There are many books and articles about how to improve your play, but there are few that focus on being a better partner, having fun and playing bridge the right way. In this book, there is plenty of technical advice. But more important, this book examines the best ways to participate joyfully in the world's greatest game. In this time of various scandals at the highest levels of bridge, these topics need to be promoted more often. Besides, there are thousands of players around the world who have limited awareness that they are making unethical bids, plays or hesitations, or taking advantage of partner's actions.

Although you might have come across some of these tips in various books and magazine articles, this book is unique by focusing more on having a pleasant time playing and making your table a welcome and pleasant place to be. What's more important than being a positive role model for everyone around you, getting along with others, and having a good time? You can choose which principles apply to you and your game. Much of what is appropriate for you to improve depends on your personality and how much work you want to put into being a better player, but frequently stressed throughout the book is that you can always be a role model for others.

By reading this book and sharing with your partners and friends, we'll all be doing a little more to make the bridge world a friendlier and better environment. Randy's been playing bridge now for about 50 years and worn all hats: expert, author, publisher, editor, columnist, teacher, politician, director, bridge club owner, and lately travel planner. He founded and spent 35 years as president of the world's largest bridge supplier, Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies.

The intention of this book is to present a kind of Reader's Digest of essays and tips that can elevate your enjoyment and help you play with impeccable ethics. In Volume 1, Randy gives invaluable advice including:

- Useful habits to learn

- How to improve your bidding system

- Which conventions to play

Randy Baron founded Baron Barclay Bridge Supplies in 1974 with his wife Mary and was president of the company for over 30 years. He has had many roles in the bridge world as a well-known teacher, author, columnist and expert. Randy edited and published over 200 books at Baron Barclay. His many books and teaching materials include ABTA Book of the Year The Bridge Book Series, written with Frank Stewart. Randy is also the author of acclaimed books on the history of basketball, fantasy sports and the Kentucky Derby. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky with Mary, his children, Devyn and Dustin, and his beloved cocker spaniels. His passion for travel has taken him to over 100 countries and in recent years he takes groups to various nations to play bridge and sightsee.

Contents

- Acknowledgments

- Foreword

- Introduction

SECTION ONE

Having Fun and Useful Habits

1. Be a Good Partner, by Marty Bergen

2. Choose Your Partners Wisely

3. Always Follow the Golden Rule: Treat Your Partner, Opponents, Directors and Everyone You Come in Contact with as You Wish to Be Treated

4. Always Be an Ethical Player. It's Much More Important than Winning, by Denny & Jerry Clerkin

5. Make Sure You Pause After a Skip Bid by the Opponents

6. Familiarize Yourself with the Laws of Bridge, by Robb Gordon

7. When You Are Dummy, Be the Best Dummy You Can Be

8. Ask Questions at the Proper Time

9. Decide Why You Choose to Play the Game

10. Learn The Game; Don't Worry About Winning or How Many Masterpoints You Have Accumulated

11. Hold Your Cards So the Opponents Can't See Them

12. During the Play, Make Sure the Opponents Can't Tell Your Distribution

13. Table Talk and Tells: Your Opponents Are Talking, You Are Listening, by Mike Wolf

14. Relax and Keep Your Wits When Things Aren't Going Well

15. Take a Deep Breath

16. Ecstasy, by Mike Lawrence

17. The Harder You Practice, the Luckier You Get

18. Respect Everyone, Fear No One, by Dr. Lee Bukstel

19. Include at Least Several Declarer Play Books in Your Personal Library and Take Time to Learn from the Example Hands

20. Play Online and Use Computer Programs To Improve

21. The More Experienced Partner Should Adapt to Changes in Your System, by Keith Hanson

22. Always Try to Make Life Easy For Your Partner, by Mark Yaeger

23. Play Against Good Players As Often As Possible

24. Stay in Shape By Finding Activities That Give You More Stamina

25. Concentrate to the Best of Your Ability at All Times

26. Remember That at Matchpoints a Terrible Board Is Only a Zero

27. Smart Players Try For the Best Result Possible, Not the Best Possible Result

SECTION TWO

Your System, Conventions, and Strategy

28. The System You Play Is Not Nearly As Important As How Well You Play the System

29. Arrive Early To Discuss Your System with Partner

30. Consent to Play Only Conventions With Which You Are Totally Comfortable

31. Use the 80-20 Rule When Creating a Bidding System, by Ralph Letizia

32. Learn the Rule of 20 for When To Open the Bidding

33. Use the Rule of 15 When Deciding Whether To Open In Fourth Seat

34. After Partner Has Passed In First or Second Seat, Be Aggressive

35. Don't Be a Slave to the Point Count

36. Open a Strong 1NT with a Five-Card Major with 15–17 High Card Points

37. After Your Partner Opens 1NT, Don't Use Stayman When You Have 4-3-3-3 Distribution

38. Learn Garbage Stayman

39. Playing a Weak No Trump Opening Makes Life Difficult for the Opponents

40. Avoid Any Unilateral Decision on the First Round of Bidding, by Gavin Wolpert

41. Always Plan Your Second Bid, by Jerry Helms

42. In Every Auction Your Partnership Should Understand Which of You Is the Captain

43. Learn the Principle of Fast Arrival

44. With 3-3 In the Minors, Open 1♣

45. When You Open the Bidding 1♦ and Rebid the Suit, You Should Have Six Cards in That Suit, by Steve Weinstein

46. Reverses Are Sometimes Misunderstood So Learn About Them, by Barbara Seagram

47. Use Specific Opening Preemptive Bids

48. Ogust Rebids Are Useful Over Weak Two Bids

49. Sometimes It's a Good Idea to Bid the Suit in Which You Are Weak

50. If You Know Where to Play the Contract, Just Go Ahead and Bid It

51. When You have a Misfit, Stop Bidding as Soon as Possible

52. Don't Use the Blackwood Convention When You Have a Void

53. Roman Keycard Blackwood Is Worthwhile for Experienced Partnerships

54. Learn Cuebidding to Make Sure You Don't Have Two Quick losers in a Suit When You Are Looking for Slam

55. Discuss with Your Partner When 4 Clubs Is Gerber

56. Splinter Bids Are Useful if You Have a Solid Partnership, by Dorothy Truscott

57. Don't Bid a Grand Slam Unless You Can Count All 13 Tricks

58. Give Two Over One Game Force a Try

59. Consider the Precision Club, by Brent Manley

60. Learn the Differences in Duplicate Between Matchpoints and Swiss Teams/Knockout Events (Imps)

61. Visualizing Partner's Hand Is a Crucial Part of Accurate Bidding

- Appendices

- ACBL's Zero Tolerance Policy

- Active Ethics

- C-h-e-a-t-i-n-g

- The Worst Opening Lead in the History of Bridge

- Profound Words of the Dalai Lama Who Is Obviously a Bridge Expert

- 100 Movies You Might Enjoy

- 50 Books You Might Enjoy

- 100 Songs I Have Enjoyed

- The 32 (My Lucky Number and Birthday) Best Basketball Players of All-Time

- 50 Profound Quotes