Michael Lawrence's Opening Leads

by Mike Lawrence

A book for bridge players.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an important topic, and books on the subject are much needed. It is also a complex subject, and one that doesn't yield many definitive answers. Mike Lawrence covers a lot of ground here, and has appropriate goals: to give us the things we should think about when contemplating an opening lead.

My rating reflects the difficulty of managing the topic. Because there are so few definitive answers, I've come away wondering how much I've really learned. This book was written in the '90s, and bidding systems have evolved since then. Shifting the frame of reference to today's systems is possible, but draining on the reader, who is already challenged in numerous ways. Therefore, this book would benefit from a revision and modernization. Doing so might not lead to more concrete solutions - the play of the hand at bridge does not evolve as fast as the bidding - but it hopefully would reduce the effort to absorb the lessons that ARE there.

This book is difficult to find, and seemingly was self published by the author. Could an updated version be in the works? Well, it would be on my wish list.

[Harold Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other books I have read have all concentrated on opening leads for hands where the opening lead is clear, if you understand the situation. This book addresses those types of hands, as well as those where even the seasoned professional would be in a quandary. Many hands just don't offer a good opening lead. Mr. Lawrence deals with these hands as well, helping the reader find the least bad lead.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very well written, with clear examples. I found it easy to follow and will use this as a reference.