playing bridge by gut feeling/instinct.

[rmnka447]

The best method for becoming a good bridge player is a combination of study and play. As others have pointed out, you might make some progress by solely playing, but it may take a long time to do so, or, what you think you may be discerning as basic principles of bidding and play aren't really so. Then you may be stuck at some point in time at trying unlearn bad habits which is not so easy.

 

OTOH, if you simply study, you don't automatically become a good bridge player either because playing experience is necessary to learn to apply the concepts and principles you learn from study. It some time takes a while, but sooner or later a hand or hands will pop up where you recognize something you've studied applies and you know what to do. Often, such moments may initially occur after the fact, but then at some point they become apparent as you play when you can use them and you have made a step forward.

 

Something study does do is present concepts, principles and ways of thinking about hands and playing that are not so obvious to a newer player. Your main task as a newer player is to learn these fundamentals and learn them well. If you do so, you will be far ahead of many other bridge players and able to compete against almost anyone. Fundamentally sound bridge players are always tough opponents.

 

Some new players to competitive bridge who are partners got some free copies of a bridge book on fundamentals of play at a bridge book giveaway at our local club. They asked about how good the book was and how to use it to help them improve. I suggested that it was excellent and that they carefully study the first half of the book on fundamentals, play for several months, and then reread the sections on fundamentals. It's been my experience that going over the fundamentals a second time helps players cement them a lot more firmly in their minds.

 

At some point when you get the fundamentals down, you should be able to play reasonably satisfying bridge. Then the game opens up as even more fascinating. You can then go as far as you want to take it by further study and play.

 

I might add that I still go back and reread that fundamental book from time to time and am still learning from it.

[Vampyr]

What book is that?

[Phil]

Can someone play good bridge solely by playing a ton (like 12 hours a day) and not reading any books on the subject? basically just playing by instinct.

I'm planning on doing this.

 

Curiously, playing by instinct is something that gets developed after you've trained yourself and after you've been playing for a number of years. But this only occurs after you have put thousands of hours into intense study.

 

But if you are serious about the game and do not mind working 12 hours a day at it, why would you go about it this way? It's horribly inefficient..

 

Playing bridge is a function of three things;

 

1 counting. This is an area that you can develop by playing a lot. As a matter of fact, I'd argue you cannot become a good counter any other way.

 

2.themes. You need to recognize various themes to be a good player. 'Instinctively' it won't feel right to refuse tricks, But there are many situations where you need to. Now, I suppose if you played a hand and went down and studied the record and GIB said to duck a trick, you might figure out why. Or not. However, by reading, or at least talking about bridge with people that have read, you'll get these concepts down quicker.

 

3. Execution.This is all of the other areas that are necessary to be good and to excel. Being a good partner (you did realize you needed one of these, right), playing in time limits, etc.

 

You don't need to understand conventions to become competent. You need them for a top level partnership, however,

[rmnka447]

What book is that?

Watson's Classic Book on the Play of the Hand at Bridge by Louis Watson.

 

But any good basic book on card play should suffice -- Card Play Technique by Gardiner & ?, Bill Root's books, and many others.

 

The important thing is that the more grounded you are in the fundamentals, the more solid a player you are. If you never execute a trump coup, endplay, or squeeze, but can consistently play excellent fundamental bridge, you'll win against most opposition.

 

When you study a book the first time, you never pick up everything important that's there. So revisiting a book after playing for a while helps you pick up and gain better understanding of what the book was teaching.

 

 

Oh, and the first time I read Watson as a teenager eons ago was a copy available from my local public library.

[ncohen]

I agree with most of the players that learning by experience alone is tremendously inefficient and will never get you as far. You would have to be pretty amazing to figure out a holdup play on your own, or an inner finesse, or (unless you're good at math) how to do probability calculations when playing card combinations. And, lots of needless errors on the way. I still remember in high school, playing duplicate with a high school partner, that he lead 4th best from his longest and strongest suit versus NT. All very well, except that he held KQJ2, and declarer held A10x.

[RD350LC]

Watson's Classic Book on the Play of the Hand at Bridge by Louis Watson.

 

But any good basic book on card play should suffice -- Card Play Technique by Gardiner & ?, Bill Root's books, and many others.

 

The important thing is that the more grounded you are in the fundamentals, the more solid a player you are. If you never execute a trump coup, endplay, or squeeze, but can consistently play excellent fundamental bridge, you'll win against most opposition.

 

When you study a book the first time, you never pick up everything important that's there. So revisiting a book after playing for a while helps you pick up and gain better understanding of what the book was teaching.

 

 

Oh, and the first time I read Watson as a teenager eons ago was a copy available from my local public library.

I have to agree. Watson's classic book is a very good book-it starts at the very basics, and continues on to intermediate and then advanced play.

Another very good book is Hugh Kelsey's "Killing Defence". If you make it through that one, you will become a very tough player. Be warned, this is not an easy book to go through.

[Stephen Tu]

Watson is so dry to read though. Much prefer Root's books, Gardener/Mollo card play technique mentioned earlier. Same stuff for the most part, more easily digestible.

 

I agree Kelsey Killing Defense is great but is I think for post intermediate level, not for beginners.