Whist Books

This book was excellent!!!

I commend the author for her expertise in associating individuals with the Bid Whist card game. The book is funny and interesting, in that it keeps the reader guessing as to which turn the story will take next.

In a card game, you never know which hand you will be dealt or how you will play that hand. So were the relationships in this book, as the players made calulated and reactionary decisions based on their circumstances. Although the decisions the players made affected everyone around them, the players were only concerned with themselves. You will be quite surprised at who the Joker really is in Bid Whist.

If you are looking for a book that is entertaining and a quick read, I highly recommend this book.

I had a chance to read it after my husband finished the book, I really enjoyed it.

I just finished reading this book and it blew me away! The way that it started out I thought that it was going to be like ever other book, and then it started to happen. Things I did not expect started happening. People started acting like jokers, and some people were truly Kings and Queens. I was truly impressed with the message that this book conveyed. For every women that has had a joker, what was your part in it?

Ms. Ashford has done a brilliant job of weaving a facinating and inspiring story that catches the reader by surprise like an exhilirating rollercoaster ride. The characters are multi-fauceted, and their relationships are cleverly depicted. There are also threads of history that provide a interesting look at a not so far away time.

Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I hope to see this one on the big screen.

I've never read a book about Bid Whist and I have always wondered how the game was played. Lucky for me the directions for Bid Whist are in the begining of the book. The story is based on a group of friends and some not so friendly that meet weekly to play the game. There is a lot of drama in the lives of these players.Some play games and some get played. I like the main character. I liked the way she handled herself and her husbands affairs while trying to help her daughter who is confused and trying to figure life out for herself. This was a good read. I enjoyed it. It was inspirational, laugh out loud funny and the characters are some people you will know. Some you like and some you don't.
Reviewed by
Dawnny

I believe this book is one of the best bridge books I have ever looked into, and I have read or scanned many. My highest recommendation. I bought three.

Well organized and quite cnmplete, this is aa terrific "bible" to have by the bridge table. When we discuss how a hand was bid or played, this becames an invaluable aid.
Too complex for the beginner.

I don't play bridge. My mother, who just turned 80, started playing a few weeks ago. She was studying these handouts that she got from the church's bridge club. I felt she needed a good reference book, with clear illustrations. English is not her first language, and I didn't want something too complicated and not easy to understand. Needless to say, she LOVES this book. Best gift I could have given her. People that have been playing a long time are quite impressed how fast she is learning the game and becoming an accomplished player in just a few weeks. If you're a beginner or advanced player, this book is a must have for your library. Or if you know someone who likes to play, this book will make a Great gift too!

If you're a bridge player you know just how many bridge books are on the market today - but THE BRIDGE PLAYER'S BIBLE offers something different: over 300 examples of how to bid, play, and defend on a range of hands. You can learn strategies, rules, and approaches from key players' techniques and advice, from signals and valuation to planning and deceptive card playing. And each technique receives full illustration for easy learning for novices, too.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The Bridge Player's Bible is a great reference source for the beginning to intermediate bridge player. The book is covers both bidding and the play of the hand. Hundreds of scenarios are covered, ranging from the most basic concepts like a preemptive three bid to more complicated concepts such as numerous types of squeeze plays.

The book is very readable. Each page has two or three subsections, complete with very colorful illustrations and examples. Not only will most players benefit from reading the book from cover to cover, but the bible will continue to be a resource to check on your play and learn how various situations should have been played.

Five stars.

My name is Dennis J Barmore. I am the Founder of The National Card Sharks, Inc. Bid Whist Organization. We represent thousands of Bid Whist players throughout the USA. ...

I have just finished reading this book, and it is a must for beginning and advanced players of whist. The narrative is written in clear concise words that are easy to understand.

The sample hands in the book are excellently crafted and are legitimate teaching aids that can enhance the skills of players on all levels.

