To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks

by larry-cohen

This guide explains the Law of Total Tricks, invented by the French in the 1950s. It is one of the best-selling and most influential bridge books of the past three decades.

Genres: Games, Reference

285 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Rob Preece · Rating 5 out of 5]

In bridge, it's critical not to sell out to the opponents to cheaply--to make them compete to a level where they feel uncomfortable. The only way to do this, however, is to bid at higher levels yourself, sometimes setting yourself up for a substantial penalty. In To Bid or Not to Bid, bridge master Larry Cohen outlines rules to allow the player to determine whether to take the chance and push higher, pass quietly, or pull out a damaging penalty double. With dozens of examples from top-flight tournament play, Cohen lets us see where following the "Law" paid off... and where failing to follow it resulted in big problems, sometimes including the loss of championships. This book is relatively easy to read--it's suitable for just about anyone who plays duplicate bridge.

[Jógvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is vital reading for any serious Bridge player. After reading this book, you'll know how to compete for low-level contracts and improve your results in competitions. Need I say more to justify the 5 stars? :)

[Melanie Appelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if u r into competitive bridge!

[Marco Reale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for modern bidding. However I felt sometimes the discussions were too long.

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should help my bidding. Will my partners believe the Law? Couldn't follow all of it, but what I did follow I thought very helpful.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly feel as thought I've become a better player by reading this!