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Bridge In The Menagerie
A reissue of one of the great bridge books by the beloved Victor Mollo.
- GenresGamesNonfiction
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 14, 2010
Most bridge players know this book well, and frequently refer to its two main characters, the Hideous Hog and the Rueful Rabbit. The running joke is that the Hog bids 3NT because he wants to be declarer; then the Rabbit doesn't find the percentage play, but what he does works anyway because of the distribution of the cards.
If you're not a bridge player, you'll just have to trust me: it's funny! At least, it is the way Mollo tells the story.
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OK, here's an attempt to explain the running joke. (By the way, if this isn't obvious: I am far from being an expert bridge player, but you only need a basic understanding of the game to appreciate the book). The Hog bids 3NT (Three No Trumps) so that he can become declarer, i.e. assume responsibility for playing the cards. He's being condescending and rude in not bidding according to the normal rules; his reasoning, which is transparent to the other players, is that most important thing is not to get to the best contract, but to make sure he's in charge. In Bridge parlance, he is "hogging the contract", hence his name.
Once he's in the driver's seat, he figures out some terribly clever scheme, which absolutely optimizes his probability of success. He's a big expert. The Rabbit, in contrast, knows nothing, and makes some terrible decision, which is only going to work in the vanishingly unlikely case that the cards are distributed in exactly the right way. But bridge is a game of luck, and the Rabbit is phenomenally lucky. His guardian angel is alert, and the cards turn out to be just where they have to be in order for the Rabbit to triumph and the Hog to fail.
The Rabbit doesn't even understand he's been lucky, or grasp why the Hog is fuming. It's sort of the card-play equivalent of the scene in Revenge of the Pink Panther where Peter Sellers is blithely walking around the fairground, not realizing that 50 of the world's top assassins are all unsuccessfully trying to kill him, but only managing to kill each other.
The book is funny because it's an exaggerated version of what you see all the time at the bridge table. People do clever things that don't work, and stupid things that do work, and the less skillful players often have no idea why the experts are cursing and groaning. Of course, the experts are experts because in the long run they do come out ahead.
If you're not a bridge player, you'll just have to trust me: it's funny! At least, it is the way Mollo tells the story.
________________________________________________
OK, here's an attempt to explain the running joke. (By the way, if this isn't obvious: I am far from being an expert bridge player, but you only need a basic understanding of the game to appreciate the book). The Hog bids 3NT (Three No Trumps) so that he can become declarer, i.e. assume responsibility for playing the cards. He's being condescending and rude in not bidding according to the normal rules; his reasoning, which is transparent to the other players, is that most important thing is not to get to the best contract, but to make sure he's in charge. In Bridge parlance, he is "hogging the contract", hence his name.
Once he's in the driver's seat, he figures out some terribly clever scheme, which absolutely optimizes his probability of success. He's a big expert. The Rabbit, in contrast, knows nothing, and makes some terrible decision, which is only going to work in the vanishingly unlikely case that the cards are distributed in exactly the right way. But bridge is a game of luck, and the Rabbit is phenomenally lucky. His guardian angel is alert, and the cards turn out to be just where they have to be in order for the Rabbit to triumph and the Hog to fail.
The Rabbit doesn't even understand he's been lucky, or grasp why the Hog is fuming. It's sort of the card-play equivalent of the scene in Revenge of the Pink Panther where Peter Sellers is blithely walking around the fairground, not realizing that 50 of the world's top assassins are all unsuccessfully trying to kill him, but only managing to kill each other.
The book is funny because it's an exaggerated version of what you see all the time at the bridge table. People do clever things that don't work, and stupid things that do work, and the less skillful players often have no idea why the experts are cursing and groaning. Of course, the experts are experts because in the long run they do come out ahead.
August 11, 2009
It's not worth learning bridge just to read this book, but Victor Mollo's classic does provide a compelling reason to teach yourself how to play. The hands are hilarious and the characters exceedingly entertaining, particularly the gluttonous, egomaniacal and technically brilliant Hideous Hog who pulls off impossible contracts and employs masterful deception to defeat rock-solid slams. It's tough extracting useful bridge wisdom from his play, and you won't find much in here to improve your game at the card table, but you'll certainly discover a lot of entertaining stories.
December 12, 2008
Mollo's classic series is the all-time favorite among bridge players. The hands are clever, but it is the storyline that is so appealing. Master player the Hideous Hog does battle at the Unicorn Club against his nemesis the Rueful Rabbit, whose luck always prevails. Populated with a variety of animal characters posessing human traits, the book charmed everyone and took the bridge world by storm. Read the entire series.
September 26, 2009
The trouble with this series is that the wisdom is so couched in well-written humour there is a danger of missing it.
Still, what the hell, just read them for fun. That'll do fine.
Still, what the hell, just read them for fun. That'll do fine.
July 12, 2013
It won't do you any good if you don't play bridge, but for the bridge players in the world, it is a very funny and clever book. Lots of improbable hands and unlikely endplays. Loved it!
October 18, 2013
If I had to criticize, I'd say that the constant squeeze hands get a bit repetitive, but that'd be nitpicking. The constructed hands here are hilarious. One of the funniest books I've read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews