directory of specialty products and online shopping sites for bridge players. You'll find links to unusual and hard-to-find gifts here, along with some special discounts.
Sevennotrump.com -- Cards, jewelry, greeting cards, trophies, apparel and bridge novelty items.
Game Preserve -- Cards, "coaching" placemats, scorepads and themed gift items for other card games.
Playing Cards & More -- Cards, tables, bridge jewelry and game accessories.
Prospero Art -- Double-deck playing cards in Alice in Wonderland, Rat Pack and Shakespeare themes.
Baron-Barclay Bridge Supplies -- Cards, bridge jewelry, party supplies, pens, clothing and the popular bridge table covers.