Joan Butts Bridge » Books

Bridge Software

Joan Butts — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:44:39 +0000

BridgeMaster 2000 Software By Fred Gitelman: King

Bridge Master for Windows is an educational computer program that is certain to improve your declarer play technique. The program will present you with a series of instructional bridge deals to play. Bridge Master always defends perfectly. If you make a mistake as declarer, your contract will be defeated. Each deal is accompanied by an animated "bridge movie" that explains the correct line of play as well as the reasoning that leads to the solution. In this edition, Audrey Grant has designed 117 deals specifically covering basic play technique. There are also 30 more advanced deals included. Additional sets of deals are available.

BridgeMaster 2000 Software By Fred Gitelman: (Audrey Grant) Queen

ACBL Series & books by Audrey Grant

Joan Butts — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:33:22 +0000

ACBL The ‘Diamond’ – Play the Hand

(Declarer Play) A classic on bridge play, a standard essential text book, using the five techniques for developing tricks.

ACBL The ‘Heart" – Defence

(Defence) A classic on defence.

ACBL Commonly Used Conventions

This book covers many of the conventions commonly used in tournament bridge. It includes the Stayman Convention, Jacoby Transfers, Jacoby 2NT, Drury, Truscott, Fourth Suit Forcing, Weak Two-Bids and Responses, and the Strong 2 Opening and Responses. There are extensive exercises at the end of each chapter along with sample deals showing the conventions in action.

ACBL Commonly More Used Conventions

This book continues where Commonly Used Conventions left off. It includes Negative Doubles, Redoubles, Landy, Michaels, Unusual Notrump, Blackwood, Gerber, Cuebidding, Leads, Signals, and Two-Over-One Game Forcing. Cards & teachers manuals available with each.

EZ Cards: ACBL The ‘Diamond’

Assistance card for the ‘Diamond’.

EZ Cards: ACBL The ‘Heart’

Assistance card for the ‘Heart’.

EZ Cards: ACBL Commonly Used Conventions

Assistance card for the Commonly Used Conventions.

EZ Cards: ACBL Commonly More Used Conventions

Assistance card for the Commonly More Used Conventions.

Better Bridge Series: Using Your Judgement: The Opening Bid

Better Bridge Series: Using Your Judgement: The Opening Bid. The first call has an impact on the bidding, play and defense of the entire deal. This book introduces concepts that will have you confident and capable of making good decisions when you are in a position to open. It includes the Guidelines of 15 and 20, light opening bids, pre-emptive bids and strong 2 Clubs.

Better Bridge: Doubles

Understanding the many uses of the double can dramatically improve your game. This book reviews the basics and introduces tools to improve your judgment. It covers takeout doubles, advancing the double, rebids by the doubler and advancer, balancing and other doubles.

Competitive Bidding

This book covers the concepts needed when both sides are bidding for the contract. It introduces the basic competitive tools–preemptive opening bids, overcalls, and takeout doubles. The concepts and information presented are the most current available, developed with the assistance of the game’s top champions.

Competitive Bidding: Coded Cards

The coded cards for Bridge Basics 2 are 32 different deals, indicated by the boxes numbered 1-32 on the back of each card. Each box is color-coded to show which player is dealt the card. An underline indicates the dealer. The cards compliment the Bridge Basics 2 textbook.

Better Bridge Series: Popular Conventions

It covers everything from playing at a party table to a tournament table; Popular Conventions teaches you the core conventions that will strengthen your game for sure. It introduces you to the Stayman conventions, Jacoby transfer bids, the strong artifical two club opening, Blackwood and Gerber. This book gives you a chance to get ahead and win!

Bridge at a Glance

Bridge At a Glance is a quick reference of the material in the award-winning Audrey Grant Bridge Basics series.These summaries work in conjunction with the books which present the reasoning behind the guidelines.

Two-Over-One Game Force

NEW BOOK by Audrey Grant & Eric Rodwell. A popular variation of Standard American bidding methods. The reader is shown how a small modification can make it easier for the partnership to get to the best game contract, and explore the possibility of slam. It also describes how using a response of 1NT as a forcing bid can improve the partnership results, even on partscore hands.

The book is filled with helpful features such as summaries, quizzes, and carefully constructed sample deals at the end of each chapter. Additional practice deals give the reader an opportunity to become more familiar with each of the concepts introduced in Two-Over-One Game Force.

Book by Joan Butts

Joan Butts — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:00:56 +0000

Play Bridge: A Workook (Teacher Edition)

Lesson plans for teachers to follow. The book starts has a minibridge approach, designed to have students playing the game quickly. Written in eight chapters, it is ideal for four, six or eight lessons, and covers basic play techniques, and an intro to bidding at the 1-level only. Competitive bidding is introduced in the last chapter. Each hand from the book, (32 hands), may be practised online with an explanation from Joan to match.

Play Bridge: A Workook (Student Ediiton)

For students. The book starts has a minibridge approach, designed to have students playing the game quickly. Written in eight chapters, it is ideal for four, six or eight lessons, and covers basic play techniques, and an intro to bidding at the 1-level only. Competitive bidding is introduced in the last chapter. Each hand from the book, (32 hands), may be practised online with an explanation from Joan to match.

A Guide By Your Side

A summary of the basics to be used at the table

Practice Your Bridge

32 hands with analysis for supervised play. Ideal for post beginners practise sessions, with 32 hands closely matching the beginners text, in bidding and play.

Openings Other Than One Bids

Four workshops with practice hands (also available online) to introduce students to bids other than at the 1-level. Uses a Strong 2♣ and weak 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ and higher pre-empts. Suitable for players of 6+months experience.

Partnership Defence

Written by Audrey Grant, the world famous Canadian teacher, this booklet has suggestions of working with partner to understand each other’s opening leads, and signals. There are eight carefully selected hands to practise, with analysis.

Introduction to the Two Over One System

A very popular addition to the Standard system that improves bidding with strong hands while looking for a fit, and also clears up major suit raises. The concept of a forcing 1NT response is also explored.

Marty Bergen Books

Joan Butts — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:57:46 +0000

Marty A. Bergen (born 1948) is an American bridge player and writer. A 10-time national champion and American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Grand Life Master he retired from active competition in 1993. He is still a prolific bridge writer and is a World Bridge Federation (WBF) World International Master.

He has had a column in the Master Pointers section of ACBL Bridge Bulletin since 1976. He has also written 22 bridge books, two of which won the Bridge Book of the Year award, namely Points Schmoints!: Bergen’s Winning Bridge Secrets in 1996 and Declarer Play the Bergen Way in 2005.

Marty’s newest books are “Slam Bidding Made Easier” and “Better Slam Bidding the Bergen Way” (the companion workbook) and are now available directly from Marty.

Bergen is well-known for his development of new conventions and treatments, including DONT and Bergen raises. Together with his long-time bridge partner Larry Cohen, he popularized the law of total tricks, support double, and 1NT semi-forcing.

In addition to conducting bridge cruises, he now teaches and writes in Florida, where he lives with his wife Cheryl and dogs, Muffie and Casey.