There have been many times when people have asked our Bid Whist players, "How Do You Play Whist? Needless to say that is an impossible question to verbally answer. Thank goodness there is a book out there that we can now point to.

If you are at all interested in learning the game, or purchasing a gift for that whist playing friend or relative, this book will serve as a unique gift idea.

"WIN AT WHIST" by Joe Andrews is the most complete book on the game of Whist since Edmund Hoyle first wrote about the game in the 1700's. This book covers all of the bases with a nice history of the game, and then continues with a full reference to the many variations which have evolved. There is generous mention of the popular "Kitty with Jokers" Bid Whist Tournament game which has been promoted by Dennis Barmore and his "sharksinc" live event tour. Mr. Andrews has listed a full glossary of terms and definitions, and finishes his book with a sampling of several illustrative hands. Each hand has a teaching/instructional theme. Although there are a few other published Whist pamphlets/books out there which are quite good, "WIN AT WHIST" is at the head of the class. If you want to excel in high-level competitive play, by all means check out this book!

My bridge Partner and I decided that we wanted a new challenge of learning a different card game. We learned that there was a Bid Whist tournament being played in Atlanta and we had only one day to learn. We sat down and began reading the book together. It was so well written...so clear to understand...that within 24 hours we played in that tournament. We paid a $40 entry fee and felt confident enough about what we had learned. We did not win the tournament but we had an above average score and had a marvelous time.

The next time I played was in a foursome in my home -- I played with a stranger and we won!!!

An Excellent book for anyone wanting to get started playing Bid Whist or for someone wishing to sharpen their skills.

I have already personally delivered copies of this book to players and would recommend it to any card playing addict.

"Everyone was against me," writes Mr. Blackwood, "except the people." Shunned by the experts when it was first published, the Blackwood Convention spread by word-of-mouth and is used by every bridge player from the newest to the top pros. First published in 1949, you will find its applicability in ANY card game, including poker. "Bridge Humanics" may be 60 years old, but it reads like it's 60 years ahead in game theory. Without having to increase your technical ability, you WILL win more hands, more often, just by listening and understanding "your friends, the opponents." If you find youself thinking, "What would the expert do in this situation?" STOP IT. Forget the expert. He or she isn't up against the people you are. Buy this book and make, not the right move, but the winning move.

This early example of Victor Mollo's bridge writing foretold the great works to come. This play technique tutorial remains as fresh and valuable as it was in 1955. If any of the following is true about you . . .

1) No one pays you for lessons
2) No one pays you to be their partner
3) You too often leave more money on the table than you pick up

. . . you can probably learn a thing or three in this classic from Mollo and Gardener.

I found the book informative and interesting, but I discovered some arguable details in the references to the novels that left me wondering whether or not the accuracy of the book's contents can be trusted.

An example of the type of reference to novels that I found arguable can be found in the chapter 'Reader I Married Him':

"On the other hand, you could...marry your cousin...Emma and Mr. Woodhouse scheme for her to do just that."

Emma eventually marries her brother-in-law, not her cousin, and to my knowledge, no cousins of hers are mentioned in the novel. Aside from that, Mr. Woodhouse is opposed to marriage as change in the status quo, and would scarcely be scheming with anyone to bring one about!

I think this is a decent introduction to Victorian times, but I'd double-check it as a reference!

This book is a marvel, understandable to any person intelligent enough to enjoy Charles Dickens. Every aspect of life is within its scope. Easy to use, it is easily the best resource on my shelves. Indispensable to readers (and writers).

History fans and lovers of 19th Century literature will adore this wonderful guide to the everyday lives of people in England in that era. Everything you might care to know about work, transportation, dress, play, manners and morals and so much more is here. Perhaps you have a novel in the works about a Victorian British family and there is a question about inheritance of property? Well, the answer about who would be in line to inherit the family mansion is right here. Want to add a juicy sub-plot about a grave robber? Well, that's here as well! There's also a great deal to familiarize yourself with the language of the day.

