Five Tips to Simplify Card Combinations

This Bridge Guide simplifies card combinations, making them accessible to players with a wide range of experience and skill. It's a practical book because the combinations are seen in the context of an entire deal.Part I - An Introduction to the Five TipsIn each of the five segments, a tip is introduced. Deals are included in Part I to illustrate the tips.Part II - A Collection of Instructional DealsThe basic and finer points of card combinations are introduced through sixteen carefully constructed deals. The first in the collection is straightforward yet complete with the basic ideas about handling card combinations. The deals become more challenging. Deals #15 and #16, the Famous Deals, show how world-class players handle card combinations. The Bridge QuizOn the odd-numbered pages, the Instructional Deals are shown in a Bridge Quiz format. The Suggested Bidding, Opening Lead, and the first steps in Planning the Play are given. The Bridge Quiz poses a challenge for the declarer to decide how to play the deal. Turn the page to see the Suggested Play and the Conclusion. BookmarksEssential ideas are summarized on the four bookmarks.The Declarer's Plan bookmark can help declarer make a habit of using the plan before playing to the first trick. This bookmark can be placed over the even-numbered pages, starting on page 20, opposite the Bridge Quiz on page 21. The bookmark, Five Tips to Simplify Card Combinations, can be placed over the odd-numbered pages when reading the answer to a Bridge Quiz as a reminder of the specific tip being applied. There are two reference bookmarks: one is the Probability of Suit Distributions in the Defenders' Hands and the other is Combinations Providing More Than a 50% Chance of Success.Opening Lead GuidelinesDeclarer reviews the auction and analyzes the opening lead when implementing Declarer's Plan. For your convenience, standard Opening Lead Guidelines are included on page 53.The GlossaryItalicized words in the text are defined in the Glossary, with page references for where the terms first appear.The PublishingThe Audrey Grant Bridge Guide series is published with the reader in mind. The two-color printing highlights the hearts and diamonds in red, making the book easier to read. The specific binding method allows the front and back covers to be put together without harming the book. This makes it possible for the book to lay flat on the table.We hope you enjoy your adventure with card combinations. Thank you for being part of Better Bridge.