EXPERT BIDDING AT CONTRACT BRIDGE

by Samuel M. Stayman '30. Published by Wellington Associates, 1951. 144pages. $1.95.

This compact, expertly organized book of eleven sections, by a famous player and precision analyst, has provided us with the nearest approach yet made to exactness in no-trump bidding and responding at all levels. Contract devotees, except confirmed "take-a-chance" players, can absorb the simple, clearly stated instructions with immediate and lasting profit. In fact an intelligent partnership, in which there is willingness to practice, will gain ease of operation as well as better scoring, for Stayman reminds one of Che.stertonian paradox in that he has worked thousands of hours to save work. Refining the point-count method, he has not only made it more accurate, but simpler.

Devoted exclusively to bidding, with nearly two hundred sequences shown, there is plenty of information aside from no-trump. The Stayman Convention, in garbled use throughout the country, is authoritatively stated, with fifty-two illustrations of its use in arriving at good contracts and avoiding bad ones.

There is a very helpful section on employing no-trump bids for overcalling and re-bids —a point of uncertainty with many players. Another section shows how to use pre-emptive two-bids of majors, with artificial opening forces of both clubs and diamonds, and the proper responses. Last, but not least, come novel pre-emptive overcalls and nonforcing double raises, supplemented by a way to "psych" safely—all of which makes life difficult for opponents. In my opinion this book deserves to rank with the dozen most useful contributions to the literature of contract bidding.