The logic behind conventions, opening leads, etc

[naveak99]

I am a largely self-taught bridge player, having learnt and played the game mostly online - the ACBL Learn To Play Bridge Software is a very good resource!

I've also supplemented that with a Bridge course, and read up a bit on conventions and opening leads. I do not like to follow the conventions and so-called thumb rules blindly, and would like to appreciate and understand the logic that led to their development. However my search for such a source has proved elusive so far. Can anyone recommend a book or a website that would be suitable to my requirements?

[DavidKok]

Larry Cohen does an excellent job of explaining the reasons behind system choices and bidding agreements, and I would recommend his website as a place to start (https://www.larryco.com/).

[mycroft]

Specifically for leads and signalling theory, a very good explanation is the first couple of defence chapters of Watson's "Play of the Hand" (because in order to understand advanced declarer play, an understanding of what the defence is saying is frequently required. At least, that's his argument). Because 90+% of leads and signals (and near 100% of useful information for newer players) was codified in the Whist days, a 1950's reference is just fine. Just know that the auctions in Watson are antiquated at best. Oh, and it reads like a textbook, because it is.

 

And I applaud the thought. In order to effectively play a bidding agreement, you have to understand why you're playing it (and what it means when you don't do it). Just know that a very powerful reason for much at "newer player" level is "because that's what everyone you'll play with understands it to mean", and "better" or "good" vs "worse" or "bad" aren't a real concern. Bridge is a Partnership Game (and while also antiquated bidding, that's also still a good book), after all, and a mediocre, or even a bad, system that both partners play and understand will always beat a better system that partner doesn't understand as well, and you don't know enough to know why you're playing it.

 

So, some things you'll just have to do "because that's what it means", at least for several years or unless you find a regular partner who also wants to investigate other options. There may be (obviously is) logic behind it, but many times the logic is "26 and a major fit make game, partner's shown 15-17 and a fit for my spades, so I need 10 or so to bid game", not "this bid shows 15-17 and 4 spades, and that's because <independent reasons>."

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

I dont know the book myself, but it gets high praise:

https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Conventions-You-Should-Know/dp/189415407X

 

There was a discussion between Cohen and Seagram, how high the number of MUST KNOW Conventions has to be.

Cohens number was 4-5, Seagram has it at 25, not surprisingly.

The main difference in the argument was, what is a convention, and what is "just" Bridge / common sense.

 

The response by Cohen or by Seagram featured in the BBO News, but I was not able to quickly find the link.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

 

PS: As already stated, make sure, you know, why you play a certain convention, before you add it.

[jillybean]

 

 

PS: As already stated, make sure, you know, why you play a certain convention, before you add it.

 

And not just the first 3 bids, it's important to understand the entire structure.

[blackshoe]

Building a Bidding System is an advanced book, but it does discuss these things.

 

There is a new second edition of 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. Some things are new, some aren't. The link is to the kindle version, which is in three parts. I'm pretty sure the paperback is the whole book. :-)

[axman]

I am a largely self-taught bridge player, having learnt and played the game mostly online - the ACBL Learn To Play Bridge Software is a very good resource!

I've also supplemented that with a Bridge course, and read up a bit on conventions and opening leads. I do not like to follow the conventions and so-called thumb rules blindly, and would like to appreciate and understand the logic that led to their development. However my search for such a source has proved elusive so far. Can anyone recommend a book or a website that would be suitable to my requirements?

I sounds like your interest is in understanding the judgment underlying conventions and their use.

 

I'll suggest Churchill Style of Natural Bidding as a reasonable source. He gets into the underlying principles and how to utilize them. It is his system book and while its conventions are natural, they underlie the principles behind many of the widely use artificial conventions of today. S Garton Churchill was an attorney so he didn't spare his words- which I found to be interesting words. He also won several American titles.

[pescetom]

Di Stefano has a rare capacity to describe systems and conventions with reasons for the choices made. Unfortunately only in Italian and more precise than accessible.