This book is a marvelous and enjoyable research tool that will enhance your enjoyment of literature and films set in this period. History buffs will find this book to be quite a pleasurable read that they will refer to frequently. The glossary adds to the value, and I highly recommend What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist - The Facts of Daily Life in Neneteenth-Century England.

Two and a half stars. The basic concept of this book is a useful and interesting one: describe for the general reading public the vanished world of the 19th century. But the 19th century saw an enormous amount of change, and it should be remembered that the lives of Austen and Dickens overlapped for only five years--he was born in 1812, and she died in 1817. It was a measure of the social change which took place during the century that Austen's beloved niece Fanny in her own old age viewed her aunt as having been somewhat vulgar by Victorian standards. Although there are many interesting details (sometimes repeated too often!), author Pool does not do enough to distinguish manners, morals, and conditions at one end of the century from those at the other. There do seem to be as well some literary inaccuracies. (What, for example, does he mean in a discussion of marriage between cousins, that Emma and Mr. Woodhouse are trying to promote a marriage between her and her first cousin???)

Although there is some good information here, be sure to take it with a grain of salt.

If you read Regency or Victorian literature this is a reference you will want close at hand. Both Interesting and fun to read, the author says he wanted to "answer some of the questions that nag any half-curious reader of the great nineteenth-century English novels." He does just that. This book is meant as an overview, or introduction, to the period not an in-depth reference. You will not find lengthy discussions of what Jane Austen might have eaten, but there are several sections on foods and dinner parties.

The book includes a large glossary of terms peculiar to the period. I have found it handy when I've come across an unfamiliar word in a novel and didn't want to stop reading and go research it.

While I feel the book does cover both the Regency and Victorian era fairly well, I believe it can be criticized for spanning too great of a period. Imagine a book attempting to give insight into the entire twentieth century, a period that would include the Wright Brothers and the moon landings and corsets and miniskirts, and many more contrasts. The nineteenth century had many similar contrasts making it difficult to write a single volume cover the entire period.

I recommend two other books for anyone reading Victorian literature, Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England and To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

Recommendation: I recommend this handy reference for anyone who enjoys Regency or Victorian literature.

Kyle Pratt

Great book for beginners! It is clear, concise and full of humor, making it fun to read, as well as easy to comprehend. It is very well organized and progresses logically from the basics to all you need to know. The rules and conventions included are The Standard American System (new since the Goren days) and are consistent with American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) standards. In this system, distribution points are counted only after partners have agreed on a suit, which is fully explained in the book.
I bought the first edition of Eddie Kantar's "Dummies" book when I retired 9 years ago and took up bridge again after a 25-year break, needing a refresher course and upgrade from the Goren years to modern bridge. As an intermediate player, I value it as a reference in case of forgetfulness... This 2nd edition has improved diagrams and other updated information. Highly recommended for beginners and beyond . . .
Another excellent book by this author: "Eddie Kantar Teaches Topics in Declarer Play at Bridge."

I am a big fan of the 1st edition of this book and was pleasantly surprised to find that the 2nd edition is a marked improvement. The new hand diagrams are a big improvement. Mr. Kantar has done quite a bit of rewriting of the material and the 2nd edition seems more tightly organized than the 1st edition. The new "cheat sheet" is an improvement as well. The strengths of the 1st edition -- the author's engaging style and humor, the clear presentation of bridge basics, and the steady, logical progression of material -- all remain intact.

This book is not bad, but unfortunately is not clear, and not fun to read.
It goes in to details too quickly.

It appears to be aimed at a person becoming an Intermediate Player

This book by E.Kantar is a mix of good and bad teaching and most novices would be better off with almost any other for beginners.

Kantar fails to stress that all 12 HCP hands with the same hand pattern are far from equal and thus do not qualify for an opening bid of one. A hand with four quacks(Q+J)is not equal to one with three Kings nor to one with three Aces even though each has a nominal 12 HCP count. Some, but not all, new books will tell students that an opening bid should also have two quick tricks, which are Aces, Kings and Queens in combinations.

