How To Play Card Combinations (Devyn Press Bridge Library)

There are two very different approaches to the study of combinations. The "puzzle" approach presents cards from a single suit, perhaps on a flashcard, and you might then be asked to "win 2". There may be one correct answer based upon probabilities that are applicable only if nothing else is known about the rest of the hand. This is not the Mike Lawrence approach.This book takes a more useful "contextual" approach that views card combinations as part of a complex of information that declarers use to develop a plan for the play of an entire hand. The material is organized in a way that demonstrates why there is no single correct way to play any specific holding of honor cards.For example, chapter one contains eleven complete hands in which one suit contains J10x opposite Axx. Lawrence shows why the correct way to play this combination depends upon the auction and opening lead, the HCP distribution and suit count, the location of a danger hand, the scoring method and safety play considerations, and sometimes signals and "flickers" of hesitation by the defenders.In short, combination play is just part of the process of reading the clues and planning the overall play of the hand. Students of the game who enjoyed Lawrence's award-winning book "How to Read Your Opponents' Cards" will surely be very pleased with "How to Play Card Combinations". Both are excellent books that contain numerous conceptual and practical insights into how successful declarers play bridge.

This is a book so dense with value that I believe I got as much out of it the 2nd time I read it as I did the 1st. It is further evidence that Mike Lawrence is among the best bridge writers ever.The book is not a catalog of dozens of combinations with rules about how to play them. Rather Lawrence teaches the reader how to analyze card combinations in context by taking seven combinations and thoroughly discussing several hands containing each of them. He teaches the reader to fish, as it were. It is as if you are sitting at his elbow as he bids and plays the hand all the while giving you a play-by-play of his thoughts. He calculate the odds; he reads the defense; he counts the hand; he deduces from the bidding. But he also takes note of interesting sidelights and insights in both bidding and play. For example he pauses to describe a particular defender false-card tendency that he has observed in his career.After reading this book the first time, I made an effort to put what I had learned into practice. As I encountered combinations not contained in the book, I would try to think about them as Lawrence does. And as combinations recurred but in different contexts, I would make notes after the session so I could compare ideas about the specific combinations. Sure enough each instance of J9xx opposite K8xx has both similarities and differences with other instances of the same combination. And sure enough, I was getting better at playing them.Not only did I learn from this book, but it was fun to read. Both times.

Good book - as usual, for a Mike Lawrence book.

For the advanced player who wants to improve his or her game, this is an excellent book. The author takes simple card combinations (such as Qxx opposite Jxx) and shows how they can be played differently depending on the context and inferences declarer can draw.

Had no idea the book was this old. Very disappointed.

Helps improve skills with how to play different card combinations. It is very well written with excellent examples.

Great book. It illustrates how experts think about playing a hand. I recommended it to a friend, who also found it helpful.

the art of inferences is disclosed by one of the best

This is not a book for the beginner, or even the intermediate player, but If your ambition is to be an expert bridge player this will help you on your way. There are no simple rules or guidelines here. Instead Lawrence clearly explains on each carefully selected hand how the expert approaches it - using every bit of information of what the opponents bid or didn't bid and what cards they played or discarded to assess the likely distribution and honour placings, and then weighing up the opportunities (or dangers) that this presents. He covers this complex topic in great depth, but makes it very readable.

GREAT COMPANY GOOD PRODUCT

A great player who can also write reviewing interesting card combinations. What's not to like!?If you want to improve your declarer play buy it!

a good book, one u can keep going back too...

GREAT BOOKCLEARLY EXPLAINS METHODS OF PLAY AND EVEN DISCUSSES BIDDING AS A BONUSANY SERIOUS PLAYER SHOULD HOLD A COPY OF THIS BOOK