"World-class bridge players take tricks and make seemingly impossible contracts with a frequency that is beyond normal, sometimes so far beyond as to be a bit scary. Some of it is luck of course; but there is no reason for experts to have more luck than the rest of us. After all, we hold the same hands, play the same deals."
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The Glory of Notrump by John Sheridan Thomas Trafford Pubishing
book review by Maggie Harding
Regardless of what anyone may have heard, playing Bridge is alive and well and continues to provide hours of entertainment for devotees. For many years bridge players have used Charles Goren's system of bidding based on a point count system for evaluating ones hand and thus determining the bid. In some cases this can be pretty cut and dried, leaving little wiggle room for a less conventional player. The Glory of Notrump renders some interesting perspectives for both seasoned and novice players of this longstanding favorite pastime. It is designed to add another dimension to the player's bag of tricks, thus giving him a greater edge in developing winning plays.
Based on a seminar that he developed, the author explicitly shows layouts of bridge hands, the bids by each of the players, and the play by play of how the hand was won... or lost. Thomas evaluates the hand and often gives examples of how it might have been played by using less of the simple point system tactics and more aggressively pursuing the notrump strategy.
John Thomas evidently loves the game and writes about Bridge in a way that draw players into his suggestions. This book will definitely appeal to those of us card players who enjoy "shooting the moon" in Hearts, bidding "nil" in Spades and going for "gin" in Rummy. If these "outside the box" aspects of popular card games appeal to you, you are sure to enjoy The Glory of Notrump.