Ch.Goren, the preeminent bridge teacher of old, urged students to count quick tricks as part of opening one bid requirements. There is no need nor a good reason to dumb down bridge teaching today.

Also, Kantar does not credit points for long nor short suits for opening bids,as is common in nearly all new books, so that 5,6,7,8 and 9 card suits are treated as equal and all requiring 12 or 11 HCP to open.

Such teaching is not helpful to novices and as a long time techer I would not use or recommend this book to novices, but more experinced players might find it worth reading.

Another shortcomming of this book is a lack of adjustments for unprotected honor cards. E.g. Axxxx,QJxx, QJ,QJ is not a 13 HCP count and should not be opened by a novice.

Another problem with the book is that all illustrations are ideal for the situation at hand, while most hands in real life are less perfect.

This second edition has only six more pages of instructions than the first and with just 372 pages of bridge, not 408 as claimed.Mr. Kantar is known as one of the best players in the country and the world. But lesser
players have written far better books for novices.

Stig Holmqui

This is the best book for Dummies I have ever read.
Kantar presents material in an order that makes sense. It is the first time I understood what I was doing in Bridge. As soon as I read some information on playing, I went to my software program, Bridge Baron (also excellent), and immediately played several hands by myself, making every contract with ideas Kantar had given me; even making contracts with what I used to think were awful hands. Kantar seems to be a born teacher. You can easily see that he loves his subject and very much enjoys imparting knowledge to others. This book is worth every penny! It is one of the best Christmas presents I received this year.

In a clear, simple and methodical way, this book teaches you what to think about and how to think so you can make your contract successfully. This is a "must" book for beginner and intermediate players, and a very good reminder and re-enforcer for more advanced players. Excellent book for anyone that wants to improve his/her game.

This short book has 50 hands that show you how to plan the play of the hand. It is an intermediate level book aimed at people who have finished beginners courses. It is clearly written and easy to follow.

After reading this book, you may want to read Watson's classic, "Play of the Hand" and "Goren On Play and Defense" in that order.

As an intermediate player, I found this book an excellent guide to play of the hand at bridge. It was well-organized and well-written, with a good series of questions repeated and answered on each hand (How many losers? Does it make sense to pull trumps? What is the threat?). Showing only the declarer and dummy hands plus the opening lead made it a very realistic approach to play, and for complex hands the full layout was shown on the next page. The author's tone was straightforward and encouraging, with a bit of humor, and the topics were well chosen -- transportation, pulling trumps, holdup plays, using opponents' bidding, counting, etc. On the whole, a great little book!

In the Halloween thriller hist whist, e. e. cummings' poem is beautifully illustrated into a timeless children's picture book. Amazingly, a single poem comprises this book. While some that are unfamiliar with cummings' style may be confused by his nonsense vocabulary, syntax stretches, and other irregularities, the veteran reader will acknowledge this as yet another wonderful free verse accomplishment of cummings. The alliteration in this poem superiorly extends itself to young audiences. The excited mood created by such phrases as "tip-toe/twinkle-toe" and "eyes rustle and run and/hidehidehide" transport the rushing, dancing reader to through the scary lines.

However, this would likely not make the children's book list without the expert watercolor and colored pencil drawings of Deborah Kogan Ray. Her illustrations wonderfully enhance cummings' already vibrant poem. The autumnal drawings are dark, but still somehow glow with life and vivacity. Ray well understands the concept of positive and negative space, and her artwork demonstrates this. The frightening creatures described are accurately and creatively drawn, and just when one is beginning to fear, the cheerful, grinning faces of the costumed children relieve the reader.

This amazing and beautiful book is a wonderful addition to children's literature; e. e. cummings and Deborah Kogan Ray together created a terrific Halloween story, hist whist.