5 Weeks to Winning Bridge

by Alfred Sheinwold

“Five Weeks to Winning Bridge” is the book most frequently recommended and most often read by beginning bridge players. It is divided into 35 chapters, one for each day of the week over a seven week period. Each chapter is about 15 pages long, enough for a new player to read and absorb in a day. Thus, at the end of 35 days or 5 weeks, the reader should be a competent bridge player. This book describes the Standard American bidding system. Although still the most widely known system, there have been a proliferation of bidding systems. The reader should be prepared to play under other systems. The reader should be aware that this book primarily describes Rubber Bridge play. Nowadays, most bridge play is duplicate. In spite of these developments, this book remains the one more players start off with than any other book. Thus, it should be required reading for all bridge players. If offers the clearest and most easy-to-read description of bridge.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Games

548 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[ALLEN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though it's over fifty years old and mentions five-card major bidding style only in passing, I'd pay the inflated price of FIVE WEEKS TO WINNING BRIDGE happily if I didn't already own it.

PROS: Cheap, and surprisingly comprehensive. Devoted to both the bid and the play of the game. I know of no one-volume "beginner's" bridge text that will take a novice to seasoned beginner so quickly. The lessons increase in complexity, build on prior lessons, and include numerous pauses for quizzes and sum-ups. Topics include putting the dangerous player off lead, falsecards (the legal type), and defensive bidding (for example when it might be worthwhile to incur a loss to keep the opponents from an even larger gain).

CONS: I have to admit that at over 57 years of age, some of the book is obsolescent. This applies most of all to the fact that practically everyone now waits for a five-card suit in the "Majors" (Hearts and Spades) rather than bid a four-carder. This was mentioned briefly toward the end of this book, as what a different kind of guide once referred to as "sauces and pickles." Now it's pretty much the norm, except for some beginners' classes.

Other than that, I'd have given this remarkable book five stars.

[Sandy Woodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a little outdated with opening bids at 13 pts.

[Cws]

795.4