The Rodwell Files

[Cascade]

Because Amazon isnt instant :)

 

I bought and downloaded a near instant copy from www.ebooksbridge.com.

 

It is on my android and I am slowly working my way through it.

[benlessard]

In case it isn't clear yet, the reason to run the jack from dummy is to pick up KQTx on your right. It loses to stiff Q or stiff K on your left when compared to cashing the acew, but this is less likely.

 

 

Dummy J9876

to Ax

 

Running the jack is also to pick up Kx,Qx, in RHO. Running the J vs the 9 is to pick up a stiff T by west.

 

PS i think every time you lead an H from a long suit to a short honnor you should always play the highest even from a broken suit.

 

KT87x = T

 

KJ98x vs Ax =J (If you know RHO has 4 of them and 5 is likely)

 

QT98 = Q

 

etc.

[mike777]

The Rodwell Files. Eric Rodwell with Mark Horton.27.00$, 2011.400pp.

Level=Intermediate/Advanced

Grade=A

 

 

This book is 400 very dense pages of Cardplay. It is advertised as Int/adv but it is really for the true expert.

It starts out talking about squeezes and dummy reversals then it gets into the really hard stuff.

He uses concepts such as +L postiions, tightropes, trick packages and control units.

 

 

If nonexperts can retain even 10% of what is presented here you will see a great advancement in your cardplay. This is a book you will want to read and reread again and again. In the future Eric may wish to divide this book into several other books that just focus on a few of these items at one time.

[Gerben42]

I bought it on my eReader and I paid $22 for all parts. I'm halfway through ... wow.

[jillybean]

My partner lent me the book, he's not getting it back.

The first 2 chapters that MikeH skipped over are fabulous for mere mortals, I've already gone over content in chapter 2 several times. :)

[kenrexford]

In case it isn't clear yet, the reason to run the jack from dummy is to pick up KQTx on your right. It loses to stiff Q or stiff K on your left when compared to cashing the acew, but this is less likely.

 

These types of problems always intrigue me as to the psychology of the cards. If the situation is such that RHO knows what is going on, covering the Jack can be a net no-gain play. He might as well duck and lose the first trick, as the end is the same, all things being equal. For that matter, any card could randomly be played. Covering works as well as ducking, as well as sticking in the 10. Thus, in a sense, all four cards are equal.

 

With, however, Q10xxx or K10xxx, RHO is forced to play one of his three small cards. Hence, he has three equal options all involving ducking.

 

Thus, on a pure informational basis, one might argue that a pip from RHO will occur in one-fourth of all KQ10x scenarios. However, a pip will occur 100% of all K10xxx scenarios and Q10xxx scenarios. This, in theory, affects the odds tremendously.

 

Against that is that the person with KQ10x(x)(x) must actually play the small pip 100% of the time to ensure that the Q10xxx and K10xxx scenarios are not made more likely by the appearance of a small pip. Hence, RHO's play with KQ10x is restricted not by his own cards and the actual situation but by the hypothetical of a different deal and the need to protect that scenario.

 

Knowledge of what is going on, plus knowledge of what is occurring in hypotheticals, is critical to determining the likelihood of a particular card being played, therefore, and this knowledge or lack thereof determines odds. Knowledge can be affected, as well, by the position of the cards. For example, with A10 in hand and Qxx on Dummy, in a suit contract, Declarer has a line for 2 tricks in the suit without losers that is materially different than his options with A10 on Dummy and Qxx in hand. So also, J987x in Dummy opposite Ax in hand has different odds concerns than Ax in Dummy and J987x in hand, because of the different knowledge factor.

 

Flash cards rarely handle these aspects of the case. I have not myself seen any distinction in suit holdings depending on which holding is in Dummy and which concealed in hand, except situation-specific anecdotes.

[mike777]

edit

[glen]

Congratulations to Horton, Rodwell, and Master Point Press for book of the year!

[Phil]

I bought this at the LA regional a few weeks ago and I am enjoying it, but it doesn't hold my interest as much as AICP.

 

There's some cute hands - the intrapop is especially cool, but AICP is like, "OMFG I've never seen a position like this" and I just drool on the book.

[BunnyGo]

I bought this at the LA regional a few weeks ago and I am enjoying it, but it doesn't hold my interest as much as AICP.

 

There's some cute hands - the intrapop is especially cool, but AICP is like, "OMFG I've never seen a position like this" and I just drool on the book.

 

Yes, but these hands may actually come up...All a matter of taste. I very much enjoy both books.

[JLOGIC]

Yes, but these hands may actually come up...All a matter of taste. I very much enjoy both books.

 

+ 1 million. I wish this book existed when I started playing bridge. Rodwell tells you basically every situation that comes up in cardplay, and how to recognize it. I always preach "zomg cardplay is all that matters" and these plays are what I'm talking about. If you can do them at the table routinely, you'll win lots of events, no matter how you bid. If your goal is to win at bridge then Rodwells book is just so much more important than adventures in cardplay.

 

It kills me that everyone now will know "danger hand high" type situations, it will make the game a ton harder, people almost never do that play even though it's a standard situation that comes up fairly often.*

 

*- I think it was actually a rodwell bols tip where i even learned it, but I assume this will be way more well read than bols tips

[cherdano]

This book is unlike any other bridge book I have read. Rodwell really tries to explain (assuming you are familiar with the basics) how to think about declarer play and defense.

 

Unlike any other book I have seen, it gives space to different topics not according to how many cute example hands the author can dig up, but instead according to Rodwell's judgment of how important they are. It obviously doesn't hurt that he plays thousands of hands each year, and that he started writing this book 20 years ago - you can almost imagine the importance of each topic weighed by the number of IMPs he has seen getting lost over the year at all the tournaments he plays in (from regionals to Bermuda Bowls).

 

Yes, that means there aren't many pages devoted to transfer trump squeezes (that's what other IBPA awards are for), but it must be one of the most useful declarer play/defense book ever written. Timing, endplays, easy ways to think about orders of suit establishment quickly, etc.

 

P.S.:

As an aside, I quite liked the fact that he shows quite a few hands where he explains "you have to do X since that works whenever partner has Y or Z", and the concludes "in fact partner had UTV so it didn't actually matter what you do" - somehow that gave following the hands a much more realistic feel.

[bluecalm]

and I just drool on the book.

 

Rodwell's book is more basic in a sense. It's not difficult technically but it emphasizes recognizing patterns and I love it for it. I might be able to work out hands much more difficult that the ones in it in postmortem but if I recognized all situations Rodwell described in his book at the table I would be much better player. I think my chances improved after reading it and will improve even more when I re-read it. Even simply giving a name to the play with some examples/hints strengthen the pattern in reader's head.

If you drool over AICP then try Martens books, especially the ones with animals in titles, they are other thing altogether. I think they are the most beautiful hands ever described. Maybe not that complicated as the ones in AICP and not that practical as the ones in Rodwell files but just amazing (and author makes you think that you should be able to work them out at the table presenting them as problems which is humbling to say the least).

[blackshoe]

AICP.

 

When I was in the Navy, I was taught that the first time you use an unusual acronym in correspondence, you spell out what it means, and I still try to do that. This one took me a while to work out, and I'm not 100% sure I'm right. Adventures in Card Play?

[inquiry]

AICP.

 

When I was in the Navy, I was taught that the first time you use an unusual acronym in correspondence, you spell out what it means, and I still try to do that. This one took me a while to work out, and I'm not 100% sure I'm right. Adventures in Card Play?

 

 

without a doubt... best treatment of trump elopement, and that is what he was referring to in his post.

[blackshoe]

Thanks, Ben.

 

Hm. Maybe it's time I read it again. B-)

[MrAce]

Enuf said, u guys made me buy my 2nd bridge book in last 10 years. I would have never bought this book after i bought Erick Rodwell and Audrey Grant's 2 over 1 book which was total dissapointment for me.

 

I mean geez.... MikeH,Justin and a lot of decent players here says it is a great book, so it must be. What scares me is when the expectation is too high i am known to be dissapointed easily. Hoping it will be delievered tomorrow before i leave the house for the road.

[gwnn]

Timo it is a great book you won't be disappointed. And everyone finds stuff relevant to his/her level.

[MrAce]

Timo it is a great book you won't be disappointed. And everyone finds stuff relevant to his/her level.

 

Ok i recieved it today :)

 

Going to my den to read it :P

[mike777]

 

Eric on youtube

[gwnn]

Ok i recieved it today :)

 

Going to my den to read it :P

Judging from your performance last weekend, I take it you didn't have much time to read? :rolleyes: (you could ask me the same, and my answer would be: no, I didn't read a lot of it!)

[Phil]

I think I'm on my 3rd read of it now. Its gets better and better.

[y66]

Nice to see ER giving credit to Mark Horton on that youtube video for bringing this book to life.

[xcurt]

Definitely agree this book is a must for any expert. It filled in a big gap in my knowledge. I learned fom the GiB feature on handviewer that I was trying too much as defender to win establishment races (thanks Fred) and I needed to make more plays to prevent declarer from getting to his tricks, then wait for our tricks in the endgame. This book is a compendium of techniques for doing just that.

 

It's also got a lot of useful material on declarer play.

[jmcw]

Got it for Christmas.

 

Good, but difficult read for me,....I have a lot to learn.

So far, I'm rereading the first 100 pages or so, still trying to get my head around some of it. I might make it through the rest by the end of the year.